mark twain, a biography, 1835-1866-第2部分

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furnished　as　few　cases；　as　the　next　one　selected；　which　was　Jamestown；
Fentress　County；　still　farther　toward　the　Eastward　Mountains。　　Yet
Jamestown　had　the　advantage　of　being　brand　new；　and　in　the　eye　of　his
fancy　John　Clemens　doubtless　saw　it　the　future　metropolis　of　east
Tennessee；　with　himself　its　foremost　jurist　and　citizen。　　He　took　an
immediate　and　active　interest　in　the　development　of　the　place；
established　the　county…seat　there；　built　the　first　Court　House；　and　was
promptly　elected　as　circuit　clerk　of　the　court。

It　was　then　that　he　decided　to　lay　the　foundation　of　a　fortune　for
himself　and　his　children　by　acquiring　Fentress　County　land。　　Grants　could
be　obtained　in　those　days　at　the　expense　of　less　than　a　cent　an　acre；　and
John　Clemens　believed　that　the　years　lay　not　far　distant　when　the　land
would　increase　in　value　ten　thousand；　twenty；　perhaps　even　a　hundred
thousandfold。　　There　was　no　wrong　estimate　in　that。　　Land　covered　with
the　finest　primeval　timber；　and　filled　with　precious　minerals；　could
hardly　fail　to　become　worth　millions；　even　though　his　entire　purchase　of
75；000　acres　probably　did　not　cost　him　more　than　500。　　The　great　tract
lay　about　twenty　nines　to　the　southward　of　Jamestown。　　Standing　in　the
door　of　the　Court　House　he　had　built；　looking　out　over　the　〃Knob〃　of　the
Cumberland　Mountains　toward　his　vast　possessions；　he　said：

〃Whatever　befalls　me　now；　my　heirs　are　secure。　　I　may　not　live　to　see
these　acres　turn　into　silver　and　gold；　but　my　children　will。〃

Such　was　the　creation　of　that　mirage　of　wealth；　the　〃Tennessee　land；〃
which　all　his　days　and　for　long　afterward　would　lie　just　aheada　golden
vision；　its　name　the　single　watchword　of　the　family　fortunesthe　dream
fading　with　years；　only　materializing　at　last　as　a　theme　in　a　story　of
phantom　riches；　The　Gilded　Age。

Yet　for　once　John　Clemens　saw　clearly；　and　if　his　dream　did　not　come　true
he　was　in　no　wise　to　blame。　　The　land　is　priceless　now；　and　a　corporation
of　the　Clemens　heirs　is　to…day　contesting　the　title　of　a　thin　fragment　of
itabout　one　thousand　acresoverlooked　in　some　survey。

Believing　the　future　provided　for；　Clemens　turned　his　attention　to
present　needs。　　He　built　himself　a　house；　unusual　in　its　style　and
elegance。　　It　had　two　windows　in　each　room；　and　its　walls　were　covered
with　plastering；　something　which　no　one　in　Jamestown　had　ever　seen
before。　　He　was　regarded　as　an　aristocrat。　　He　wore　a　swallow…tail　coat
of　fine　blue　jeans；　instead　of　the　coarse　brown　native…made　cloth。　　The
blue…jeans　coat　was　ornamented　with　brass　buttons　and　cost　one　dollar　and
twenty…five　cents　a　yard；　a　high　price　for　that　locality　and　time。　　His
wife　wore　a　calico　dress　for　company；　while　the　neighbor　wives　wore
homespun　linsey…woolsey。　　The　new　house　was　referred　to　as　the　Crystal
Palace。　　When　John　and　Jane　Clemens　attended　ballsthere　were　continuous
balls　during　the　holidaysthey　were　considered　the　most　graceful
dancers。

Jamestown　did　not　become　the　metropolis　he　had　dreamed。　　It　attained
almost　immediately　to　a　growth　of　twenty…five　housesmainly　log　houses
and　stopped　there。　　The　country；　too；　was　sparsely　settled；　law　practice
was　slender　and　unprofitable；　the　circuit…riding　from　court　to　court　was
very　bad　for　one　of　his　physique。　　John　Clemens　saw　his　reserve　of　health
and　funds　dwindling；　and　decided　to　embark　in　merchandise。　　He　built
himself　a　store　and　put　in　a　small　country　stock　of　goods。　　These　he
exchanged　for　ginseng；　chestnuts；　lampblack；　turpentine；　rosin；　and　other
produce　of　the　country；　which　he　took　to　Louisville　every　spring　and　fall
in　six…horse　wagons。　　In　the　mean　time　he　would　seem　to　have　sold　one　or
more　of　his　slaves；　doubtless　to　provide　capital。　　There　was　a　second
baby　nowa　little　girl；　Pamela；born　in　September；　1827。　　Three　years
later；　May　1830；　another　little　girl；　Margaret；　came。　　By　this　time　the
store　and　home　were　in　one　building；　the　store　occupying　one　room；　the
household　requiring　twoclearly　the　family　fortunes　were　declining。

About　a　year　after　little　Margaret　was　born；　John　Clemens　gave　up
Jamestown　and　moved　his　family　and　stock　of　goods　to　a　point　nine　miles
distant；　known　as　the　Three　Forks　of　Wolf。　　The　Tennessee　land　was　safe；
of　course；　and　would　be　worth　millions　some　day；　but　in　the　mean　time　the
struggle　for　daily　substance　was　becoming　hard。

He　could　not　have　remained　at　the　Three　Forks　long；　for　in　1832　we　find
him　at　still　another　place；　on　the　right　bank　of　Wolf　River；　where　a
post…office　called　Pall　Mall　was　established；　with　John　Clemens　as
postmaster；　usually　addressed　as　〃Squire〃　or　〃Judge。〃　A　store　was　run　in
connection　with　the　postoffice。　　At　Pall　Mall；　in　June；　1832；　another
boy；　Benjamin；　was　born。

The　family　at　this　time　occupied　a　log　house　built　by　John　Clemens
himself；　the　store　being　kept　in　another　log　house　on　the　opposite　bank
of　the　river。　　He　no　longer　practised　law。　　In　The　Gilded　Age　we　have
Mark　Twain's　picture　of　Squire　Hawkins　and　Obedstown；　written　from
descriptions　supplied　in　later　years　by　his　mother　and　his　brother　Orion；
and；　while　not　exact　in　detail；　it　is　not　regarded　as　an　exaggerated
presentation　of　east　Tennessee　conditions　at　that　time。　　The　chapter　is
too　long　and　too　depressing　to　be　set　down　here。　　The　reader　may　look　it
up　for　himself；　if　he　chooses。　　If　he　does　he　will　not　wonder　that　Jane
Clemens's　handsome　features　had　become　somewhat　sharper；　and　her　manner　a
shade　graver；　with　the　years　and　burdens　of　marriage；　or　that　John
Clemens　at　thirty…six…out　of　health；　out　of　tune　with　his　environment
was　rapidly　getting　out　of　heart。　　After　all　the　bright　promise　of　the
beginning；　things　had　somehow　gone　wrong；　and　hope　seemed　dwindling　away。

A　tall　man；　he　had　become　thin　and　unusually　pale；　he　looked　older　than
his　years。　　Every　spring　he　was　prostrated　with　what　was　called
〃sunpain；〃　an　acute　form　of　headache；　nerve…racking　and　destroying　to　all
persistent　effort。　　Yet　he　did　not　retreat　from　his　moral　and
intellectual　standards；　or　lose　the　respect　of　that　shiftless　community。
He　was　never　intimidated　by　the　rougher　element；　and　his　eyes　were　of　a
kind　that　would　disconcert　nine　men　out　of　ten。　　Gray　and　deep…set　under
bushy　brows；　they　literally　looked　you　through。　　Absolutely　fearless；　he
permitted　none　to　trample　on　his　rights。　　It　is　told　of　John　Clemens；　at
Jamestown；　that　once　when　he　had　lost　a　cow　he　handed　the　minister　on
Sunday　morning　a　notice　of　the　loss　to　be　read　from　the　pulpit；　according
to　the　custom　of　that　community。　　For　some　reason；　the　minister　put　the
document　aside　and　neglected　it。　　At　the　close　of　the　service　Clemens
rose　and；　going　to　the　pulpit；　read　his　announcement　himself　to　the
congregation。　　Those　who　knew　Mark　Twain　best　will　not　fail　to　recall　in
him　certain　of　his　father's　legacies。

The　arrival　of　a　letter　from　〃Colonel　Sellers〃　inviting　the　Hawkins
family　to　come　to　Missouri　is　told　in　The　Gilded　Age。　　In　reality　the
letter　was　from　John　Quarles；　who　had　married　Jane　Clemens's　sister；
Patsey　Lampton；　and　settled　in　Florida；　Monroe　County；　Missouri。　　It　was
a　momentous　letter　in　The　Gilded　Age；　and　no　less　so　in　reality；　for　it
shifted　the　entire　scene　of　the　Clemens　family　fortunes；　and　it　had　to　do
with　the　birthplace　and　the　shaping　of　the　career　of　one　whose　memory　is
likely　to　last　as　long　as　American　history。




III

A　HUMBLE　BIRTHPLACE

Florida；　Missouri；　was　a　small　village　in　the　early　thirtiessmaller
than　it　is　now；　perhaps；　though　in　that　day　it　had　more　promise；　even　if
less　celebrity。　　The　West　was　unassembled　then；　undigested；　comparatively
unknown。　　Two　States；　Louisiana　and　Missouri；　with　less　than　half　a
million　white　persons；　were　all　that　lay　beyond　the　great　river。
St。　Louis；　with　its　boasted　ten　thousand　inhabitants　and　its　river　trade
with　the　South；　was　the　single　metropolis　in　all　that　vast　uncharted
region。　　There　was　no　telegraph；　there　were　no　railroads；　no　stage　lines
of　any　consequencescarcely　any　maps。　　For　all　that　one　could　see　or
guess；　one　place　was　as　promising　as　another；　especially　a　settlement
like　Florida；　located　at　the　forks　of　a　pretty　stream；　Salt　River；　which
those　early　settlers　believed　might　one　day　become　navigable　and　carry
the　merchandise　of　that　region　down　to　the　mighty　Mississippi；　thence　to
the　world　outside。

In　those　days　came　John　A。　Quarles；　of　Kentucky；　with　his　wife；　who　had
been　Patsey　Ann　Lampton；　also；　later；　Benjamin　Lampton；　her　father；　and
others　of　the　Lampton　race。　　It　was　natural　that　they　should　want　Jane
Clemens　and　her　husband　to　give　up　that　disheartening　east　Tennessee
venture　and　join　them　in　this　new　and　promising　land。　　It　was　natural；
too；　for　John　Quarleshappy…hearted；　generous；　and　optimisticto　write
the　letter。　　There　were　only　twenty…one　houses　in　Florida；　but　Quarles
counted　stables；　out…buildingseverything　with　a　roof　on　itand　set
down　the　number　at　fifty…four。

Florida；　with　its　iridescent　promise　and　negligible　future；　was　just　the
kind　of　a　place　that　John　Clemens　with　unerring　instinct　would　be　certain
to　select；　and　the　Quarles　letter　could　have　but　one　answer。　　Yet　there
would　be　the　longing　for　companionship；　too；　and　Jane　Clemens　must　have
hungered　for　her　people。　　In　The　Gilded　Age；　the　Sellers　letter　ends：

〃Come！rush！hurry！don't　wait　for　anything！〃

The　Clemens　family　began　immediately　its　preparation　for　getting　away。
The　store　was　sold；　and　the　farm；　the　last　two　wagon…loads　of　produce
were　sent　to　Louisville；　and　with　the　aid　of　the　money　realized；　a　few
hundred　dollars；　John　Clemens　and　his　family　〃flitted　out　into　the　great
mysterious　blank　that　lay　beyond　the　Knobs　of　Tennessee。〃　　They　had　a
two…horse　barouche；　which　would　seem　to　have　been　preserved　out　of　their
earlier　fortunes。　　The　barouche　held　the　parents　and　the　three　younger
children；　Pamela；　Margaret；　anal　the　little　boy；　Benjamin。　　There　were
also　two　extra　horses；　which　Orion；　now　ten；　and　Jennie；　the　house…girl；
a　slave；　rode。　　This　was　early　in　the　spring　of　1835。

They　traveled　by　the　way　of　their　old　home　at　Columbia；　and　paid　a　visit
to　relatives。　　At　Louisville　they　embarked　on　a　steamer　bound　for　St。
L