第26章
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  N。B。——Lookhere,areyouchargingstorage?Iamnotgoingtostandthat,youknow。Meantime,InotethoseencouragingillogicalwordsofyoursaboutmynotworryingbecauseIamtoberichwhenI

  am68;whydidn’tyouhaveCheiromakeit90,sothatIcouldhaveplentyofroom?

  Itwouldbejollygoodifsomeoneshouldsucceedinmakingaplayoutof\"IsHeDead?\"——[Clemenshimselfhadattemptedtomakeaplayoutofhisstory\"IsHeDead?\"andhadforwardedtheMS。toRogers。

  Laterhewrote:\"Put’IsHeDead?’inthefire。Godwillblessyou。

  Itoo。IstartedtoconvincemyselfthatIcouldwriteaplay,orcouldn’t。I’mconvinced。Nothingcandisturbthatconviction。\"]——

  FromwhatIgatherfromdramatists,hewillhavehishandssomethingmorethanfull——butlethimstruggle,lethimstruggle。

  Istheresomeway,honestorotherwise,bywhichyoucangetacopyofMayo’splay,\"Pudd’nheadWilson,\"forme?ThereisacapableyoungAustrianherewhosawitinNewYorkandwantstotranslateitandseeifhecanstageithere。Idon’tthinkthesepeopleherewouldunderstanditortaketoit,buthethinksitwillpayustotry。

  AcoupleofLondondramatistswanttobargainwithmefortherighttomakeahighcomedyoutofthe\"Million—PoundNote。\"Barkisiswilling。

  Thisisbutoneofthebrieferletters。Mostofthemweremuchlongerandofmoreelaboraterequirements。Alsotheyoverflowedwiththegaietyofgood—fortuneandwithgratitude。FromViennain1899Clemenswrote:

  Why,itisjustsplendid!Ihavenothingtodobutsitaroundandwatchyousetthehenandhatchoutthosebigbroodsandmakemylivingforme。Don’tyouwishyouhadsomebodytodothesameforyou?——amagicianwhocanturnsteeladdcopperandBrooklyngasintogold。Imeantoraiseyourwagesagain——IbegintofeelthatIcanaffordit。

  Ithinkthehenoughttohaveaname;shemustbecalledUnberufen。

  ThatisaGermanwordwhichisequivalenttoit’sh!hush’don’tletthespiritshearyou!\"Thesuperstitionisthatifyouhappentoletfallanygratefuljubilationovergoodluckthatyou’vehadorarehopingtohaveyoumustshutsquareoffandsay\"Unberufen!\"andknockwood。Theworddrivestheevilspiritsaway;otherwisetheywoulddivineyourjoyoryourhopesandgotoworkandspoilyourgame。Setheragain——do!

  Oh,lookhere!Youarejustlikeeverybody;merelybecauseIamliteraryyouthinkI’macommercialsomnambulist,andamnotwatchingyouwithallthatmoneyinyourhands。Blessyou,I’vegotadescriptionofyouandaphotographineverypolice—officeinChristendom,withtheremarkappended:\"Lookoutforahandsome,tall,slenderyoungmanwithagraymustacheandcourtlymannersandanaddresswellcalculatedtodeceive,callinghimselfbythenameofSmith。\"Don’tyoutrytogetaway——itwon’twork。

  >Fromthenote—book:

  Midnight。AtMissBailie’shomeforEnglishgovernesses。Twocomedies&somesongsandballads。Wasaskedtospeak&didit。

  Andrunginthe\"MexicanPlug。\"

  AVoice。\"ThePrincessHohenlohewishesyoutowriteonherfan。\"

  \"Withpleasure——whereisshe?\"

  \"Atyourelbow。\"

  Iturned&tookthefan&said,\"YourHighness’splaceisinafairytale;&by&byImeantowritethattale,\"whereatshelaughedahappygirlishlaugh,&wemovedthroughthecrowdtogettoawriting—table——&togetinastronglightsothatIcouldseeherbetter。Beautifullittlecreature,withthedearestfriendlyways&

  sincerities&simplicities&sweetnesses——theidealprincessofthefairytales。Sheis16or17,Ijudge。

  MentalTelegraphy。Mrs。Clemenswaspouringoutthecoffeethismorning;IunfoldedtheNeueFreiePresse,begantoreadaparagraph&said:

  \"They’vefoundanewwaytotellgenuinegemsfromfalse————\"

  \"BytheRoentgenray!\"sheexclaimed。

  ThatiswhatIwasgoingtosay。Shehadnotseenthepaper,&

  therehadbeennotalkabouttherayorgemsbyherselforbyme。

  Itwasaplaincaseoftelegraphy。

  NomanthateverlivedhaseverdoneathingtopleaseGod——

  primarily。Itwasdonetopleasehimself,thenGodnext。

  TheBeingwhotomeistherealGodistheonewhocreatedthismajesticuniverse&rulesit。Heistheonlyoriginator,theonlyoriginatorofthoughts;thoughtssuggestedfromwithin,notfromwithout;theoriginatorofcolors&ofalltheirpossiblecombinations;offorces&thelawsthatgovernthem;offorms&

  shapesofallforms—manhasneverinventedanewone。Heistheonlyoriginator。Hemadethematerialsofallthings;Hemadethelawsbywhich,&bywhichonly,manmaycombinethemintothemachines&otherthingswhichoutsideinfluencessuggesttohim。Hemadecharacter——mancanportrayitbutnot\"create\"it,forHeistheonlycreator。

  He,istheperfectartisan,theperfectartist。

  CCVI

  ASUMMERINSWEDEN

  ApartofthetragedyoftheirtriparoundtheworldhadbeenthedevelopmentinJeanClemensofamaladywhichtimehadidentifiedasepilepsy。Thelossofonedaughterandtheinvalidismofanotherwastheburdenwhichthishouseholdhadnowtobear。Ofcoursetheydidnotforamomentdespairofacureforthebeautifulgirlwhohadbeensocruellystricken,andtheyemployedanyagentthatpromisedrelief。

  TheydecidednowtogotoLondon,inthehopeofobtainingbeneficialtreatment。TheyleftViennaattheendofMay,followedtothestationbyagreatcrowd,wholoadedtheircompartmentwithflowersandlingeredontheplatformwavingandcheering,someofthemintears,whilethetrainpulledaway。Leschetizkyhimselfwasamongthem,andWilbrandt,theauthoroftheMasterofPalmyra,andmanyartistsandothernotables,\"mostofwhom,\"writesMrs。Clemens,\"weshallprobablyneverseeagaininthisworld。\"

  TheirViennasojournhadbeenoneofthemostbrilliantperiodsoftheirlife,aswellasoneofthesaddest。ThememoryofSusyhadbeenneverabsent,andthefailinghealthofJeanwasagatheringcloud。

  TheystoppedadayortwoatPrague,wheretheywereinvitedbythePrinceofThurnandTaxistovisithiscastle。ItgavethemaglimpseofthecountrylifeoftheBohemiannobilitywhichwasmostinteresting。

  ThePrince’schildrenwereentirelyfamiliarwithTomSawyerandHuckleberryFinn,whichtheyhadreadbothinEnglishandinthetranslation。

  TheyjourneyedtoLondonbywayofCologne,arrivingbytheendofMay。

  PoultneyBigelowwasthere,andhadrecentlybeentreatedwithgreatbenefitbyosteopathythenknownastheSwedishmovements,aspractisedbyHeinrickKellgrenatSanna,Sweden。ClemenswasallinterestconcerningKellgren’smethodandeagertotryitforhisdaughter’smalady。Hebelievedshecouldbebenefited,andtheymadepreparationtospendsomemonthsatleastinSanna。TheyremainedseveralweeksinLondon,wheretheywerewelcomedwithhospitalityextraordinary。TheyhadhardlyarrivedwhentheywereinvitedbyLordSalisburytoHatfieldHouse,andbyJamesBrycetoPortlandPlace,andbyCanonWilberforcetoDean’sYard。Aratheramusingincidenthappenedatoneoftheluncheon—

  parties。CanonWilberforcewasthereandleftratherearly。WhenClemenswasreadytogotherewasjustonehatremaining。Itwasnothis,andhesuspected,bytheinitialsontheinside,thatitbelongedtoCanonWilberforce。However,itfittedhimexactlyandheworeitaway。

  Thateveninghewrote:

  PRINCEOFWALESHOTEL,DEVEREGARDENS,July,3,1899。

  DEARCANONWILBERFORCE,——Itis8P。M。DuringthepastfourhoursIhavenotbeenabletotakeanythingthatdidnotbelongtome;duringallthattimeIhavenotbeenabletostretchafactbeyondthefrontiersoftruthtryasImight,&meantime,notonlymymoralshavemovedtheastonishmentofallwhohavecomeincontactwithme,butmymannershavegainedmorecomplimentsthantheyhavebeenaccustomedto。Thismysteryiscausingmyfamilymuchalarm。Itisdifficulttoaccountforit。

  IfindIhaven’tmyownhat。HaveyoudevelopedanynoveltiesofconductsinceyouleftMr。Murray’s,&havetheybeenofacharactertomovetheconcernofyourfriends?Ithinkitmustbethisthathasputmeunderthishappycharm;but,ohdear!Itremblefortheotherman!

  Sincerelyyours,S。L。CLEMENS。

  ScarcelywasthisnoteonitswaytoWilberforcewhenthefollowingonearrived,havingcrosseditintransit:

  July3,1899。

  DEARMR。CLEMENS,——IhavebeenconsciousofavivacityandfacilityofexpressionthisafternoonbeyondthenormalandIhavejustdiscoveredthereason!!Ihaveseenthehistoricsignature\"MarkTwain\"inmyhat!!

  Doubtlessyouhavebeensufferingfromacorrespondingdullness&havewonderedwhy。Idepartedprecipitately,thehatstoodonmyumbrellaandwasanewLincoln&Bennett——itfittedmeexactlyandIdidnotdiscoverthemistaketillIgotinthisafternoon。Pleaseforgiveme。Ifyoushouldbepassingthiswayto—morrowwillyoulookinandchangehats?

  orshallIsendittothehotel?

  Iam,verysincerelyyrs。,20Dean’sYard。BASILWILBERFORCE。

  Clemenswasdemandedbyallthebohemianclubs,theWhiteFriars,theVagabonds,theSavage,theBeefsteak,andtheAuthors。Hespoketothem,andthose\"MarkTwainEvenings\"havebecomehistoricoccasionsineachoftheseveralinstitutionsthatgavehimwelcome。AttheVagabondshetoldthemthewatermelonstory,andattheWhiteFriarshereviewedtheolddayswhenhehadbeenelectedtothatsociety;\"days,\"hesaid,\"whenallLondonersweretalkingaboutnothingelsethanthattheyhaddiscoveredLivingstone,andthatthelostSirRogerTichbornehadbeenfoundandtheyweretryinghimforit。\"

  AttheSavageClub,too,herecalledoldtimesandoldfriends,andparticularlythatfirstLondonvisit,hisdaysintheclubtwenty—sevenyearsbefore。

  \"Iwas6feet4inthosedays,\"hesaid。\"NowIam5feet81/2anddailydiminishinginaltitude,andtheshrinkageofmyprinciplesgoeson……Irvingwasherethen,isherenow。Stanleyishere,andJoeHatton,butCharlesReadeisgoneandTomHoodandHarryLeeandCanonKingsley。InthosedaysyoucouldhavecarriedKiplingaroundinalunch—basket;nowhefillstheworld。Iwasyoungandfoolishthen;nowIamoldandfoolisher。\"

  AttheAuthorsClubhepaidaspecialtributetoRudyardKipling,whosedangerousillnessinNewYorkCityandwhosedaughter’sdeathhadarousedtheanxietyandsympathyoftheentireAmericannation。IthaddonemuchtobringEnglandandAmericaclosertogether,Clemenssaid。Thenheaddedthathehadbeenengagedthepasteightdayscompilingapunandhadbroughtittheretolayattheirfeet,nottoaskfortheirindulgence,butfortheirapplause。Itwasthis:

  \"SinceEnglandandAmericahavebeenjoinedinKipling,maytheynotbeseveredinTwain。\"

  Hundredsofpunshadbeenmadeonhispen—name,butthiswasprobablyhisfirstandonlyattempt,anditstillremainsthebest。

  TheyarrivedinSwedenearlyinJulyandremaineduntilOctober。JeanwascertainlybenefitedbytheKellgrentreatment,andtheyhadforatimethegreatesthopesofhercompleterecovery。Clemensbecameenthusiasticoverosteopathy,andwroteeloquentlytoeveryone,urgingeachtotrythegreatnewcurativewhichwascertaintorestoreuniversalhealth。HewrotelongarticlesonKellgrenandhisscience,largelyjustified,nodoubt,forcertainlymiraculousbenefitswererecorded;

  thoughClemenswasnotlikelytounderestimateathingwhichappealedtobothhisimaginationandhisreason。WritingtoTwichellheconcluded,withhiscustomaryoptimismoveranynewbenefit:

  Tenyearshencenosanemanwillcalladoctorexceptwhentheknifemustbeused——&suchcaseswillberare。Theeducatedphysicianwillhimselfbeanosteopath。Davewillbecomeoneafterhehasfinishedhismedicaltraining。YoungHarmonyoughttobecomeonenow。IdonotbelievethereisanydifferencebetweenKellgren’sscienceandosteopathy;butIamsendingtoAmericatofindout。I

  wantosteopathytoprosper;itiscommonsense&scientific,&curesawiderrangeofailmentsthanthedoctor’smethodscanreach。

  TwichellwastravelinginEuropethatsummer,andwrotefromSwitzerland:

  IseemedeverandanontoseeyouandmeswingingalongthosegloriousAlpinewoods,staringatthenewunfoldingsofsplendorthateveryturnbroughtintoview—talking,talking,endlesslytalkingthedaysthrough—daysforevermemorabletome。Thatwastwenty—oneyearsago;thinkofit!Wewereyoungstersthen,Mark,andhowkeenourrelishofeverythingwas!Well,Icanenjoymyselfnow;butnotwiththatzestandrapture。Oh,alotofitemsofourtramptravelin1878thatIhadlongforgottencamebacktomeaswespedthroughthatenchantedregion,andifIwasn’tondutywithVeniceI’dstopandsetdownsomeofthem,butVenicemustbeattendedto。Foronething,thereisHowells’sbooktobereadatsuchintervalsascanbesnatchedfromthequick—timemarchonwhichourrustlingleaderkeepsus。However,inVenicesofarwewanttobegazingprettysteadilyfrommorningtillnight,andbythegraceofthegondolawecandoitwithoutexhaustion。ReallyIamdrunkwithVenice。

  ButClemenswasfullofSweden。Theskiesthereandthesunsetsbethoughtsurpassedanyhehadeverknown。OnaneveninginSeptemberhewrote:

  DEARJOE,——I’venobusinessinhere—Ioughttobeoutside。Ishallneverseeanothersunsettobeginwithitthissideofheaven。

  Venice?land,whatapoorinterestthatis!Thisistheplacetobe。Ihaveseenabout60sunsetshere;&agood40ofthemwereaway&beyondanythingIhadeverimaginedbeforefordainty&

  exquisite&marvelousbeauty&infinitechange&variety。America?

  Italy?thetropics?Theyhavenonotionofwhatasunsetoughttobe。Andthisone——thisunspeakablewonder!Itdiscountsalltherest。Itbringsthetears,itissounutterablybeautiful。

  ClemensreadabookduringhisstayinSwedenwhichinterestedhimdeeply。ItwastheOpenQuestion,byElizabethRobbins——afinestudyoflife’ssterneraspects。Whenhehadfinishedhewasmovedtowritetheauthorthisencouragingword:

  DEARMISSROBBINS,——ArelativeofMatthewArnoldlentusyour’OpenQuestion’theotherday,andMrs。ClemensandIareinyourdebt。I

  amnotabletoputinwordsmyfeelingaboutthebook——myadmirationofitsdepthandtruthandwisdomandcourage,andthefineandgreatliteraryartandgraceofthesetting。Atyourageyoucannothavelivedthehalfofthethingsthatareinthebook,norpersonallypenetratedtothedeepsitdealsin,norcovereditswidehorizonswithyourveryownvision——andso,whatisyoursecret?

  howhaveyouwrittenthismiracle?Perhapsonemustconcedethatgeniushasnoyouth,butstartswiththeripenessofageandoldexperience。

  Well,inanycase,Iamgratefultoyou。Ihavenotbeensoenrichedbyabookformanyyears,norsoenchantedbyone。Iseemtobeusingstronglanguage;still,Ihaveweighedit。

  Sincerelyyours,S。L。CLEMENS。

  CCVII

  30,WELLINGTONCOURT

  ClemenshimselftooktheKellgrentreatmentandreceivedagooddealofbenefit。

  \"Ihavecomebackinsoundconditionandbracedforwork,\"hewroteMacAlister,uponhisreturntoLondon。\"Along,steady,faithfulsiegeofit,andIbeginnowinfiveminutes。\"

  Theyhadsettledinasmallapartmentat30,WellingtonCourt,AlbertGate,wheretheycouldbeneartheLondonbranchoftheKellgreninstitution,andhehadaworkroomwithChatto&Windus,hispublishers。

  Hiswork,however,wasmainlywritingspeeches,forhewasentertainedconstantly,anditseemedimpossibleforhimtoescape。Hisnote—bookbecameamerejumbleofengagements。Hedidwriteanarticleorastorynowandthen,oneofwhich,\"MyFirstLie,andHowIGotOutofIt,\"wasmadetheimportantChristmasfeatureofthe’NewYorkSundayWorld。’

  ——[NowincludedintheHadleyburgvolume;\"CompleteWorks。\"]

  Anotherarticleofthistimewasthe\"St。JoanofArc,\"whichseveralyearslaterappearedinHarper’sMagazine。ThisarticlewasoriginallywrittenastheIntroductionoftheEnglishtranslationoftheofficialrecordofthetrialsandrehabilitationofJoan,thenabouttobeelaboratelyissued。ClemenswasgreatlypleasedatbeinginvitedtopreparetheIntroductionofthisimportantvolume,butasmugpersonwithpedagogicproclivitieswasinchargeofthecopyandproceededtoeditMarkTwain’smanuscript;toalteritsphrasingtoconformtohisownideasoftheQueen’sEnglish。Thenhehaditallnicelytypewritten,andreturnedittoshowhowmuchhehadimprovedit,andtoreceivethanksandcompliments。Hedidnotreceiveanythanks。Clemensrecordedafewoftheremarksthathemadewhenhesawhiseditedmanuscript:

  Iwillnotdenythatmyfeelingsroseto104intheshade。\"Theidea!Thatthislong—earedanimalthisliterarykangaroothisilliteratehostlerwithhisskullfullofaxle—grease——this……\"

  ButIstoppedthere,forthiswasnottheChristianspirit。

  Hiswould—beeditorreceivedapromptordertoreturnthemanuscript,afterwhichClemenswrotealetter,someofwhichwillgoverywellhere。

  DEARMR。X。,——IhaveexaminedthefirstpageofmyamendedIntroduction,——&willbeginnow&jotdownsomenotesuponyourcorrections。IfIfindanychangeswhichshallnotseemtometobeimprovementsIwillpointoutmyreasonsforthinkingso。InthiswayImaychancetobehelpfultoyou,&thusprofityouperhapsasmuchasyouhavedesiredtoprofitme。

  FirstParagraph。\"Jeanned’Arc。\"Thisisrathercheaplypedantic,&isnotinverygoodtaste。Joanisnotknownbythatnameamongplainpeopleofourrace&tongue。InoticethatthenameoftheDeityoccursseveraltimesinthebriefinstalmentoftheTrialswhichyouhavefavoredmewith。Tobeconsistent,itwillbenecessarythatyoustrikeout\"God\"&putin\"Dieu。\"Donotneglectthis。

  SecondParagraph。Nowyouhavebegunonmypunctuation。Don’tyourealizethatyououghtnottointrudeyourhelpinadelicateartlikethatwithyourlimitations?Anddoyouthinkthatyouhaveaddedjusttherightsmearofpolishtotheclosingclauseofthesentence?

  ThirdParagraph。Ditto。

  FourthParagraph。Yourword\"directly\"ismisleading;itcouldbeconstruedtomean\"atonce。\"Plainclarityisbetterthanornateobscurity。Inoteyoursensitivemarginalremark:\"RatherunkindtoFrenchfeelings——referringtoMoscow。\"IndeedIhavenotbeenconcerningmyselfaboutFrenchfeelings,butonlyaboutstatingthefacts。IhavesaidseveraluncourteousthingsabouttheFrench——

  callingthema\"nationofingrates\"inoneplace——butyouhavebeensobusyeditingcommas&semicolonsthatyouoverlookedthem&

  failedtogetscaredatthem。ThenextparagraphendswithaslurattheFrench,butIhavereasonsforthinkingyoumistookitforacompliment。Itisdiscouragingtotrytopenetrateamindlikeyours。Yououghttogetitout&danceonit。

  Thatwouldtakesomeoftherigidityoutofit。Andyououghttouseitsometimes;thatwouldhelp。Ifyouhaddonethiseverynow&

  thenalongthroughlifeitwouldnothavepetrified。

  FifthParagraph。ThusfarIregardthisasyourmasterpiece!Youarereallyperfectinthegreatartofreducingsimple&dignifiedspeechtoclumsy&vapidcommonplace。

  SixthParagraph。Youhaveasingularlyfine&aristocraticdisrespectforhomely&unpretendingEnglish。EverytimeIuse\"goback\"yougetoutyourpolisher&slickitupto\"return。\"\"Return\"

  issuitedonlytothedrawing—room——itisducal,&saysitselfwithasimper&asmirk。

  SeventhParagraph。\"Permission\"isducal。Ducalandaffected。

  \"Her\"greatdayswerenot\"over,\"theywereonlyhalfover。Didn’tyouknowthat?Haven’tyoureadanythingatallaboutJoanofArc?

  Thetruthisyoudonotpayanyattention;Itoldyouonmyveryfirstpagethatthepublicpartofhercareerlastedtwoyears,&

  youhaveforgottenitalready。Youreallymustgetyourmindoutandhaveitrepaired;youseeyourselfthatitisallcakedtogether。

  EighthParagraph。She\"rodeawaytoassault&captureastronghold。\"Verywell;butyoudonottelluswhethershesucceededornot。Youshouldnotworrythereaderwithuncertaintieslikethat。Iwillremindyouoncemorethatclarityisagoodthinginliterature。Anapprenticecannotdobetterthankeepthisusefulruleinmind。

  NinthParagraph。\"Known\"history。Thatwordhasapolishwhichistooindelicateforme;theredoesn’tseemtobeanysenseinit。

  Thiswouldhavesurprisedmelastweek……\"Breakingalance\"isaknightly&sumptuousphrase,&I

  honoritforitshoaryage&forthefaithfulserviceithasdoneintheprize—compositionoftheschool—girl,butIhaveceasedfromemployingitsinceIgotmypuberty,&mustsolemnlyobjecttofatheringithere。And,besides,itmakesmehintthatIhavebrokenoneofthosethingsbeforeinhonoroftheMaid,anintimationnotjustifiedbythefacts。Ididnotbreakanylancesorotherfurniture;Ionlywroteabookabouther。

  Trulyyours,MARKTWAIN。

  Itcostmesomethingtorestrainmyselfandsaythesesmooth&half—

  flatteringthingsofthisimmeasurableidiot,butIdidit,&haveneverregrettedit。Foritishigher&noblertobekindtoevenashadlikehimthanjust……Icouldhavesaidhundredsofunpleasantthingsaboutthistadpole,butIdidnotevenfeelthem。

  Yet,intheend,heseemsnottohavesenttheletter。Writingithadservedeverypurpose。

  Animportantpublishingeventof1899wastheissuebytheAmericanPublishingCompanyofMarkTwain’s\"CompleteWorksinUniformEdition。\"

  Clemenshadlookedforwardtothedaywhenthisshouldbedone,perhapsfeelingthatanassemblingofhisliteraryfamilyinsymmetricaldressconstitutedasortofofficialrecognitionofhisauthorship。BranderMatthewswasselectedtowritetheIntroductionandpreparedafine\"BiographicalCriticism,\"whichpleasedClemens,thoughperhapshedidnotentirelyagreewithitsviews。Himselfofadifferentcastofmind,heneverthelessadmiredMatthews。

  WritingtoTwichellhesaid:

  Whenyousay,\"IlikeBranderMatthews,heimpressesmeasamanofparts&power,\"Ibackyou,rightuptothehub——Ifeelthesameway。AndwhenyousayhehasearnedyourgratitudeforcuffingmeformycrimesagainsttheLeather—stockings&theVicarIain’tmakinganyobjection。Dernyourgratitude!

  Hisarticleisassoundasanut。Branderknowsliterature&lovesit;hecantalkaboutit&keephistemper;hecanstatehiscasesolucidly&sofairly&soforciblythatyouhavetoagreewithhimevenwhenyoudon’tagreewithhim;&hecandiscover&praisesuchmeritsasabookhasevenwhentheyaremerelyhalfadozendiamondsscatteredthroughanacreofmud。Andsohehasarighttobeacritic。

  Todetailjusttheoppositeoftheaboveinvoiceistodescribeme。

  Ihaven’tanyrighttocriticizebooks,&Idon’tdoitexceptwhenIhatethem。IoftenwanttocriticizeJaneAusten,butherbooksmaddenmesothatIcan’tconcealmyfrenzyfromthereader;&

  thereforeIhavetostopeverytimeIbegin。’——[OnceatadinnergiventoMatthews,MarkTwainmadeaspeechwhichconsistedalmostentirelyofintonationsofthename\"BranderMatthews\"toexpressvariousshadesofhumanemotion。Itwouldbehopeless,ofcourse,toattempttoconveyinprintanyideaofthiseffort,which,bythosewhoheardit,issaidtohavebeenamasterpieceofvocalization。]

  Clemensalsointroducedthe\"UniformEdition\"withanAuthor’sPreface,thejurisdictionofwhich,hesaid,was\"restrictedtofurnishingreasonsforthepublicationofthecollectionasawhole。\"

  Thisisnoteasytodo。AsidefromtheordinarycommercialreasonsIfindnonethatIcanofferwithdignity:Icannotsaywithoutimmodestythatthebookshavemerit;Icannotsaywithoutimmodestythatthepublicwanta\"UniformEdition\";Icannotsaywithoutimmodestythata\"UniformEdition\"willturnthenationtowardhighideals&elevatedthought;Icannotsaywithoutimmodestythata\"UniformEdition\"willeradicatecrime,thoughIthinkitwill。I

  findnoreasonthatIcanofferwithoutimmodestyexcepttheratherpooronethatIshouldliketoseea\"UniformEdition\"myself。Itisnothing;acatcouldsayitaboutherkittens。Still,IbelieveIwillstanduponthat。IhavetohaveaPreface&areason,bylawofcustom,&thereasonwhichIamputtingforwardisatleastwithoutoffense。

  CCVIII

  MARKTWAINANDTHEWARS

  EnglishtroublesinSouthAfricacametoaheadthatautumn。OnthedaywhenEngland’sultimatumtotheBoersexpiredClemenswrote:

  LONDON,3。07P。m。,Wednesday,October11,1899。Thetimeisup!

  Withoutadoubtthefirstshotinthewarisbeingfiredto—dayinSouthAfricaatthismoment。Somemanhadtobethefirsttofall;

  hehasfallen。Whoseheartisbrokenbythismurder?For,beheBoerorbeheBriton,itismurder,&EnglandcommitteditbythehandofChamberlain&theCabinet,thelackeysofCecilRhodes&hisFortyThieves,theSouthAfricaCompany。

  MarkTwainwouldnaturallysympathizewiththeBoer——theweakerside,themandefendinghishome。HeknewthatforthesakeofhumanprogressEnglandmustconquerandmustbeupheld,buthisheartwasalltheotherway。InJanuary,1900,hewroteacharacteristiclettertoTwichell,whichconveysprettyconclusivelyhissentimentsconcerningthetwowarstheninprogress。

  DEARJOE,——ApparentlywearenotproposingtosettheFilipinosfree&givetheirislandstothem;&apparentlywearenotproposingtohangthepriests&confiscatetheirproperty。Ifthesethingsaresothewarouttherehasnointerestforme。

  IhavejustbeenexaminingChapterLXXofFollowingtheEquatortoseeiftheBoer’soldmilitaryeffectivenessisholdingout。Itreadscuriouslyasifithadbeenwrittenaboutthepresentwar。

  IbelievethatinthenextchaptermynotionoftheBoerwasrightlyconceived。Heispopularlycalleduncivilized;Idonotknowwhy。

  Happiness,food,shelter,clothing,wholesomelabor,modest&

  rationalambitions,honesty,kindliness,hospitality,loveoffreedom&limitlesscouragetofightforit,composure&fortitudeintimeofdisaster,patienceintimeofhardship&privation,absenceofnoise&bragintimeofvictory,contentmentwithhumble&peacefullifevoidofinsaneexcitements——ifthereisahigher&

  betterformofcivilizationthanthisIamnotawareofit&donotknowwheretolookforit。Isupposethatwehavethehabitofimaginingthatalotofartistic&intellectual&otherartificialitiesmustbeaddedoritisn’tcomplete。We&theEnglishhavetheselatter;butaswelackthegreatbulkofthoseothersIthinktheBoercivilizationisthebestofthetwo。Myideaofourcivilizationisthatitisashoddy,poorthing&fullofcruelties,vanities,arrogancies,meannesses,&hypocrisies。

  Providedwecouldgetsomethingbetterintheplaceofit。Butthatisnotpossibleperhaps。Poorasitis,itisbetterthanrealsavagery,thereforewemuststandbyit,extendit,&inpublic

  praiseit。AndsowemustnotutteranyhurtfulwordaboutEnglandinthesedays,norfailtohopethatshewillwininthiswar,forherdefeat&fallwouldbeanirremediabledisasterforthemangyhumanrace。Naturally,then,IamforEngland;butsheisprofoundlyinthewrong,Joe,&noinstructedEnglishmandoubtsit。Atleastthatismybelief。

  WritingtoHowellssomewhatlater,hecallstheconflictinSouthAfrica,a\"sordidandcriminalwar,\"andsaysthateverydayheiswritinginhisheadbittermagazinearticlesagainstit。

  ButIhavetostopwiththat。Evenifwrong——&sheiswrongEnglandmustbeupheld。Heisanenemyofthehumanracewhoshallspeakagainsthernow。Whywasthehumanracecreated?Oratleastwhywasn’tsomethingcreditablecreatedinplaceofit?……Italkthewarwithbothsides——alwayswaitinguntiltheothermanintroducesthetopic。ThenIsay,\"MyheadiswiththeBriton,butmyheart&suchragsofmoralsasIhavearewiththeBoer——nowwewilltalk,unembarrassedandwithoutprejudice。\"Andsowediscuss&havenotrouble。

  InoticethatGodisonbothsidesinthiswar;thushistoryrepeatsitself。ButIamtheonlypersonwhohasnoticedthis;everybodyherethinksHeisplayingthegameforthisside,&forthissideonly。

  ClemenswroteonearticleforanonymouspublicationintheTimes。ButwhenthemanuscriptwasreadytomailinanenvelopestampedandaddressedtoMoberlyBell——hereconsideredandwithheldit。Itstillliesintheenvelopewiththeaccompanyingletter,whichsays:

  Don’tgivemeaway,whetheryouprintitornot。ButIthinkyououghttoprintitandgetupasquabble,fortheweatherisjustsuitable。

  CCIX

  PLASMON,ANDANEWMAGAZINE

  Clemenswasnotwhollyweddedtoosteopathy。Thefinancialinterestwhichhehadtakeninthenewmilkalbumen,\"afoodforinvalids,\"tendedtodividehisfaithandmakehimuncertainastowhichwastobethechiefpanaceaforallills——osteopathyorplasmon。

  MacAlister,whowasdeeplyinterestedintheplasmonfortunes,wasanxioustogettheproductadoptedbythearmy。Hebelieved,ifhecouldgetaninterviewwiththeMedicalDirector—General,hecouldconvincehimofitsmerits。DiscussingthematterwithClemens,thelattersaid:

  \"MacAlister,youaregoingatitfromthewrongend。Youcan’tgodirecttothatman,aperfectstranger,andconvincehimofanything。Whoishisnearestfriend?\"

  MacAlisterknewamanontermsofsocialintimacywiththeofficial。

  Clemenssaid,\"ThatisthemantospeaktotheDirector—General。\"

  \"ButIdon’tknowhim,either,\"saidMacAlister。

  \"Verygood。Doyouknowanyonewhodoesknowhim?\"

  \"Yes,Iknowhismostintimatefriend。\"

  \"Thenheisthemanforyoutoapproach。Convincehimthatplasmoniswhatthearmyneeds,thatthemilitaryhospitalsaresufferingforit。

  LethimunderstandthatwhatyouwantistogetthistotheDirector—

  General,andinduetimeitwillgettohimintheproperway。You’llsee。\"

  Thisprovedtobeatrueprophecy。ItwasonlyalittlewhileuntiltheBritisharmyhadexperimentedwithplasmonandadoptedit。MacAlisterreportedthesuccessoftheschemetoClemens,andoutofitgrewthestoryentitled,\"TwoLittleTales,\"publishedinNovemberofthefollowingyear1901intheCenturyMagazine。Perhapsthereaderwillrememberthatinthe\"TwoLittleTales\"theEmperorisveryillandthelowestofallhissubjectsknowsacertainremedy,buthecannotseektheEmperordirect,sohewiselyapproacheshimthroughaseriesofprogressivestages——finallyreachingandcuringhisstrickenMajesty。

  Clemenshadthecourageofhisinvestments。Headoptedplasmonashisowndailyfood,andinducedvariousmembersofthefamilytotakeitinitsmorepalatableforms,oneofthesebeingapreparationofchocolate。

  Hekeptthereading—tablebyhisbedwellstockedwithavarietyoftheproductsandinvitedvariouscallerstotryacomplimentarysamplelot。

  Itwasreallyanexcellentandharmlessdiet,andboththecompanyanditspatientswouldseemtohaveprospered——perhapsareprosperingstill。

  Therewasanotherbusinessopportunitycamealongjustatthistime。

  S。S。McClurewasinEnglandwithapropositionforstartinganewmagazinewhosecomplexionwastobepeculiarlyAmerican,withMarkTwainasitseditor。Themagazinewastobecalled’TheUniversal’,andbythepropositionClemenswastoreceiveatenthinterestinitforhisfirstyear’swork,andanaddedtwentiethinterestforeachofthetwosucceedingyears,withaguaranteethathissharesshouldnotearnhimlessthanfivethousanddollarsthefirstyear,withaproportionateincreaseashisholdingsgrew。

  TheschemeappealedtoClemens,itbeingunderstoodinthebeginningthathewastogiveverylittletimetothework,withtheprivilegeofdoingitathishome,whereverthatmighthappentobe。HewroteofthemattertoMr。Rogers,explainingindetail,andRogersreplied,approvingtheplan。Mr。Rogerssaidheknewthathe[Rogers]wouldhavetodomostoftheworkineditingthemagazine,andfurtheradded:

  OnethingIshallinsistupon,however,ifIhaveanythingtodowiththematter,anditisthis:thatwhenyouhavemadeupyourmindonthesubjectyouwillsticktoit。Ihavenotfoundinyourcompositionthatelementofstubbornnesswhichisaconstantsourceofembarrassmenttomeinallfriendlyandsocialways,butwhich,whenappliedtocertainlinesofbusiness,bringsinthedollarandfifty—centpieces。Ifyouaccepttheposition,ofcoursethatmeansthatyouhavetocometothiscountry。Ifyoudo,theyachtingwillbeasuccess。

  TherewasconsiderablecorrespondencewithMcClureoverthenewperiodical。InoneletterClemenssetforthhisgeneralviewsofthematterquiteclearly:

  Letusnotdeceiveanyone,norallowanyonetodeceivehimself,ifitcanbeprevented。Thisisnottobecomicmagazine。Itistobesimplyagood,clean,wholesomecollectionofwell—written&

  enticingliteraryproducts,liketheothermagazinesofitsclass;

  notsettingitselftopleasebutoneofman’smoods,butallofthem。Itwillnotplaybutonekindofmusic,butallkinds。I

  shouldnotbeabletoeditacomicperiodicalsatisfactorily,forlackofinterestinthework。Ivaluehumorhighly,&amconstitutionallyfondofit,butIshouldnotlikeitasasteadydiet。Foritsownbestinterests,humorshouldtakeitsoutingsingravecompany;itscheerfuldressgetsheightenedcolorfromtheproximityofsoberhues。Formetoeditacomicmagazinewouldbeanincongruity&outofcharacter,forofthetwenty—threebookswhichIhavewritteneighteendonotdealinhumorastheirchiefsfeature,butarehalf&halfadmixturesoffun&seriousness。I

  thinkIhaveseldomdeliberatelysetouttobehumorous,buthavenearlyalwaysallowedthehumortodropinorstayout,accordingtoitsfancy。AlthoughIhavemanytimesbeenaskedtowritesomethinghumorousforaneditororapublisherIhavehadwisdomenoughtodecline;apersoncouldhardlybehumorouswiththeothermanwatchinghimlikethat。Ihavenevertriedtowriteahumorouslecture;Ihaveonlytriedtowriteseriousones——itistheonlywaynottosucceed。

  Ishallwriteforthismagazineeverytimethespiritmovesme;butIlookformylargestentertainmentinediting。Ihavebeeneditedbyallkindsofpeopleformorethanthirty—eightyears;therehasalwaysbeensomebodyinauthorityovermymanuscript&privilegedtoimproveit;thishasfatiguedmeagooddeal,&Ihaveoftenlongedtomoveupfromthedocktothebench&restmyselfandfatigueothers。Myopportunityiscome,butIhopeIshallnotabuseitovermuch。Imeantodomybesttomakeagoodmagazine;Imeantodomywholeduty,&notshirkanypartofit。Thereareplentyofdistinguishedartists,novelists,poets,story—tellers,philosophers,scientists,explorers,fighters,hunters,followersofthesea,&seekersofadventure;&withthesetodothehard&thevaluablepartoftheworkwiththepen&thepencilitwillbecomfort&joytometowalkthequarter—deck&superintend。

  MeanwhileMcClure’senthusiasmhadhadtimetoadjustitselftocertainexistingfacts。SomethingmorethanamonthlaterhewrotefromAmericaatconsiderablelength,settingforththevariouseditorialdutiesandlayingstressuponthefeatureofintimatephysicalcontactwiththemagazine。Hewentintothematteroftheprintingschedule,thevariouskindsofpaperused,theadvertisingpages,illustrations——intoallthedetail,indeed,whichapracticalmanagingeditormustcompassinhisdailyrounds。ItwasprettyevidentthatClemenswouldnotbeabletogosailingaboutonMr。Rogers’syachtorliveatwillinLondonorNewYorkorViennaorElmira,butthathewouldbemoreorlessharnessedtoarevolvingchairataneditorialdesk,thethingwhichofallfateshewouldbemostlikelytodreadTheschemeappearstohavediedthere——thecorrespondencetohaveclosed。

  SomewhatoftheinducementintheMcClureschemehadbeenthethoughtinClemens’smindthatitwouldbringhimbacktoAmerica。InalettertoMr。RogersJanuary8,1900hesaid,\"Iamtiredtodeathofthiseverlastingexile。\"Mrs。Clemensoftenwrotethathewasrestlesslyimpatienttoreturn。Theywere,infact,constantlydiscussingthepracticabilityofreturningtotheirowncountrynowandopeningtheHartfordhome。Clemenswasreadytodothatortofallinwithanyplanthatwouldbringhimacrossthewaterandsettlehimsomewherepermanently。Hewastiredofthewanderinglifetheyhadbeenleading。

  Besidesthelongtripof’95and’96theyhadmovedtwoorthreetimesayearregularlysinceleavingHartford,nineyearsbefore。Itseemedtohimthattheywerealwayspackingandunpacking。

  \"Thepoormaniswillingtoliveanywhereifwewillonlylethim’stayput,\"wroteMrs。Clemens,buthedidwanttosettleinhisownland。

  Mrs。Clemens,too,waswearywithwandering,buttheHartfordhomenolongerheldanyattractionforher。Therehadbeenatimewhenhereveryletterdweltontheirhopeofreturningtoit。Nowthethoughtfilledherwithdread。Tohersistershewrote:

  DoyouthinkwecanlivethroughthefirstgoingintothehouseinHartford?Ifeelifwehadgottenthroughthefirstthreemonthsallmightbewell,butconsiderthefirstnight。

  Thethoughtoftheresponsibilityofthatgreathouse——thetakingupagainoftheoldlife—disheartenedher,too。Shehadaddedyearsandshehadnotgainedinhealthorstrength。

  WhenIwascomparativelyyoungIfoundtheburdenofthathouseverygreat。Idon’tthinkIwaseverfittedforhousekeeping。Idislikethepracticalpartofitsomuch。Ihateitwhentheservantsdon’tdowell,andIhatethecorrectingthem。

  Yetnooneeverhadbetterdisciplineinherdomesticaffairsorevercommandedmoredevotedservice。Herstrengthofcharacterandtheproportionsofherachievementshowlargewhenweconsiderthisconfession。

  Theyplannedtoreturninthespring,butpostponedthedateforsailing。

  JeanwasstillunderKellgren’streatment,and,thoughacurehadbeenpromisedher,progresswasdiscouraginglyslow。TheybegantolookaboutforsummerquartersinornearLondon。

  CCX

  LONDONSOCIALAFFAIRS

  AllthistimeClemenshadbeentossingontheLondonsocialtide。Therewasacallforhimeverywhere。NodistinguishedvisitorofwhateverprofessionorrankbutmustmeetMarkTwain。TheKingofSwedenwasamonghisroyalconquestsofthatseason。

  Hewasmorehappywithmenofhisownkind。HewasoftenwithMoberlyBell,editoroftheTimes;E。A。Abbey,thepainter;SirHenryLucy,ofPunchToby,M。P。;JamesBryce,andHerbertGladstone;andtherewereanumberofbrilliantIrishmenwhowerehisspecialdelight。OncewithMrs。Clemenshedinedwiththeauthorofhisoldfavorite,’EuropeanMorals’,WilliamE。H。Lecky。LadyGregorywasthereandSirDennisFitz—Patrick;whohadbeenGovernor—GeneralatLahorewhentheywereinIndia,andanumberofotherIrishladiesandgentlemen。Itwasamemorableevening。ToTwichellClemenswrote:

  Joe,doyouknowtheIrishgentleman&theIrishlady,theScotchgentleman&theScotchlady?Thesearedarlings,everyone。NightbeforelastitwasallIrish——24。Onewouldhavetotravelfartomatchtheirease&sociability&animation&sparkle&absenceofshyness&self—consciousness。ItwasAmericaninthesefinequalities。ThiswasatMr。Lecky’s。HeisIrish,youknow。LastnightitwasIrishagain,atLadyGregory’s。LordRobertsisIrish,&SirWilliamButler,&Kitchener,Ithink,&adisproportionoftheotherprominentgeneralsareofIrish&ScotchbreedkeepingupthetraditionsofWellington&SirColinCampbell,oftheMutiny。YouwillhavenoticedthatinS。A。,asintheMutiny,itisusuallytheIrish&Scotchthatareplacedintheforefrontofthebattle……

  SirWilliamButlersaid,\"theCeltisthespearheadoftheBritishlance。\"

  HementionsthenewsfromtheAfricanwar,whichhadbeenfavorabletoEngland,andwhatachangehadcomeovereverythinginconsequence。Thedinner—partieshadbeenlodgesofsorrowanddepressing。Noweverybodywassmilingagain。Inanote—bookentryofthistimehewrote:

  ReliefofMafekingMay18,1900。Thenewscameat9。17P。M。

  Before10allLondonwasinthestreets,gonemadwithjoy。BythenthenewswasallovertheAmericancontinent。

  ClemenshadbeentalkingcopyrightagooddealinLondon,andintroducingitintohisspeeches。Finally,onedayhewassummonedbeforeacommitteeoftheHouseofLordstoexplainhisviews。Hisoldideathattheproductofaman’sbrainishispropertyinperpetuityandnotforanytermofyearshadnotchanged,andtheypermittedhimtodilateonthistothemcuriousdoctrine。ThecommitteeconsistedofLordsMonkswell,Knutsford,Avebury,Farrar,andThwing。Whentheyaskedforhisviewshesaid:

  \"InmyopinionthecopyrightlawsofEnglandandAmericaneedonlytheremovaloftheforty—two—yearlimitandthereturntoperpetualcopyrighttobeperfect。Iconsiderthatatleastoneofthereasonsadvancedinjustificationoflimitedcopyrightisfallacious——namely,theonewhichmakesadistinctionbetweenanauthor’spropertyandrealestate,andpretendsthatthetwoarenotcreated,produced,oracquiredinthesameway,thuswarrantingadifferenttreatmentofthetwobylaw。\"

  Continuing,hedweltontheancientdoctrinethattherewasnopropertyinanidea,showinghowthefargreaterproportionofallpropertyconsistedofnothingmorethanelaboratedideas——thesteamship,locomotive,telephone,thevastbuildingsintheworld,howallofthesehadbeenconstructeduponabasicideapreciselyasabookisconstructed,andwerepropertyonlyasabookisproperty,andthereforerightlysubjecttothesamelaws。Hewascarefullyandsearchinglyexaminedbythatshrewdcommittee。Hekeptthementertainedandinterestedandleftthemingood—nature,evenifnotentirelyconverted。

  Thepapersprintedhisremarks,andLondonfoundthemamusing。

  Afewdaysafterthecopyrightsession,Clemens,respondingtothetoast,\"Literature,\"attheRoyalLiteraryFundBanquet,madeLondonlaughagain,andearlyinJunehewasattheSavoyHotelwelcomingSirHenryIrvingbacktoEnglandafteroneofhissuccessfulAmericantours。

  OntheFourthofJuly1900ClemensdinedwiththeLordChief—Justice,andlaterattendedanAmericanbanquetattheHotelCecil。Hearrivedlate,whenanumberoftheguestswerealreadygoing。Theyinsisted,however,thathemakeaspeech,whichhedid,andconsideredtheeveningended。Itwasnotquiteover。Asequeltohis\"Luck\"story,publishednineyearsbefore,suddenlydeveloped。

  Togobackalittle,thereadermayrecallthat\"Luck\"wasastorywhichTwichellhadtoldhimasbeingsupposedlytrue。Theheroofitwasamilitaryofficerwhohadrisentothehighestrankthroughwhatatleastseemedtobesheerluck,includinganumberoffortunateblunders。

  Clemensthoughtthestoryimprobable,butwroteitandlaiditawayforseveralyears,offeringitatlastinthegeneralhouse—cleaningwhichtookplaceafterthefirstcollapseofthemachine。ItwaspublishedinHarper’sMagazineforAugust,1891,andsomethinglessthanayearlater,inRome,anEnglishgentleman——anewacquaintance——saidtohim:

  \"Mr。Clemens,shallyougotoEngland?\"

  \"Verylikely。\"

  \"Shallyoutakeyourtomahawkwithyou?\"

  \"Why——yes,ifitshallseembest。\"

  \"Well,itwill。Beadvised。Takeitwithyou。\"

  \"Why?\"

  \"Becauseofthatsketchofyoursentitled’Luck。’ThatsketchiscurrentinEngland,andyouwillsurelyneedyourtomahawk。\"

  \"Whatmakesyouthinkso?\"

  \"Ithinksobecausetheheroofthesketchwillnaturallywantyourscalp,andwillprobablyapplyforit。Beadvised。Takeyourtomahawkalong。\"

  \"Why,evenwithitIsha’n’tstandanychance,becauseIsha’n’tknowhimwhenheapplies,andhewillhavemyscalpbeforeIknowwhathiserrandis。\"

  \"Come,doyoumeantosaythatyoudon’tknowwhotheheroofthatsketchis?\"

  \"IndeedIhaven’tanyideawhotheheroofthesketchis。Whoisit?\"

  Hisinformanthesitatedamoment,thennamedanameofworld—widemilitarysignificance。

  AsMaskTwainfinishedhisFourthofJulyspeechattheCecilandstartedtositdownasplendidlyuniformedanddecoratedpersonageathissidesaid:

  \"Mr。Clemens,Ihavebeenwantingtoknowyoualongtime,\"andhewaslookingdownintothefaceoftheheroof\"Luck。\"

  \"Iwascaughtunprepared,\"hesaidinhisnotesofit。\"Ididn’tsitdown——Ifelldown。Ididn’thavemytomahawk,andIdidn’tknowwhatwouldhappen。Buthewas,composed,andprettysoonIgotcomposedandwehadagood,friendlytime。Ifhehadeverheardofthatsketchofminehedidnotmanifestitinanyway,andattwelve,midnight,Itookmyscalphomeintact。\"

  CCXI

  DOLLISHILLANDHOME

  ItwasearlyinJuly,1900,thattheyremovedtoDollisHillHouse,abeautifuloldresidencesurroundedbytreesonapeacefulhilltop,justoutsideofLondon。Itwasliterallywithinastone’s—throwofthecitylimits,yetitwasquiterural,forthecityhadnotovergrownitthen,anditretainedallitspastoralfeatures——apondwithlily—pads,thespreadingoaks,thewidespacesofgrassylawn。Gladstone,anintimatefriendoftheowner,hadmadeitafavoriteretreatatoneperiodofhislife,andtheplaceto—dayisconvertedintoapublicgardencalledGladstonePark。TheoldEnglishdiplomatusedtodriveoutandsitintheshadeofthetreesandreadandtalkandtranslateHomer,andpacethelawnasheplanneddiplomacy,and,ineffect,governtheEnglishempirefromthatretiredspot。

  Clemens,insomememorandamadeatthemoment,doubtsifGladstonewasalwaysatpeaceinhismindinthisretirement。

  \"Washealwaysreallytranquilwithin,\"hesays,\"orwasheonlyexternallyso——foreffect?Wecannotknow;weonlyknowthathisrusticbenchunderhisfavoriteoakhasnobarkonitsarms。Factslikethisspeaklouderthanwords。\"

  Thered—brickresidentialwaveofLondonwasstillsomedistanceawayin1900。Clemenssays:

  Therollingseaofgreengrassstillstretchesawayoneveryhand,splotcheswithshadowsofspreadingoaksinwhoseblackcoolnessflocksofsheepliepeacefullydreaming。Dreamingofwhat?ThattheyareinLondon,themetropolisoftheworld,Post—officeDistrict,N。W。?Indeedno。Theyarenotawareofit。Iamawareofit,butthatisall。Itisnotpossibletorealizeit。Forthereisnosuggestionofcityhere;itiscountry,pure&simple,&asstill&reposefulasisthebottomofthesea。

  TheyalllovedDollisHill。Mrs。Clemenswroteasifshewouldliketoremainforeverinthatsecludedspot。

  Itissimplydivinelybeautiful&peaceful;……thegreatoldtreesarebeyondeverything。IbelievenowhereintheworlddoyoufindsuchtreesasinEngland……Jeanhasahammockswungbetweentwosuchgreattrees,&ontheothersideofalittlepond,whichisfullofwhite&yellowpond—lilies,thereistallgrass&

  trees&Clara&Jeangothereintheafternoons,spreaddownarugonthegrassintheshade&read&sleep。

  TheyallspentmostoftheirtimeoutdoorsatDollisHillunderthosespreadingtrees。

  ClemenstoTwichellinmidsummerwrote:

  Iamtheonlypersonwhoiseverinthehouseinthedaytime,butI

  amworking&deepintheluxuryofit。Butthereisonetremendousdefect。Livyisallsoenchantedwiththeplace&soinlovewithitthatshedoesn’tknowhowsheisgoingtotearherselfawayfromit。

  MuchcompanycametothematDollisHill。FriendsdroveoutfromLondon,andfriendsfromAmericacameoften,amongthem——theSages,Prof。

  WillardFiske,andBranderMatthewswithhisfamily。Suchcallerswereservedwithteaandrefreshmentonthelawn,andlingered,talkingandtalking,whilethesungotlowerandtheshadowslengthened,reluctanttoleavethatidyllicspot。

  \"DollisHillcomesnearertobeingaparadisethananyotherhomeIeveroccupied,\"hewrotewhenthesummerwasaboutover。

  ButtherewasstillagreaterattractionthanDollisHill。Towardtheendofsummertheywillinglyleftthatparadise,fortheyhaddecidedatlasttomakethathome—returningvoyagewhichhadinvitedthemsolong。

  Theywerealleagerenoughtogo——Clemensmoreeagerthantherest,thoughhefeltacertainsadness,too,inleavingthetranquilspotwhichinabriefsummertheyhadsolearnedtolove。

  WritingtoW。H。Helm,aLondonnewspapermanwhohadspentpleasanthourswithhimchattingintheshade,hesaid:……Thepacking&fussing&arranginghavebegun,fortheremovaltoAmerica&,byconsequence,thepeaceoflifeismarred&

  itscontents&satisfactionsaredeparting。Thereisnotmuchchoicebetweenaremoval&afuneral;infact,aremovalisafuneral,substantially,&Iamtiredofattendingthem。

  TheyclosedDollisHill,spentafewdaysatBrown’sHotel,andsailedforAmerica,ontheMinnehaha,October6,1900,bidding,asClemensbelieved,andhoped,apermanentgood—bytoforeigntravel。TheyreachedNewYorkonthe15th,triumphantlywelcomedaftertheirlongnineyearsofwandering。HowgladMarkTwainwastogethomemaybejudgedfromhisremarktooneofthemanyreporterswhogreetedhim。

  \"IfIevergetashoreIamgoingtobreakbothofmylegssoI

  can’t,getawayagain。\"

  EndMarkTwain,ABiography,1900—1907

  ByAlbertBigelowPaineVOLUMEIII,Part1:1900—1907

  CCXII

  THERETURNOFTHECONQUEROR

  ItwouldbehardtoexaggeratethestirwhichthenewspapersandthepublicgenerallymadeoverthehomecomingofMarkTwain。HehadleftAmerica,staggeringunderheavyobligationandsetoutonapilgrimageofredemption。AtthemomentwhenthisMecca,wasinviewagreatsorrowhadbefallenhimand,stirredaworld—wideandsoul—deeptideofhumansympathy。Thentherehadfollowedsuchovationashasseldombeenconferreduponaprivatecitizen,andnowapproachingoldage,stillinthefullnessofhismentalvigor,hehadreturnedtohisnativesoilwiththeprestigeofthesehonorsuponhimandthevastaddedgloryofhavingmadehisfinancialfightsingle—handed—andwon。

  Hewasheraldedliterallyasaconqueringhero。Everypaperinthelandhadaneditorialtellingthestoryofhisdebts,hissorrow,andhistriumphs。

  \"HehadbehavedlikeWalterScott,\"saysHowells,\"asmillionsrejoicedtoknowwhohadnotknownhowWalterScotthadbehavedtilltheyknewitwaslikeClemens。\"

  HowellsacknowledgesthathehadsomedoubtsastothepermanencyofthevastacclaimoftheAmericanpublic,remembering,orperhapsassuming,anationalfickleness。SaysHowells:

  HehadhithertobeenmoreintelligentlyacceptedormorelargelyimaginedinEurope,andIsupposeitwasmysenseofthisthatinspiredthestupidityofmysayingtohimwhenwecametoconsider\"thestateofpolitelearning\"amongus,\"Youmustn’texpectpeopletokeepituphereastheydoinEngland。\"Butitappearedthathiscountrymenwereonlywantingthechance,andtheykeptitupinhonorofhimpastallprecedent。

  ClemenswenttotheEarlingtonHotelandbegansearchforafurnishedhouseinNewYork。TheywouldnotreturntoHartford——atleastnotyet。

  Theassociationstherewerestilltoosad,andtheyimmediatelybecamemoreso。FivedaysafterMarkTwain’sreturntoAmerica,hisoldfriendandco—worker,CharlesDudleyWarner,died。ClemenswenttoHartfordtoactasapall—bearerandwhiletherelookedintotheoldhome。ToSylvesterBaxter,ofBoston,whohadbeenpresent,hewroteafewdayslater:

  Itwasagreatpleasuretometorenewtheotherdayswithyou,&

  therewasapatheticpleasureinseeingHartford&thehouseagain;

  butIrealizedthatifweeverenterthehouseagaintoliveourheartswillbreak。Iamnotsurethatweshalleverbestrongenoughtoendurethatstrain。

  EvenifthesurroundingshadbeenlesssorrowfulitisnotlikelythatClemenswouldhavereturnedtoHartfordatthistime。Hehadbecomeaworld—character,adwellerincapitals。Everywherehemovedaworldrevolvedabouthim。SuchafigureinGermanywouldlivenaturallyinBerlin;inEnglandLondon;inFrance,Paris;inAustria,Vienna;inAmericahisheadquarterscouldonlybeNewYork。

  Clemensempoweredcertainofhisfriendstofindahomeforhim,andMr。

  FrankN。Doubledaydiscoveredanattractiveandhandsomelyfurnishedresidenceat14WestTenthStreet,whichwaspromptlyapproved。

  Doubleday,whowasgoingtoBoston,leftorderswiththeagenttodrawtheleaseandtakeituptothenewtenantforsignature。ToClemenshesaid:

  \"Thehouseisasgoodasyours。Allyou’vegottodoistosignthelease。Youcanconsideritallsettled。\"

  WhenDoubledayreturnedfromBostonafewdayslatertheagentcalledonhimandcomplainedthathecouldn’tfindMarkTwainanywhere。Itwasreportedathishotelthathehadgoneandleftnoaddress。Doubledaywasmystified;then,reflecting,hehadaninspiration。Hewalkedoverto14WestTenthStreetandfoundwhathehadsuspected——MarkTwainhadmovedin。Hehadconvincedthecaretakerthateverythingwasallrightandhewasquiteathome。Doubledaysaid:

  \"Why,youhaven’texecutedtheleaseyet。\"

  \"No,\"saidClemens,\"butyousaidthehousewasasgoodasmine,\"towhichDoubledayagreed,butsuggestedthattheygouptothereal—estateofficeandgivetheagentnoticethathewasinpossessionofthepremises。

  Doubleday’stroubleswerenotquiteover,however。ClemensbegantofinddefectsinhisnewhomeandassumedtoholdDoubledayresponsibleforthem。Hesentadailypostalcardcomplainingofthewindows,furnace,therange,thewater—whateverhethoughtmightlendinteresttoDoubleday’slife。Asamatteroffact,hewaspleasedwiththeplace。

  ToMacAlisterhewrote:

  Wewereveryluckytogetthisbighousefurnished。Therewasnotanotheroneintownprocurablethatwouldanswerus,butthisoneisallright—spaceenoughinitforseveralfamilies,theroomsallold—fashioned,greatsize。

  Thehouseat14WestTenthStreetbecamesuddenlyoneofthemostconspicuousresidencesinNewYork。Thepapersimmediatelymadeitsappearancefamiliar。Manypeoplepasseddownthatusuallyquietstreet,stoppingtoobserveorpointoutwhereMarkTwainlived。Therewasaconstantprocessionofcallersofeverykind。Manywerefriends,oldandnew,buttherewasamultitudeofstrangers。Hundredscamemerelytoexpresstheirappreciationofhiswork,hopingforapersonalwordorahand—shakeoranautograph;buttherewereotherhundredswhocamewiththisthingandthatthing——axestogrind——andtherewerenewspaperreporterstoaskhisopiniononpolitics,orpolygamy,orwoman’ssuffrage;onheavenandhellandhappiness;onthelatestnovel;onthewarinAfrica,thetroublesinChina;onanythingunderthesun,importantorunimportant,interestingorinane,concerningwhichonemightpossiblyholdanopinion。Hewasunfailing\"copy\"iftheycouldbutgetawordwithhim。Anythingthathemightchoosetosayuponanysubjectwhateverwasseizeduponandmagnifiedandprintedwithhead—lines。Sometimesopinionswereinventedforhim。Ifheletfallafewwordstheyweremultipliedintoacolumninterview。

  \"Thatreporterworkedamiracleequaltotheloavesandfishes,\"hesaidofonesuchperformance。

  Manymenwouldhavebecomeannoyedandirritableasthesethingscontinued;butMarkTwainwasgreaterthanthat。Eventuallyheemployedasecretarytostandbetweenhimandthewashofthetide,asasortofbreakwater;butheseldomlosthistempernomatterwhatwastherequestwhichwaslaidbeforehim,forherecognizedunderneathitthegreattributeofagreatnation。

  Ofcoursehisliteraryvaluationwouldbeaffectedbythenoiseofthegeneralapplause。Magazinesandsyndicatesbesoughthimformanuscripts。

  Hewasofferedfiftycentsandevenadollarawordforwhateverhemightgivethem。Hefeltachild—likegratificationintheseevidencesofhismarketadvancement,buthewasnotdemoralizedbythem。Heconfinedhisworktoafewmagazines,andinNovemberconcludedanarrangementwiththenewmanagementofHarper&Brothers,bywhichthatfirmwastohavetheexclusiveserialprivilegeofwhateverhemightwriteatafixedrateoftwentycentsperword——arateincreasedtothirtycentsbyalatercontract,whichalsoprovidedanincreasedroyaltyforthepublicationofhisbooks。

  TheUnitedStates,asanation,doesnotconferanyspecialhonorsuponprivatecitizens。Wedonothavedecorationsandtitles,eventhoughtherearetimeswhenitseemsthatsuchthingsmightbenotinappropriatelyconferred。Certainofthenewspapers,morelavishintheirenthusiasmthanothers,wereinclinedtopropose,asonepaperphrasedit,\"Somepeculiarrecognition——somethingthatshouldappealtoSamuelL。Clemens,theman,ratherthantoMarkTwain,theliterate。

  Justwhatformthisrecognitionshouldtakeisdoubtful,forthecasehasnoexactprecedent。\"

  PerhapsthepaperthoughtthatMarkTwainwasentitled——ashehimselfoncehumorouslysuggested—tothe\"thanksofCongress\"forhavingcomehomealiveandoutofdebt,butitisjustaswellthatnothingofthesortwaseverseriouslyconsidered。Thethanksofthepublicatlargecontainedmoresubstance,andwasatributemuchmoretohismind。ThepaperabovequotedendedbysuggestingaverylargedinnerandmemorialofwelcomeasbeingmoreinkeepingwiththerepublicanideaandtheAmericanexpressionofgood—will。

  Butthiswasanunneededsuggestion。Ifhehadeatenallthedinnersproposedhewouldnothavelivedtoenjoyhispublichonorsamonth。Asitwas,heacceptedmanymoredinnersthanhecouldeat,andpresentlyfellintothehabitofarrivingwhenthebanquetingwasaboutoverandtheafter—dinnerspeakingabouttobegin。Evensothestraintoldonhim。

  \"Hisfriendssawthathewaswearinghimselfout,\"saysHowells,andperhapsthiswastrue,forhegrewthinandpaleandcontractedahackingcough。Hedidnotsparehimselfasoftenasheshouldhavedone。OncetoRichardWatsonGilderhesentthislineofregrets:

  Inbedwithachestcoldandothercompany——Wednesday。

  DEARGILDER,——Ican’t。IfIwereawellmanIcouldexplainwiththispencil,butinthecir———cesIwillleaveitalltoyourimagination。

  WasitGradywhokilledhimselftryingtodoallthediningandspeeching?

  No,oldman,no,no!Everyours,MARK。

  HebecameagaintheguestofhonorattheLotosClub,whichhaddinedhimsolavishlysevenyearsbefore,justprevioustohisfinancialcollapse。

  Thatformerdinnerhadbeenadistinguishedoccasion,butneverbeforehadtheLotosClubbeensobrimmingwitheagerhospitalityasonthesecondgreatoccasion。InclosinghisintroductoryspeechPresidentFrankLawrencesaid,\"Wehailhimasonewhohasbornegreatburdenswithmanlinessandcourage,whohasemergedfromgreatstrugglesvictorious,\"

  andtheassembleddinersroaredouttheirapplause。Clemensinhisreplysaid:

  YourpresidenthasreferredtocertainburdenswhichIwasweightedwith。Iamgladhedid,asitgivesmeanopportunitywhichI

  wanted——tospeakofthosedebts。Youallknewwhathemeantwhenhereferredtoit,&ofthepoorbankruptfirmofC。L。Webster&Co。

  Noonehassaidawordaboutthosecreditors。Therewereninety—sixcreditorsinall,&notbyafinger’sweightdidninety—fiveoutoftheninety—sixaddtotheburdenofthattime。Theytreatedmewell;theytreatedmehandsomely。IneverknewIowedthemanything;notasigncamefromthem。

  Itwaslikehimtomakethatpublicacknowledgment。Hecouldnotletanunfairimpressionremainthatanymanoranysetofmenhadlaidanunnecessaryburdenuponhim—hissenseofjusticewouldnotconsenttoit。

  Healsospokeonthatoccasionofcertainnationalchanges。

  HowmanythingshavehappenedinthesevenyearsIhavebeenawayfromhome!Wehavefoughtarighteouswar,andarighteouswarisararethinginhistory。Wehaveturnedasidefromourowncomfortandseentoitthatfreedomshouldexist,notonlywithinourowngates,butinourownneighborhood。WehavesetCubafreeandplacedheramongthegalaxyoffreenationsoftheworld。WestartedouttosetthosepoorFilipinosfree,butwhythatrighteousplanmiscarriedperhapsIshallneverknow。WehavealsobeenmakingacreditableshowinginChina,andthatismorethanalltheotherpowerscansay。The\"YellowTerror\"isthreateningtheworld,butnomatterwhathappenstheUnitedStatessaysthatithashadnopartinit。

  SinceIhavebeenawaywehavebeennursingfreesilver。Wehavewatchedbyitscradle,wehavedoneourbesttoraisethatchild,buteverytimeitseemedtobegettingalongnicelyalongcamesomepestiferousRepublicanandgaveitthemeaslesorsomething。Ifearwewillneverraisethatchild。

  We’vedonemorethanthat。WeelectedaPresidentfouryearsago。

  We’vefoundfaultandcriticizedhim,andhereadayortwoagowegoandelecthimforanotherfouryears,withvotesenoughtosparetodoitoveragain。

  OneclubfollowedanotherinhonoringMarkTwain——theAldine,theSt。

  Nicholas,thePressclubs,andotherassociationsandsocieties。Hisoldfriendswereatthesedinners——Howells,Aldrich,Depew,Rogers,ex—SpeakerReed——andtheypraisedhimandgibedhimtohisandtheirhearts’content。

  Itwasapoliticalyear,andhegenerallyhadsomethingtosayonmattersmunicipal,national,orinternational;andhespokeoutmoreandmorefreely,aswitheachopportunityhewarmedmorerighteouslytohissubject。

  AtthedinnergiventohimbytheSt。NicholasClubhesaid,withdeepirony:

  Gentlemen,youhaveherethebestmunicipalgovernmentintheworld,andthemostfragrantandthepurest。Theveryangelsofheavenenvyyouandwishtheyhadagovernmentlikeitupthere。Yougotitbyyournoblefidelitytocivicduty;bythesternandeverwatchfulexerciseofthegreatpowerslodgedinyouasloversandguardiansofyourcity;byyourmanlyrefusaltositinertwhenbasemenwouldhaveinvadedherhighplacesandpossessedthem;byyourinstantretaliationwhenanyinsultwasofferedyouinherperson,oranyassaultwasmadeuponherfairfame。Itisyouwhohavemadethisgovernmentwhatitis,itisyouwhohavemadeittheenvyanddespairoftheothercapitalsoftheworld——andGodblessyouforit,gentlemen,Godblessyou!Andwhenyougettoheavenatlastthey’llsaywithjoy,\"Oh,theretheycome,therepresentativesoftheperfectestcitizenshipintheuniverseshowthemthearchangel’sboxandturnonthelimelight!\"

  ThosehearerswhoinformeryearshadbeenindifferenttoMarkTwain’smoreseriouspurposebegantorealizethat,whateverhemayhavebeenformerly,hewasbynomeansnowamerefun—maker,butamanofdeepandgraveconvictions,abletogivethemthefullestandmostforcibleexpression。Hestillmightmakethemlaugh,buthealsomadethemthink,andhestirredthemtoatruergospelofpatriotism。HedidnotpreachapatriotismthatmeantaboisterouscheeringoftheStarsandStripesrightorwrong,butapatriotismthatproposedtokeeptheStarsandStripescleanandworthshoutingfor。Inanarticle,perhapsitwasaspeech,begunatthistimehewrote:

  Weteachtheboystoatrophytheirindependence。Weteachthemtotaketheirpatriotismatsecond—hand;toshoutwiththelargestcrowdwithoutexaminingintotherightorwrongofthematter——

  exactlyasboysundermonarchiesaretaughtandhavealwaysbeentaught。Weteachthemtoregardastraitors,andholdinaversionandcontempt,suchasdonotshoutwiththecrowd,&sohereinourdemocracywearecheeringathingwhichofallthingsismostforeigntoit&outofplace——thedeliveryofourpoliticalconscienceintosomebodyelse’skeeping。ThisispatriotismontheRussianplan。

  Howellstellsofdiscussingthesevitalmatterswithhimin\"anupperroom,\"lookingsouthoveraquiet,openspaceo?backyardswhere,\"hesays,\"wefoughtourbattlesinbehalfoftheFilipinosandBoers,andhecarriedonhiscampaignagainstthemissionariesinChina。\"

  HowellsatthetimeexpressedanamusedfearthatMarkTwain’scountrymen,whoinformeryearshadexpectedhimtobemerelyahumorist,shouldnow,inthelightofhiswideracceptanceabroad,demandthathebemainlyserious。

  ButtheAmericanpeoplewerequitereadytoaccepthiminanyofhisphases,fullyrealizingthatwhateverhisphilosophyordoctrineitwouldhavesomewhatofthehumorousform,andwhateverhishumor,therewouldsomewherebewisdominit。Hehadinrealitychangedlittle;foragenerationhehadthoughtthesortofthingswhichhenow,withadvancedyearsandadifferentaudience,feltwarrantedinutteringopenly。Themanwhoin’64hadwrittenagainstcorruptioninSanFrancisco,whoafewyearslaterhaddefendedtheemigrantChineseagainstpersecution,whoatthemeetingsoftheMondayEveningClubhaddenouncedhypocrisyinpolitics,morals,andnationalissues,didnotneedtochangetobeabletospeakoutagainstsimilarabusesnow。AndanewergenerationaswillingtoheraldMarkTwainasasageaswellasahumorist,andonoccasiontoquiteoverlooktheabsenceofthecapandbells。

  CCXIII

  MARKTWAIN——GENERALSPOKESMAN

  Clemensdidnotconfinehisspeechesaltogethertomattersofreform。AtadinnergivenbytheNineteenthCenturyClubinNovember,1900,hespokeonthe\"DisappearanceofLiterature,\"andatthecloseofthediscussionofthatsubject,referringtoMiltonandScott,hesaid:

  ProfessorWinchesteralsosaidsomethingabouttherebeingnomodernepicslike\"ParadiseLost。\"Iguesshe’sright。Hetalkedasifhewasprettyfamiliarwiththatpieceofliterarywork,andnobodywouldsupposethatheneverhadreadit。Idon’tbelieveanyofyouhaveeverread\"ParadiseLost,\"andyoudon’twantto。That’ssomethingthatyoujustwanttotakeontrust。It’saclassic,justasProfessorWinchestersays,anditmeetshisdefinitionofaclassic——somethingthateverybodywantstohavereadandnobodywantstoread。

  ProfessorTrentalsohadagooddealtosayaboutthedisappearanceofliterature。HesaidthatScottwouldoutliveallhiscritics。

  Iguessthat’strue。Thatfactofthebusinessisyou’vegottobeoneoftwoagestoappreciateScott。Whenyou’reeighteenyoucanreadIvanhoe,andyouwanttowaituntilyou’reninetytoreadsomeoftherest。Ittakesaprettywell—regulatedabstemiouscritictoliveninetyyears。

  Butafewdayslaterhewasbackagainintheforefrontofreform,preachingattheBerkeleyLyceumagainstforeignoccupationinChina。

  ItwastherethathedeclaredhimselfaBoxer。

  WhyshouldnotChinabefreefromtheforeigners,whoareonlymakingtroubleonhersoil?IftheywouldonlyallgohomewhatapleasantplaceChinawouldbefortheChinese!WedonotallowChinamentocomehere,andIsay,inallseriousness,thatitwouldbeagracefulthingtoletChinadecidewhoshallgothere。

  ChinaneverwantedforeignersanymorethanforeignerswantedChinamen,andonthisquestionIamwiththeBoxerseverytime。TheBoxerisapatriot。Heloveshiscountrybetterthanhedoesthecountriesofotherpeople。Iwishhimsuccess。WedrivetheChinamanoutofourcountry;theBoxerbelievesindrivingusoutofhiscountry。IamaBoxer,too,onthoseterms。

  IntroducingWinstonChurchill,ofEngland,atadinnersomeweekslater,heexplainedhowgenerousEnglandandAmericahadbeeninnotrequiringfancyratesfor\"extinguishedmissionaries\"inChinaasGermanyhaddone。

  Germanyhadrequiredterritoryandcash,hesaid,inpaymentforhermissionaries,whiletheUnitedStatesandEnglandhadbeenwillingtosettleforproduce——firecrackersandtea。

  TheChurchillintroductionwouldseemtohavebeenhislastspeechfortheyear1900,andheexpectedit,withoneexception,tobethelastforalongtime。Herealizedthathewastiredandthatthestrainuponhimmadeanyothersortofworkoutofthequestion。WritingtoMacAlisterattheendoftheyear,hesaid,\"Iseemtohavemademanyspeeches,butitisnotso。Itisnotmorethanten,Ithink。\"Still,arespectablenumberinthespaceoftwomonths,consideringthateachwascarefullywrittenandcommittedtomemory,andallamidcrushingsocialpressure。

  AgaintoMacAlister:

  Ideclined7banquetsyesterdaywhichisdoublethedailyaverage

  &answered29letters。Ihaveslavedatmymaileverydaysincewearrivedinmid—October,butJeanislearningtotypewrite&

  presentlyI’lldictate&therebysavesomescrapsoftime。

  HeaddedthatafterJanuary4thhedidnotintendtospeakagainforayear——thathewouldnotspeakthenonlythatthematterconcernedthereformofcitygovernment。

  TheoccasionofJanuary4,1901,wasaratherimportantone。ItwasameetingoftheCityClub,thenengagedinthecrusadeformunicipalreform。WheelerH。Peckhampresided,andBishopPottermadetheopeningaddress。Itallseemslikeancienthistorynow,andperhapsisnotveryvitalanymore;butthemovementwasmakingagreatstirthen,andMarkTwain’sdeclarationthathebelievedforty—ninemenoutoffiftywerehonest,andthattheforty—nineonlyneededtoorganizetodisqualifythefiftiethmanalwaysorganizedforcrime,wasquotedasasortofsloganforreform。

  Clemenswasnotpermittedtokeephisresolutionthathewouldn’tspeakagainthatyear。Hehadbecomeasortofgeneralspokesmanonpublicmatters,anddemandsweremadeuponhimwhichcouldnotbedenied。HedeclinedaYalealumnidinner,buthecouldnotrefusetopresideattheLincolnBirthdaycelebrationatCarnegieHall,February11th,wherehemustintroduceWattersonasthespeakeroftheevening。

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