mark twain, a biography, 1900-1907-第21章
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conclusions of mankind。 To Twichell he wrote； playfully but sincerely：
Am I honest？ I give you my word of honor （privately） I am not。 For
seven years I have suppressed a book which my conscience tells me I ought
to publish。 I hold it a duty to publish it。 There are other difficult
duties which I am equal to； but I am not equal to that one。 Yes； even I
am dishonest。 Not in many ways； but in some。 Forty…one； I think it is。
We are certainly all honest in one or several waysevery man in the
worldthough I have a reason to think I am the only one whose blacklist
runs so light。 Sometimes I feel lonely enough in this lofty solitude。
It was his Gospel he referred to as his unpublished book； his doctrine of
Selfishness； and of Man the irresponsible Machine。 To Twichell he
pretended to favor war； which he declared； to his mind； was one of the
very best methods known of diminishing the human race。
What a life it is！this one！ Everything we try to do； somebody intrudes
& obstructs it。 After years of thought & labor I have arrived within one
little bit of a step of perfecting my invention for exhausting the oxygen
in the globe's air during a stretch of two minutes； & of course along
comes an obstructor who is inventing something to protect human life。
Damn such a world anyway。
He generally wrote Twichell when he had things to say that were outside
of the pale of print。 He was sure of an attentive audience of one； and
the audience； whether it agreed with him or not； would at least
understand him and be honored by his confidence。 In one letter of that
year he said：
I have written you to…day； not to do you a service； but to do myself one。
There was bile in me。 I had to empty it or lose my day to…morrow。 If I
tried to empty it into the North American Reviewoh； well； I couldn't
afford the risk。 No； the certainty！ The certainty that I wouldn't be
satisfied with the result； so I would burn it； & try again to…morrow；
burn that and try again the next day。 It happens so nearly every time。
I have a family to support； & I can't afford this kind of dissipation。
Last winter when I was sick I wrote a magazine article three times before
I got it to suit me。 I Put 500 worth of work on it every day for ten
days； & at last when I got it to suit me it contained but 3；000 words…
900。 I burned it & said I would reform。
And I have reformed。 I have to work my bile off whenever it gets to
where I can't stand it； but I can work it off on you economically；
because I don't have to make it suit me。 It may not suit you； but that
isn't any matter； I'm not writing it for that。 I have used you as an
equilibriumrestorer more than once in my time； & shall continue； I
guess。 I would like to use Mr。 Rogers； & he is plenty good…natured
enough； but it wouldn't be fair to keep him rescuing me from my leather…
headed business snarls & make him read interminable bile…irruptions
besides； I can't use Howells； he is busy & old & lazy； & won't stand it；
I dasn't use Clara； there's things I have to say which she wouldn't put
up witha very dear little ashcat； but has claws。 And soyou're It。
＇See the preface to the 〃Autobiography of Mark Twain〃： 'I am writing
from the grave。 On these terms only can a man be approximately
frank。 He cannot be straitly and unqualifiedly frank either in the
grave or out of it。' D。W。＇
CCXXXV
A SUMMER IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
He took for the summer a house at Dublin； New Hampshire； the home of
Henry Copley Greene； Lone Tree Hill； on the Monadnock slope。 It was in a
lovely locality； and for neighbors there were artists； literary people；
and those of kindred pursuits； among them a number of old friends。
Colonel Higginson had a place near by； and Abbott H。 Thayer； the painter；
and George de Forest Brush； and the Raphael Pumpelly family； and many
more。
Colonel Higginson wrote Clemens a letter of welcome as soon as the news
got out that he was going to Dublin； and Clemens； answering； said：
I early learned that you would be my neighbor in the summer & I
rejoiced； recognizing in you & your family a large asset。 I hope
for frequent intercourse between the two households。 I shall have
my youngest daughter with me。 The other one will go from the rest…
cure in this city to the rest…cure in Norfolk； Connecticut； & we
shall not see her before autumn。 We have not seen her since the
middle of October。
Jean； the younger daughter； went to Dublin & saw the house & came
back charmed with it。 I know the Thayers of oldmanifestly there
is no lack of attractions up there。 Mrs。 Thayer and I were
shipmates in a wild excursion perilously near 40 years ago。
Aldrich was here half an hour ago； like a breeze from over the
fields； with the fragrance still upon his spirit。 I am tired
wanting for that man to get old。
They went to Dublin in May； and became at once a part of the summer
colony which congregated there。 There was much going to and fro among
the different houses； pleasant afternoons in the woods； mountain…climbing
for Jean； and everywhere a spirit of fine； unpretentious comradeship。
The Copley Greene house was romantically situated； with a charming
outlook。 Clemens wrote to Twichell：
We like it here in the mountains； in the shadows of Monadnock。 It
is a woody solitude。 We have no near neighbors。 We have neighbors
and I can see their houses scattered in the forest distances； for we
live on a hill。 I am astonished to find that I have known 8 of
these 14 neighbors a long time； 10 years is the shortest； then seven
beginning with 25 years & running up to 37 years' friendship。 It is
the most remarkable thing I ever heard of。
This letter was written in July； and he states in it that he has turned
out one hundred thousand words of a large manuscript。 。 It was a
fantastic tale entitled 〃3；000 Years among the Microbes；〃 a sort of
scientific revelor revelrythe autobiography of a microbe that had
been once a man； and through a failure in a biological experiment
transformed into a cholera germ when the experimenter was trying to turn
him into a bird。 His habitat was the person of a disreputable tramp
named Blitzowski； a human continent of vast areas； with seething microbic
nations and fantastic life problems。 It was a satire； of course
Gulliver's Lilliput outdonea sort of scientific； socialistic；
mathematical jamboree。
He tired of it before it reached completion； though not before it had
attained the proportions of a book of size。 As a whole it would hardly
have added to his reputation； though it is not without fine and humorous
passages； and certainly not without interest。 Its chief mission was to
divert him mentally that summer during； those days and nights when he
would otherwise have been alone and brooding upon his loneliness。 ＇For
extracts from 〃3；000 Years among the Microbes〃 see Appendix V； at the end
of this work。＇
MARK TWAIN'S SUGGESTED TITLE…PAGE FOR HIS MICROBE BOOK：
3000 YEARS
AMONG THE MICROBES
By a Microbe
WITH NOTES
added by the same Hand
7000 years later
Translated from the Original
Microbic
by
Mark Twain
His inability to reproduce faces in his mind's eye he mourned as an
increasing calamity。 Photographs were lifeless things； and when he tried
to conjure up the faces of his dead they seemed to drift farther out of
reach； but now and then kindly sleep brought to him something out of that
treasure…house where all our realities are kept for us fresh and fair；
perhaps for a day when we may claim them again。 Once he wrote to Mrs。
Crane：
SUSY DEAR；I have had a lovely dream。 Livy； dressed in black； was
sitting up in my bed （here） at my right & looking as young & sweet
as she used to when she was in health。 She said； 〃What is the name
of your sweet sister？〃 I said；〃 Pamela。〃 〃Oh yes； that is it； I
thought it was（naming a name which has escaped me） won't you write
it down for me？〃 I reached eagerly for a pen & pad； laid my hands
upon both； then said to myself； 〃It is only a dream；〃 and turned
back sorrowfully & there she was still。 The conviction flamed
through me that our lamented disaster was a dream； & this a reality。
I said； 〃How blessed it is； how blessed it is； it was all a dream；
only a dream！〃 She only smiled and did not ask what dream I meant；
which surprised me。 She leaned her head against mine & kept saying；
〃I was perfectly sure it was a dream； I never would have believed it
wasn't。〃 I think she said several things； but if so they are gone
from my memory。 I woke & did not know I had been dreaming。 She was
gone。 I wondered how she could go without my knowing it； but I did
not spend any thought upon that。 I was too busy thinking of how
vivid & real was the dream that we had lost her； & how unspeakably
blessed it was to find that it was not true & that she was still
ours & with us。
He had the orchestrelle moved to Dublin； although it was no small
undertaking； for he needed the solace of its harmonies； and so the days
passed along； and he grew stronger in body and courage as his grief
drifted farther behind him。 Sometimes； in the afternoon or in the
evening； when the neighbors had come in for a little while； he would walk
up and down and talk in his old； marvelous way of all the things on land
and sea； of the past and of the future； 〃Of Providence； foreknowledge；
will； and fate；〃 of the friends he had known and of the things he had
done； of the sorrow and absurdities of the world。
It was the same old scintillating； incomparable talk of which Howells
once said：
〃We shall never know its like again。 When he dies it will die with him。〃
It was during the summer at Dublin that Clemens and Rogers together made
up a philanthropic ruse on Twichell。 Twichell； through his own prodigal
charities； had fallen into debt； a fact which Rogers knew。 Rogers was a
man who concealed his philanthropies when he could； and he performed many
of them of which the world will never know： In this case he said：
〃Clemens； I want to help Twichell out of his financial difficulty。 I
will supply the money and you will do the giving。 Twichell must think it
comes from you。〃
Clemens agreed to this on the condition that he be permitted to leave a
record of the matter for his children； so that he would not appear in a
false light to them； and that Twichell should learn the truth of the
gift； sooner or later。 So the deed was done； and Twichell and his wife
lavished their thanks upon Clemens； who； with his wife； had more than
once been their benefactors； making the deception easy
