mark twain, a biography, 1835-1866-第12部分

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sympathy　and　cupidity。　　He　would　care　very　little　for　conscience　and
still　less　for　law。　　His　sympathy　with　the　runaway；　however；　would　be
large　and　elemental；　and　it　must　have　been　very　large　to　offset　the　lure
of　that　reward。

There　was　a　gruesome　sequel　to　this　incident。　　Some　days　following　the
drowning　of　the　runaway；　Sam　Clemens；　John　Briggs；　and　the　Bowen　boys
went　to　the　spot　and　were　pushing　the　drift　about；　when　suddenly　the
negro　rose　before　them；　straight　and　terrible；　about　half　his　length　out
of　the　water。　　He　had　gone　down　feet　foremost；　and　the　loosened　drift　had
released　him。　　The　boys　did　not　stop　to　investigate。　　They　thought　he　was
after　them　and　flew　in　wild　terror；　never　stopping　until　they　reached
human　habitation。

How　many　gruesome　experiences　there　appear　to　have　been　in　those　early
days！　　In　'The　Innocents　Abroad'　Mark　Twain　tells　of　the　murdered　man　he
saw　one　night　in　his　father's　office。　　The　man's　name　was　McFarlane。　　He
had　been　stabbed　that　day　in　the　old　Hudson…McFarlane　feud　and　carried　in
there　to　die。　　Sam　Clemens　and　John　Briggs　had　run　away　from　school　and
had　been　sky　larking　all　that　day；　and　knew　nothing　of　the　affair。　Sam
decided　that　his　father's　office　was　safer　for　him　than　to　face　his
mother；　who　was　probably　sitting　up；　waiting。　　He　tells　us　how　he　lay　on
the　lounge；　and　how　a　shape　on　the　floor　gradually　resolved　itself　into
the　outlines　of　a　man；　how　a　square　of　moonlight　from　the　window
approached　it　and　gradually　revealed　the　dead　face　and　the　ghastly
stabbed　breast。

〃I　went　out　of　there；〃　he　says。　　〃I　do　not　say　that　I　went　away　in　any
sort　of　a　hurry；　but　I　simply　went；　that　is　sufficient。　　I　went　out　of
the　window；　and　I　carried　the　sash　along　with　me。　　I　did　not　need　the
sash；　but　it　was　handier　to　take　it　than　to；　leave　it；　and　so　I　took　it。
I　was　not　scared；　but　I　was　considerably　agitated。〃

He　was　not　yet　twelve；　for　his　father　was　no　longer　alive　when　the　boy
reached　that　age。　　Certainly　these　were　disturbing；　haunting　things。
Then　there　was　the　case　of　the　drunken　tramp　in　the　calaboose　to　whom　the
boys　kind…heartedly　enough　carried　food　and　tobacco。　　Sam　Clemens　spent
some　of　his　precious　money　to　buy　the　tramp　a　box　of　Lucifer　matchesa
brand　new　invention　then；　scarce　and　high。　　The　tramp　started　a　fire　with
the　matches　and　burned　down　the　calaboose；　himself　in　it。　　For　weeks　the
boy　was　tortured；　awake　and　in　his　dreams；　by　the　thought　that　if　he　had
not　carried　the　man　the　matches　the　tragedy　could　not　have　happened。
Remorse　was　always　Samuel　Clemens's　surest　punishment。　　To　his　last　days
on　earth　he　never　outgrew　its　pangs。

What　a　number　of　things　crowded　themselves　into　a　few　brief　years！　　It　is
not　easy　to　curtail　these　boyhood　adventures　of　Sam　Clemens　and　his
scapegrace　friends；　but　one　might　go　on　indefinitely　with　their　mad
doings。　　They　were　an　unpromising　lot。　　Ministers　and　other　sober…minded
citizens　freely　prophesied　sudden　and　violent　ends　for　them；　and
considered　them　hardly　worth　praying　for。　　They　must　have　proven　a
disappointing　lot　to　those　prophets。　　The　Bowen　boys　became　fine　river…
pilots；　Will　Pitts　was　in　due　time　a　leading　merchant　and　bank　director；
John　Briggs　grew　into　a　well…to…do　and　highly　respected　farmer；　even　Huck
Finnthat　is　to　say；　Tom　Blankenshipis　reputed　to　have　ranked　as　an
honored　citizen　and　justice　of　the　peace　in　a　Western　town。　　But　in　those
days　they　were　a　riotous；　fun…loving　band　with　little　respect　for　order
and　even　less　for　ordinance。




XIII

THE　GENTLER　SIDE

His　associations　were　not　all　of　that　lawless　breed。　　At　his　school　（he
had　sampled　several　places　of　learning；　and　was　now　at　Mr。　Cross's　on　the
Square）　were　a　number　of　less　adventurous；　even　if　not　intrinsically
better　playmates。　　There　was　George　Robards；　the　Latin　scholar；　and　John；
his　brother；　a　handsome　boy；　who　rode　away　at　last　with　his　father　into
the　sunset；　to　California；　his　golden　curls　flying　in　the　wind。　　And
there　was　Jimmy　McDaniel；　a　kind…hearted　boy　whose　company　was　worth
while；　because　his　father　was　a　confectioner；　and　he　used　to　bring　candy
and　cake　to　school。　　Also　there　was　Buck　Brown；　a　rival　speller；　and　John
Meredith；　the　doctor's　son；　and　John　Garth；　who　was　one　day　to　marry
little　Helen　Kercheval；　and　in　the　end　would　be　remembered　and　honored
with　a　beautiful　memorial　building　not　far　from　the　site　of　the　old
school。

Furthermore；　there　were　a　good　many　girls。　　Tom　Sawyer　had　an
impressionable　heart；　and　Sam　Clemens　no　less　so。　　There　was　Bettie
Ormsley；　and　Artemisia　Briggs；　and　Jennie　Brady；　also　Mary　Miller；　who
was　nearly　twice　his　age　and　gave　him　his　first　broken　heart。

〃I　believe　I　was　as　miserable　as　a　grown　man　could　be；〃　he　said　once；
remembering。

Tom　Sawyer　had　heart　sorrows　too；　and　we　may　imagine　that　his　emotions　at
such　times　were　the　emotions　of　Sam　Clemens；　say　at　the　age　of　ten。

But；　as　Tom　Sawyer　had　one　faithful　sweetheart；　so　did　he。　　They　were　one
and　the　same。　　Becky　Thatcher　in　the　book　was　Laura　Hawkins　in　reality。
The　acquaintance　of　these　two　had　begun　when　the　Hawkins　family　moved
into　the　Virginia　house　on　the　corner　of　Hill　and　Main　streets。　＇The
Hawkins　family　in　real　life　bore　no　resemblance　to　the　family　of　that
name　in　The　Gilded　Age。　　Judge　Hawkins　of　The　Gilded　Age；　as　already
noted；　was　John　Clemens。　　Mark　Twain　used　the　name　Hawkins；　also　the　name
of　his　boyhood　sweetheart；　Laura；　merely　for　old　times'　sake；　and　because
in　portraying　the　childhood　of　Laura　Hawkins　he　had　a　picture　of　the　real
Laura　in　his　mind。＇　　The　Clemens　family　was　then　in　the　new　home　across
the　way；　and　the　children　were　soon　acquainted。　　The　boy　could　be　tender
and　kind；　and　was　always　gentle　in　his　treatment　of　the　other　sex。　　They
visited　back　and　forth；　especially　around　the　new　house；　where　there　were
nice　pieces　of　boards　and　bricks　for　play…houses。　　So　they　played
〃keeping　house；〃　and　if　they　did　not　always　agree　well；　since　the
beginning　of　the　world　sweethearts　have　not　always　agreed；　even　in
Arcady。　　Once　when　they　were　building　a　houseand　there　may　have　been
some　difference　of　opinion　as　to　its　architecturethe　boy　happened　to
let　a　brick　fall　on　the　little　girl's　finger。　　If　there　had　been　any
disagreement　it　vanished　instantly　with　that　misfortune。　　He　tried　to
comfort　her　and　soothe　the　pain；　then　he　wept　with　her　and　suffered　most
of　the　two；　no　doubt。　　So；　you　see；　he　was　just　a　little　boy；　after　all；
even　though　he　was　already　chief　of　a　red…handed　band；　the　〃Black
Avengers　of　the　Spanish　Main。〃

He　was　always　a　tender…hearted　lad。　　He　would　never　abuse　an　animal；
unless；　as　in　the　Pain…killer　incident；　his　tendency　to　pranking　ran　away
with　him。　　He　had　indeed　a　genuine　passion　for　cats；　summers　when　he　went
to　the　farm　he　never　failed　to　take　his　cat　in　a　basket。　　When　he　ate；　it
sat　in　a　chair　beside　him　at　the　table。　　His　sympathy　included　inanimate
things　as　well。　　He　loved　flowersnot　as　the　embryo　botanist　or
gardener；　but　as　a　personal　friend。　　He　pitied　the　dead　leaf　and　the
murmuring　dried　weed　of　November　because　their　brief　lives　were　ended；
and　they　would　never　know　the　summer　again；　or　grow　glad　with　another
spring。　　His　heart　went　out　to　them；　to　the　river　and　the　sky；　the　sunlit
meadow　and　the　drifted　hill。　　That　his　observation　of　all　nature　was
minute　and　accurate　is　shown　everywhere　in　his　writing；　but　it　was　never
the　observation　of　a　young　naturalist　it　was　the　subconscious　observation
of　sympathetic　love。

We　are　wandering　away　from　his　school…days。　　They　were　brief　enough　and
came　rapidly　to　an　end。　　They　will　not　hold　us　long。　　Undoubtedly　Tom
Sawyer's　distaste　for　school　and　his　excuses　for　staying　at　homeusually
some　pretended　illnesshave　ample　foundation　in　the　boyhood　of　Sam
Clemens。　　His　mother　punished　him　and　pleaded　with　him；　alternately。　　He
detested　school　as　he　detested　nothing　else　on　earth；　even　going　to
church。　　〃Church　ain't　worth　shucks；〃　said　Tom　Sawyer；　but　it　was　better
than　school。

As　already　noted；　the　school　of　Mr。　Cross　stood　in　or　near　what　is　now
the　Square　in　Hannibal。　　The　Square　was　only　a　grove　then；　grown　up　with
plum；　hazel；　and　vinea　rare　place　for　children。　　At　recess　and　the　noon
hour　the　children　climbed　trees；　gathered　flowers；　and　swung　in　grape…
vine　swings。　　There　was　a　spelling…bee　every　Friday　afternoon；　for　Sam
the　only　endurable　event　of　the　school　exercises。　　He　could　hold　the
floor　at　spelling　longer　than　Buck　Brown。　　This　was　spectacular　and
showy；　it　invited　compliments　even　from　Mr。　Cross；　whose　name　must　have
been　handed　down　by　angels；　it　fitted　him　so　well。　　One　day　Sam　Clemens
wrote　on　his　slate：

　　　　　　　　　　Cross　by　name　and　cross　by　nature
　　　　　　　　　　Cross　jumped　over　an　Irish　potato。

He　showed　this　to　John　Briggs；　who　considered　it　a　stroke　of　genius。　　He
urged　the　author　to　write　it　on　the　board　at　noon；　but　the　poet's
ambition　did　not　go　so　far。

〃Oh；　pshaw！〃　said　John。　　〃I　wouldn't　be　afraid　to　do　it。

〃I　dare　you　to　do　it；〃　said　Sam。

John　Briggs　never　took　a　dare；　and　at　noon；　when　Mr。　Cross　was　at　home　at
dinner；　he　wrote　flamingly　the　descriptive　couplet。　　When　the　teacher
returned　and　〃books〃　were　called　he　looked　steadily　at　John　Briggs。　　He
had　recognized　the　penmanship。

〃Did　you　do　that？〃　he　asked；　ominously。

It　was　a　time　for　truth。

〃Yes；　sir；〃　said　John。

〃Come　here！〃　　And　John　came；　and　paid　for　his　exploitation　of　genius
heavily。　　Sam　Clemens　expected　that　the　next　call　would　be　for　〃author；〃
but　for　some　reason　the　investigation　ended　there。　　It　was　unusual　for
him　to　escape。　　His　back　generally　kept　fairly　warm　from　one　〃frailing〃
to　the　next。

His　rewards　were　not　all　of　a　punitive　nature。　　There　were　two　medals　in
the　school；　one　for　spelling；　the　other　for　amiability。　　They　were
awarded　once　a　week；　and　the　holders　wore　them　about　the　neck
conspicuously；　and　were　envied　accordingly。　　John　Robardshe　of　the
golden　curlswore　almost　continuously　the　medal　for　amiability；　while
Sam　Clemens　had　a　mortgage　on　the　medal　for　spelling。　　Sometimes　they
traded；　to　see　how　it　would　seem；　but　the　master　discouraged　this
practice　by　taking　t