mark twain, a biography, 1835-1866-第16部分

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would　liven　up　the　circulation。　　He　had　never　done　any　writingnot　for
printbut　he　had　the　courage　of　his　inclinations。　　His　local　items　were
of　a　kind　known　as　〃spicy〃；　his　personals　brought　prompt　demand　for
satisfaction。　　The　editor　of　a　rival　paper　had　been　in　love；　and　was　said
to　have　gone　to　the　river　one　night　to　drown　himself。　　Sam　gave　a
picturesque　account　of　this；　with　all　the　names　connected　with　the
affair。　　Then　he　took　a　couple　of　big　wooden　block　letters；　turned　them
upside　down；　and　engraved　illustrations　for　it；　showing　the　victim　wading
out　into　the　river　with　a　stick　to　test　the　depth　of　the　water。　　When
this　issue　of　the　paper　came　out　the　demand　for　it　was　very　large。　　The
press　had　to　be　kept　running　steadily　to　supply　copies。　　The　satirized
editor　at　first　swore　that　he　would　thrash　the　whole　journal　office；　then
he　left　town　and　did　not　come　back　any　more。　　The　embryo　Mark　Twain　also
wrote　a　poem。　　It　was　addressed　〃To　Mary　in　Hannibal；〃　but　the　title　was
too　long　to　be　set　in　one　column；　so　he　left　out　all　the　letters　in
Hannibal；　except　the　first　and　the　last；　and　supplied　their　place　with　a
dash；　with　a　startling　result。　　Such　were　the　early　flickerings　of　a
smoldering　genius。　　Orion　returned；　remonstrated；　and　apologized。　　He
reduced　Sam　to　the　ranks。　　In　later　years　he　saw　his　mistake。

〃I　could　have　distanced　all　competitors　even　then；〃　he　said；　〃if　I　had
recognized　Sam's　ability　and　let　him　go　ahead；　merely　keeping　him　from
offending　worthy　persons。〃

Sam　was　subdued；　but　not　done　for。　　He　never　would　be；　now。　　He　had　got
his　first　taste　of　print；　and　he　liked　it。　　He　promptly　wrote　two
anecdotes　which　he　thought　humorous　and　sent　them　to　the　Philadelphia
Saturday　Evening　Post。　　They　were　acceptedwithout　payment；　of　course；
in　those　days；　and　when　the　papers　containing　them　appeared　he　felt
suddenly　lifted　to　a　lofty　plane　of　literature。　　This　was　in　1851。

〃Seeing　them　in　print　was　a　joy　which　rather　exceeded　anything　in　that
line　I　have　ever　experienced　since；〃　he　said；　nearly　sixty　years　later。

Yet　he　did　not　feel　inspired　to　write　anything　further　for　the　Post。
Twice　during　the　next　two　years　he　contributed　to　the　Journal；　once
something　about　Jim　Wolfe；　though　it　was　not　the　story　of　the　cats；　and
another　burlesque　on　a　rival　editor　whom　he　pictured　as　hunting　snipe
with　a　cannon；　the　explosion　of　which　was　said　to　have　blown　the　snipe
out　of　the　country。　　No　contributions　of　this　time　have　been　preserved。
High　prices　have　been　offered　for　copies　of　the　Hannibal　journal
containing　them；　but　without　success。　　The　Post　sketches　were　unsigned
and　have　not　been　identified。　　It　is　likely　they　were　trivial　enough。
His　earliest　work　showed　no　special　individuality　or　merit；　being　mainly
crude　and　imitative；　as　the　work　of　a　boyeven　a　precocious　boyis
likely　to　be。　　He　was　not　especially　precociousnot　in　literature。　　His
literary　career　would　halt　and　hesitate　and　trifle　along　for　many　years
yet；　gathering　impetus　and　equipment　for　the　fuller；　statelier　swing
which　would　bring　a　greater　joy　to　the　world　at　large；　even　if　not　to
himself；　than　that　first；　far…off　triumph。　＇In　Mark　Twain's　sketch　〃My
First　Literary　Venture〃　he　has　set　down　with　characteristic　embroideries
some　account　of　this　early　authorship。＇

Those　were　hard　financial　days。　　Orion　could　pay　nothing　on　his　mortgage
barely　the　interest。　　He　had　promised　Sam　three　dollars　and　a　half　a
week；　but　he　could　do　no　more　than　supply　him　with　board　and　clothes
〃poor；　shabby　clothes；〃　he　says　in　his　record。

〃My　mother　and　sister　did　the　housekeeping。　　My　mother　was　cook。　　She
used　the　provisions　I　supplied　her。　　We　therefore　had　a　regular　diet　of
bacon；　butter；　bread；　and　coffee。〃

Mrs。　Clemens　again　took　a　few　boarders；　Pamela；　who　had　given　up　teaching
for　a　time；　organized　another　music　class。　　Orion　became　despondent。　　One
night　a　cow　got　into　the　office；　upset　a　typecase；　and　ate　up　two
composition　rollers。　　Orion　felt　that　fate　was　dealing　with　a　heavy　hand。
Another　disaster　quickly　followed。　　Fire　broke　out　in　the　office；　and　the
loss　was　considerable。　　An　insurance　company　paid　one　hundred　and　fifty
dollars。　　With　it　Orion　replaced　such　articles　as　were　absolutely　needed
for　work；　and　removed　his　plant　into　the　front　room　of　the　Clemens
dwelling。　　He　raised　the　one…story　part　of　the　building　to　give　them　an
added　room　up…stairs；　and　there　for　another　two　years；　by　hard　work　and
pinching　economies；　the　dying　paper　managed　to　drag　along。　　It　was　the
fire　that　furnished　Sam　Clemens　with　his　Jim　Wolfe　sketch。　　In　it　he
stated　that　Jim　in　his　excitement　had　carried　the　office　broom　half　a
mile　and　had　then　come　back　after　the　wash…pan。

In　the　meantime　Pamela　Clemens　married。　　Her　husband　was　a　well…to…do
merchant；　William　A。　Moffett；　formerly　of　Hannibal；　but　then　of　St。
Louis；　where　he　had　provided　her　with　the　comforts　of　a　substantial　home。

Orion　tried　the　experiment　of　a　serial　story。　　He　wrote　to　a　number　of
well…known　authors　in　the　East；　but　was　unable　to　find　one　who　would
supply　a　serial　for　the　price　he　was　willing　to　pay。　　Finally　he　obtained
a　translation　of　a　French　novel　for　the　sum　offered；　which　was　five
dollars。　　It　did　not　save　the　sinking　ship；　however。　　He　made　the
experiment　of　a　tri…weekly；　without　success。　　He　noticed　that　even　his
mother　no　longer　read　his　editorials；　but　turned　to　the　general　news。
This　was　a　final　blow。

〃I　sat　down　in　the　dark；〃　he　says；　〃the　moon　glinting　in　at　the　open
door。　　I　sat　with　one　leg　over　the　chair　and　let　my　mind　float。〃

He　had　received　an　offer　of　five　hundred　dollars　for　his　officethe
amount　of　the　mortgageand　in　his　moonlight　reverie　he　decided　to
dispose　of　it　on　those　terms。　　This　was　in　1853。

His　brother　Samuel　was　no　longer　with　him。　　Several　months　before；　in
June；　Sam　decided　he　would　go　out　into　the　world。　　He　was　in　his
eighteenth　year　now；　a　good　workman；　faithful　and　industrious；　but　he　had
grown　restless　in　unrewarded　service。　　Beyond　his　mastery　of　the　trade　he
had　little　to　show　for　six　years　of　hard　labor。　　Once　when　he　had　asked
Orion　for　a　few　dollars　to　buy　a　second…hand　gun；　Orion；　exasperated　by
desperate　circumstances；　fell　into　a　passion　and　rated　him　for　thinking
of　such　extravagance。　　Soon　afterward　Sam　confided　to　his　mother　that　he
was　going　away；　that　he　believed　Orion　hated　him；　that　there　was　no
longer　a　place　for　him　at　home。　　He　said　he　would　go　to　St。　Louis；　where
Pamela　was。　　There　would　be　work　for　him　in　St。　Louis；　and　he　could　send
money　home。　　His　intention　was　to　go　farther　than　St。　Louis；　but　he　dared
not　tell　her。　　His　mother　put　together　sadly　enough　the　few　belongings　of
what　she　regarded　as　her　one　wayward　boy；　then　she　held　up　a　little
Testament：

〃I　want　you　to　take　hold　of　the　other　end　of　this；　Sam；〃　she　said；　〃and
make　me　a　promise。〃

If　one　might　have　a　true　picture　of　that　scene：　the　shin；　wiry　woman　of
forty…nine；　her　figure　as　straight　as　her　deportment；　gray…eyed；　tender；
and　resolute；　facing　the　fair…cheeked；　auburn…haired　youth　of　seventeen；
his　eyes　as　piercing　and　unwavering　as　her　own。　　Mother　and　son；　they
were　of　the　same　metal　and　the　same　mold。

〃I　want　you　to　repeat　after　me；　Sam；　these　words；〃　Jane　Clemens　said。
I　do　solemnly　swear　that　I　will　not　throw　a　card　or　drink　a　drop　of
liquor　while　I　am　gone。〃'

He　repeated　the　oath　after　her；　and　she　kissed　him。

〃Remember　that；　Sam；　and　write　to　us；〃　she　said。

〃And　so；〃　Orion　records；　〃he　went　wandering　in　search　of　that　comfort　and
that　advancement　and　those　rewards　of　industry　which　he　had　failed　to
find　where　I　wasgloomy；　taciturn；　and　selfish。　　I　not　only　missed　his
labor；　we　all　missed　his　bounding　activity　and　merriment。〃





XIX

IN　THE　FOOTSTEPS　OF　FRANKLIN

He　went　to　St。　Louis　by　the　night　boat；　visited　his　sister　Pamela；　and
found　a　job　in　the　composing…room　of　the　Evening　News。　　He　remained　on
the　paper　only　long　enough　to　earn　money　with　which　to　see　the　world。
The　〃world〃　was　New　York　City；　where　the　Crystal　Palace　Fair　was　then
going　on。　　The　railway　had　been　completed　by　this　time；　but　he　had　not
traveled　on　it。　　It　had　not　many　comforts；　several　days　and　nights　were
required　for　the　New　York　trip；　yet　it　was　a　wonderful　and　beautiful
experience。　　He　felt　that　even　Pet　McMurry　could　hardly　have　done
anything　to　surpass　it。　　He　arrived　in　New　York　with　two　or　three　dollars
in　his　pocket　and　a　ten…dollar　bill　concealed　in　the　lining　of　his　coat。

New　York　was　a　great　and　amazing　city。　　It　almost　frightened　him。　　It
covered　the　entire　lower　end　of　Manhattan　Island；　visionary　citizens
boasted　that　one　day　it　would　cover　it　all。　　The　World's　Fair　building；
the　Crystal　Palace；　stood　a　good　way　out。　　It　was　where　Bryant　Park　is
now；　on　Forty…second　Street　and　Sixth　Avenue。　　Young　Clemens　classed　it
as　one　of　the　wonders　of　the　world　and　wrote　lavishly　of　its　marvels。
A　portion　of　a　letter　to　his　sister　Pamela　has　been　preserved　and　is
given　here　not　only　for　what　it　contains；　but　as　the　earliest　existing
specimen　of　his　composition。　　The　fragment　concludes　what　was　doubtless
an　exhaustive　description。

　　　　　From　the　gallery　（second　floor）　you　have　a　glorious　sightthe　flags
　　　　　of　the　different　countries　represented；　the　lofty　dome；　glittering
　　　　　jewelry；　gaudy　tapestry；　etc。；　with　the　busy　crowd　passing　to　and
　　　　　fro　'tis　a　perfect　fairy　palacebeautiful　beyond　description。

　　　　　The　machinery　department　is　on　the　main　floor；　but　I　cannot
　　　　　enumerate　any　of　it　on　account　of　the　lateness　of　the　hour　（past　1
　　　　　o'clock）。　　It　would　take　more　than　a　week　to　examine　everything　on
　　　　　exhibition；　and　I　was　only　in　a　little　over　two　hours　to…night。
　　　　　I　only　glanced　at　about　one…third　of　the　articles；　and；　having　a
　　　　　poor　memory；　I　have　enumerated　scarcely　any　of　even　the　principal
　　　　　objects。　　The　visitors　to　the　Palace　average　6；000　dailydouble　the
　　　　　population　of　Hannibal。　　The　price　of　admission　being　50　cents；　they
　　　　　take　in　about　3；000。

　　　　　The　Latting　Observatory　（height　about　280　feet）　is　near　the　Palace…
　　　　　from　it　you　can　obtain　a　grand　view　of　the　city　and　the　cou