mark twain, a biography, 1835-1866-第20部分

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the　owner　would　turn　up　and　take　away　my　fortune。　　By　and　by　I　couldn't
stand　it　any　longer。　　My　conscience　had　gotten　all　that　was　coming　to　it。
I　felt　that　I　must　take　that　money　out　of　danger。〃

In　the　〃Turning…point〃　article　he　says：　〃I　advertised　the　find　and　left
for　the　Amazon　the　same　day；〃a　statement　which　we　may　accept　with　a
literary　discount。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　he　remained　ample　time　and　nobody　ever　came　for　the
money。　　It　may　have　been　swept　out　of　a　bank　or　caught　up　by　the　wind
from　some　counting…room　table。　　It　may　have　materialized　out　of　the
unseenwho　knows？　　At　all　events　it　carried　him　the　first　stage　of　a
journey；　the　end　of　which　he　little　dreamed。




XXI

SCOTCHMAN　NAMED　MACFARLANE

He　concluded　to　go　to　Cincinnati；　which　would　be　on　the　way　either　to　New
York　or　New　Orleans　（he　expected　to　sail　from　one　of　these　points）；　but
first　paid　a　brief　visit　to　his　mother　in　St。　Louis；　for　he　had　a　far
journey　and　along　absence　in　view。　　Jane　Clemens　made　him　renew　his
promise　as　to　cards　and　liquor；　and　gave　him　her　blessing。　　He　had
expected　to　go　from　St。　Louis　to　Cincinnati；　but　a　new　ideaa　literary
ideacame　to　him；　and　he　returned　to　Keokuk。　　The　Saturday　Post；　a
Keokuk　weekly；　was　a　prosperous　sheet　giving　itself　certain　literary
airs。　　He　was　in　favor　with　the　management；　of　which　George　Rees　was　the
head；　and　it　had　occurred　to　him　that　he　could　send　letters　of　his
travels　to　the　Postfor；　a　consideration。　　He　may　have　had　a　still
larger　ambition；　at　least；　the　possibility　of　a　book　seems　to　have　been
in　his　consciousness。　　Rees　agreed　to　take　letters　from　him　at　five
dollars　eachgood　payment　for　that　time　and　place。　　The　young　traveler；
jubilant　in　the　prospect　of　receiving　money　for　literature；　now　made
another　start；　this　time　by　way　of　Quincy；　Chicago；　and　Indianapolis
according　to　his　first　letter　in　the　Post。　＇Supplied　by　Thomas　Rees；　of
the　Springfield　（Illinois）　Register；　son　of　George　Rees　named。＇

This　letter　is　dated　Cincinnati；　November　14；　1856；　and　it　is　not　a
promising　literary　production。　　It　was　written　in　the　exaggerated　dialect
then　regarded　as　humorous；　and　while　here　and　there　are　flashes　of　the
undoubted　Mark　Twain　type；　they　are　few　and　far　between。　　The　genius　that
a　little　more　than　ten　years　later　would　delight　the　world　flickered
feebly　enough　at　twenty…one。　　The　letter　is　a　burlesque　account　of　the
trip　to　Cincinnati。　　A　brief　extract　from　it；　as　characteristic　as　any；
will　serve。

　　　　　I　went　down　one　night　to　the　railroad　office　there；　purty　close　onto
　　　　　the　Laclede　House；　and　bought　about　a　quire　o'　yaller　paper；　cut　up
　　　　　into　ticketsone　for　each　railroad　in　the　United　States；　I　thought；
　　　　　but　I　found　out　afterwards　that　the　Alexandria　and　Boston　Air…Line
　　　　　was　left　outand　then　got　a　baggage　feller　to　take　my　trunk　down　to
　　　　　the　boat；　where　he　spilled　it　out　on　the　levee；　bustin'　it　open　and
　　　　　shakin'　out　the　contents；　consisting　of　〃guides〃　to　Chicago；　and
　　　　　〃guides〃　to　Cincinnati；　and　travelers'　guides；　and　all　kinds　of　sich
　　　　　books；　not　excepting　a　〃guide　to　heaven；〃　which　last　aint　much　use
　　　　　to　a　Teller　in　Chicago；　I　kin　tell　you。　　Finally；　that　fast　packet
　　　　　quit　ringing　her　bell；　and　started　down　the　riverbut　she　hadn't
　　　　　gone　morn　a　mile；　till　she　ran　clean　up　on　top　of　a　sand…bar；　whar
　　　　　she　stuck　till　plum　one　o'clock；　spite　of　the　Captain's　swearin'
　　　　　and　they　had　to　set　the　whole　crew　to　cussin'　at　last　afore　they　got
　　　　　her　off。

This　is　humor；　we　may　concede；　of　that　early　American　type　which　a　little
later　would　have　its　flower　in　Nasby　and　Artemus　Ward。　　Only　careful
examination　reveals　in　it　a　hint　of　the　later　Mark　Twain。　　The　letters
were　signed　〃Snodgrass；〃　and　there　are　but　two　of　them。　　The　second；
dated　exactly　four　months　after　the　first；　is　in　the　same　assassinating
dialect；　and　recounts　among　other　things　the　scarcity　of　coal　in
Cincinnati　and　an　absurd　adventure　in　which　Snodgrass　has　a　baby　left　on
his　hands。

》From　the　fewness　of　the　letters　we　may　assume　that　Snodgrass　found　them
hard　work；　and　it　is　said　he　raised　on　the　price。　　At　all　events；　the
second　concluded　the　series。　　They　are　mainly　important　in　that　they　are
the　first　of　his　contributions　that　have　been　preserved；　also　the　first
for　which　he　received　a　cash　return。

He　secured　work　at　his　trade　in　Cincinnati　at　the　printing…office　of
Wrightson　&　Co。；　and　remained　there　until　April；　1857。　　That　winter　in
Cincinnati　was　eventless　enough；　but　it　was　marked　by　one　notable
associationone　that　beyond　doubt　forwarded　Samuel　Clemens's　general
interest　in　books；　influenced　his　taste；　and　inspired　in　him　certain
views　and　philosophies　which　he　never　forgot。

He　lodged　at　a　cheap　boarding…house　filled　with　the　usual　commonplace
people；　with　one　exception。　　This　exception　was　a　long；　lank；　unsmiling
Scotchman　named　Macfarlane；　who　was　twice　as　old　as　Clemens　and　wholly
unlike　himwithout　humor　or　any　comprehension　of　it。　　Yet　meeting　on　the
common　plane　of　intellect；　the　two　became　friends。　　Clemens　spent　his
evenings　in　Macfarlane's　room　until　the　clock　struck　ten；　then　Macfarlane
grilled　a　herring；　just　as　the　Englishman　Sumner　in　Philadelphia　had　done
two　years　before；　and　the　evening　ended。

Macfarlane　had　books；　serious　books：　histories；　philosophies；　and
scientific　works；　also　a　Bible　and　a　dictionary。　　He　had　studied　these
and　knew　them　by　heart；　he　was　a　direct　and　diligent　talker。　　He　never
talked　of　himself；　and　beyond　the　statement　that　he　had　acquired　his
knowledge　from　reading；　and　not　at　school；　his　personality　was　a　mystery。
He　left　the　house　at　six　in　the　morning　and　returned　at　the　same　hour　in
the　evening。　　His　hands　were　hardened　from　some　sort　of　toil…mechanical
labor；　his　companion　thought；　but　he　never　knew。　　He　would　have　liked　to
know；　and　he　watched　for　some　reference　to　slip　out　that　would　betray
Macfarlane's　trade；　but　this　never　happened。

What　he　did　learn　was　that　Macfarlane　was　a　veritable　storehouse　of
abstruse　knowledge；　a　living　dictionary；　and　a　thinker　and　philosopher
besides。　　He　had　at　least　one　vanity：　the　claim　that　he　knew　every　word
in　the　English　dictionary；　and　he　made　it　good。　　The　younger　man　tried
repeatedly　to　discover　a　word　that　Macfarlane　could　not　define。

Perhaps　Macfarlane　was　vain　of　his　other　mental　attainments；　for　he　never
tired　of　discoursing　upon　deep　and　grave　matters；　and　his　companion　never
tired　of　listening。　　This　Scotch　philosopher　did　not　always　reflect　the
conclusions　of　others；　he　had　speculated　deeply　and　strikingly　on　his　own
account。　　That　was　a　good　while　before　Darwin　and　Wallace　gave　outtheir
conclusions　on　the　Descent　of　Man；　yet　Macfarlane　was　already　advancing　a
similar　philosophy。　　He　went　even　further：　Life；　he　said；　had　been
developed　in　the　course　of　ages　from　a　few　microscopic　seed…germsfrom
one；　perhaps；　planted　by　the　Creator　in　the　dawn　of　time；　and　that　from
this　beginning　development　on　an　ascending　scale　had　finally　produced
man。　　Macfarlane　said　that　the　scheme　had　stopped　there；　and　failed；　that
man　had　retrograded；　that　man's　heart　was　the　only　bad　one　in　the　animal
kingdom：　that　man　was　the　only　animal　capable　of　malice；　vindictiveness；
drunkennessalmost　the　only　animal　that　could　endure　personal
uncleanliness。　　He　said　that　man's　intellect　was　a　depraving　addition　to
him　which；　in　the　end；　placed　him　in　a　rank　far　below　the　other　beasts；
though　it　enabled　him　to　keep　them　in　servitude　and　captivity；　along　with
many　members　of　his　own　race。

They　were　long；　fermenting　discourses　that　young　Samuel　Clemens　listened
to　that　winter　in　Macfarlane's　room；　and　those　who　knew　the　real　Mark
Twain　and　his　philosophies　will　recognize　that　those　evenings　left　their
impress　upon　him　for　life。





XXII

THE　OLD　CALL　OF　THE　RIVER

When　spring　came；　with　budding　life　and　quickening　impulses；　when　the
trees　in　the　parks　began　to　show　a　hint　of　green；　the　Amazonian　idea
developed　afresh；　and　the　would…be　coca…hunter　prepared　for　his
expedition。　　He　had　saved　a　little　moneyenough　to　take　him　to　New
Orleansand　he　decided　to　begin　his　long　trip　with　a　peaceful　journey
down　the　Mississippi；　for　once；　at　least；　to　give　himself　up　to　that
indolent　luxury　of　the　majestic　stream　that　had　been　so　large　a　part　of
his　early　dreams。

The　Ohio　River　steamers　were　not　the　most　sumptuous　craft　afloat；　but
they　were　slow　and　hospitable。　　The　winter　had　been　bleak　and　hard。
〃Spring　fever〃　and　a　large　love　of　indolence　had　combined　in　that　drowsy
condition　which　makes　one　willing　to　take　his　time。

Mark　Twain　tells　us　in　Life　on　the　Mississippi　that　he　〃ran　away；〃　vowing
never　to　return　until　he　could　come　home　a　pilot；　shedding　glory。　　This
is　a　literary　statement。　　The　pilot　ambition　had　never　entirely　died；　but
it　was　coca　and　the　Amazon　that　were　uppermost　in　his　head　when　he
engaged　passage　on　the　Paul　Jones　for　New　Orleans；　and　so　conferred
immortality　on　that　ancient　little　craft。　　He　bade　good…by　to　Macfarlane；
put　his　traps　aboard；　the　bell　rang；　the　whistle　blew；　the　gang…plank　was
hauled　in；　and　he　had　set　out　on　a　voyage　that　was　to　continue　not　for　a
week　or　a　fortnight；　but　for　four　yearsfour　marvelous；　sunlit　years；
the　glory　of　which　would　color　all　that　followed　them。

In　the　Mississippi　book　the　author　conveys　the　impression　of　being　then　a
boy　of　perhaps　seventeen。　　Writing　from　that　standpoint　he　records
incidents　that　were　more　or　less　inventions　or　that　happened　to　others。
He　was；　in　reality；　considerably　more　than　twenty…one　years　old；　for　it
was　in　April；　1857；　that　he　went　aboard　the　Paul　Jones；　and　he　was　fairly
familiar　with　steamboats　and　the　general　requirements　of　piloting。　　He
had　been　brought　up　in　a　town　that　turned　out　pilots；　he　had　heard　the
talk　of　their　trade。　　One　at　least　of　the　Bowen　boys　was　already　on　the
river　while　Sam　Clemens　was　still　a　boy　in　Hannibal；　and　had　often　been
home　to　air　his　grandeur　and　dilate　on　the　marvel　of　his　work。　　That
learning　the　river　was　no　light　task　Sam　Clemens　very　well　knew。
Nevertheless；　as　the　little　boat　made　its　drowsy　way　down　the　river　into
lands　that