mark twain, a biography, 1835-1866-第46部分

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mustered　there。

Mark　Twain　and　Bret　Harte　were　distinctive　features　of　this　group。　　They
were　already　recognized　by　their　associates　as　belonging　in　a　class　by
themselves；　though　as　yet　neither　had　done　any　of　the　work　for　which　he
would　be　remembered　later。　　They　were　a　good　deal　together；　and　it　was
when　Harte　was　made　editor　of　the　Californian　that　Mark　Twain　was　put　on
the　weekly　staff　at　the　then　unexampled　twelve…dollar　rate。　　The
Californian　made　larger　pretensions　than　the　Era；　and　perhaps　had　a
heavier　financial　backing。　　With　Mark　Twain　on　the　staff　and　Bret　Harte
in　the　chair；　himself　a　frequent　contributor；　it　easily　ranked　as　first
of　San　Francisco　periodicals。　　A　number　of　the　sketches　collected　by　Webb
later；　in　Mark　Twain's　first　little　volume；　the　Celebrated　Jumping　Frog；
Etc。；　appeared　in　the　Era　or　Californian　in　1864　and　1865。　　They　were
smart；　bright；　direct；　not　always　refined；　but　probably　the　best　humor　of
the　day。　　Some　of　them　are　still　preserved　in　this　volume　of　sketches。
They　are　interesting　in　what　they　promise；　rather　than　in　what　they
present；　though　some　of　them　are　still　delightful　enough。　　〃The　Killing
of　Julius　Caesar　Localized〃　is　an　excellent　forerunner　of　his　burlesque
report　of　a　gladiatorial　combat　in　The　Innocents　Abroad。　　The　Answers　to
Correspondents；　with　his　vigorous　admonition　of　the　statistical　moralist；
could　hardly　have　been　better　done　at　any　later　period。　　The　Jumping　Frog
itself　was　not　originally　of　this　harvest。　　It　has　a　history　of　its　own；
as　we　shall　see　a　little　further　along。

The　reportorial　arrangement　was　of　brief　duration。　　Even　the　great　San
Francisco　earthquake　of　that　day　did　not　awaken　in　Mark　Twain　any
permanent　enthusiasm　for　the　drudgery　of　the　'Call'。　　He　had　lost
interest；　and　when　Mark　Twain　lost　interest　in　a　subject　or　an
undertaking　that　subject　or　that　undertaking　were　better　dead；　so　far　as
he　was　concerned。　　His　conclusion　of　service　with　the　Call　was　certain；
and　he　wondered　daily　why　it　was　delayed　so　long。　　The　connection　had
become　equally　unsatisfactory　to　proprietor　and　employee。　　They　had　a
heart…to…heart　talk　presently；　with　the　result　that　Mark　Twain　was　free。
He　used　to　claim；　in　after…years；　with　his　usual　tendency　to　confess　the
worst　of　himself；　that　he　was　discharged；　and　the　incident　has　been
variously　told。　　George　Barnes　himself　has　declared　that　Clemens　resigned
with　great　willingness。　　It　is　very　likely　that　the　paragraph　at　the　end
of　Chapter　LVIII　in　'Roughing　It'　presents　the　situation　with　fair
accuracy；　though；　as　always；　the　author　makes　it　as　unpleasant　for
himself　as　possible：

〃At　last　one　of　the　proprietors　took　me　aside；　with　a　charity　I　still
remember　with　considerable　respect；　and　gave　me　an　opportunity　to　resign
my　berth；　and　so　save　myself　the　disgrace　of　a　dismissal。〃

As　an　extreme　contrast　with　the　supposititious　〃butterfly　idleness〃　of
his　beginning　in　San　Francisco；　and　for　no　other　discoverable　reason；　he
doubtless　thought　it　necessary；　in　the　next　chapter　of　that　book；　to
depict　himself　as　having　reached　the　depths　of　hard　luck；　debt；　and
poverty。

〃I　became　an　adept　at　slinking；〃　he　says。　　〃I　slunk　from　back　street　to
back　street。。。。　　I　slunk　to　my　bed。　　I　had　pawned　everything　but　the
clothes　I　had　on。〃

This　is　pure　fiction。　　That　he　occasionally　found　himself　short　of　funds
is　likely　enougha　literary　life　invites　that　sort　of　thingbut　that　he
ever　clung　to　a　single　〃silver　ten…cent　piece；〃　as　he　tells　us；　and
became　the　familiar　of　mendicancy；　was　a　condition　supplied　altogether　by
his　later　imagination　to　satisfy　what　he　must　have　regarded　as　an
artistic　need。　　Almost　immediately　following　his　separation　from　the
'Call'　he　arranged　with　Goodman　to　write　a　daily　letter　for　the
Enterprise；　reporting　San　Francisco　matters　after　his　own　notion　with　a
free　hand。　　His　payment　for　this　work　was　thirty　dollars　a　week；　and　he
had　an　additional　return　from　his　literary　sketches。　　The　arrangement　was
an　improvement　both　as　to　labor　and　income。

Real　affluence　appeared　on　the　horizon　just　then；　in　the　form　of　a
liberal　offer　for　the　Tennessee　land。　　But　alas！　it　was　from　a　wine…
grower　who　wished　to　turn　the　tract　into　great　vineyards；　and　Orion　had　a
prohibition　seizure　at　the　moment；　so　the　trade　was　not　made。　　Orion
further　argued　that　the　prospective　purchaser　would　necessarily　be
obliged　to　import　horticultural　labor　from　Europe；　and　that　those　people
might　be　homesick；　badly　treated；　and　consequently　unhappy　in　those　far
eastern　Tennessee　mountains。　　Such　was　Orion's　way。




XLVIII

THE　REFUGE　OF　THE　HILLS

Those　who　remember　Mark　Twain's　Enterprise　letters　（they　are　no　longer
obtainable）　＇Many　of　these　are　indeed　now　obtainable　by　a　simple　Web
search。　　D。W。＇　　declare　them　to　have　been　the　greatest　series　of　daily
philippics　ever　written。　　However　this　may　be；　it　is　certain　that　they
made　a　stir。　　Goodman　permitted　him　to　say　absolutely　what　he　pleased
upon　any　subject。　　San　Francisco　was　fairly　weltering　in　corruption；
official　and　private。　　He　assailed　whatever　came　first　to　hand　with　all
the　fierceness　of　a　flaming　indignation　long　restrained。

Quite　naturally　he　attacked　the　police；　and　with　such　ferocity　and
penetration　that　as　soon　as　copies　of　the　Enterprise　came　from　Virginia
the　City　Hall　began　to　boil　and　smoke　and　threaten　trouble。　　Martin　G。
Burke；　then　chief　of　police；　entered　libel　suit　against　the　Enterprise；
prodigiously　advertising　that　paper；　copies　of　which　were　snatched　as
soon　as　the　stage　brought　them。

Mark　Twain　really　let　himself　go　then。　　He　wrote　a　letter　that　on　the
outside　was　marked；　〃Be　sure　and　let　Joe　see　this　before　it　goes　in。〃
He　even　doubted　himself　whether　Goodman　would　dare　to　print　it；　after
reading。　　It　was　a　letter　describing　the　city's　corrupt　morals　under　the
existing　police　government。　　It　began；　〃The　air　is　full　of　lechery；　and
rumors　of　lechery；〃　and　continued　in　a　strain　which　made　even　the
Enterprise　printers　aghast。

〃You　can　never　afford　to　publish　that；〃　the　foreman　said　to；　Goodman。

〃Let　it　all　go　in；　every　word；〃　Goodman　answered。　　〃If　Mark　can　stand　it；
I　can！

It　seemed　unfortunate　（at　the　time）　that　Steve　Gillis　should　select　this
particular　moment　to　stir　up　trouble　that　would　involve　both　himself　and
Clemens　with　the　very　officials　which　the　latter　had　undertaken　to
punish。　　Passing　a　saloon　one　night　alone；　Gillis　heard　an　altercation
going　on　inside；　and　very　naturally　stepped　in　to　enjoy　it。　　Including
the　barkeeper；　there　were　three　against　two。　　Steve　ranged　himself　on　the
weaker　side；　and　selected　the　barkeeper；　a　big　bruiser；　who；　when　the
fight　was　over；　was　ready　for　the　hospital。　　It　turned　out　that　he　was
one　of　Chief　Burke's　minions；　and　Gillis　was　presently　indicted　on　a
charge　of　assault　with　intent　to　kill。　　He　knew　some　of　the　officials　in
a　friendly　way；　and　was　advised　to　give　a　straw　bond　and　go　into
temporary　retirement。　　Clemens；　of　course；　went　his　bail；　and　Steve　set
out　for　Virginia　City；　until　the　storm　blew　over。

This　was　Burke's　opportunity。　　When　the　case　was　called　and　Gillis　did
not　appear；　Burke　promptly　instituted　an　action　against　his　bondsman；
with　an　execution　against　his　loose　property。　　The　watch　that　had　been
given　him　as　Governor　of　the　Third　House　came　near　being　thus　sacrificed
in　the　cause　of　friendship；　and　was　only　saved　by　skilful　manipulation。

Now；　it　was　down　in　the　chain　of　circumstances　that　Steve　Gillis's
brother；　James　N。　Gillis；　a　gentle…hearted　hermit；　a　pocket…miner　of　the
halcyon　Tuolumne　districtthe　Truthful　James　of　Bret　Hartehappened　to
be　in　San　Francisco　at　this　time；　and　invited　Clemens　to　return　with　him
to　the　far　seclusion　of　his　cabin　on　Jackass　Hill。　　In　that　peaceful
retreat　were　always　rest　and　refreshment　for　the　wayfarer；　and　more　than
one　weary　writer　besides　Bret　Harte　had　found　shelter　there。　　James
Gillis　himself　had　fine　literary　instincts；　but　he　remained　a　pocket…
miner　because　he　loved　that　quiet　pursuit　of　gold；　the　Arcadian　life；　the
companionship　of　his　books；　the　occasional　Bohemian　pilgrim　who　found
refuge　in　his　retreat。　　It　is　said　that　the　sick　were　made　well；　and　the
well　made　better；　in　Jim　Gillis's　cabin　on　the　hilltop；　where　the　air　was
nectar　and　the　stillness　like　enchantment。　　One　could　mine　there　if　he
wished　to　do　so；　Jim　would　always　furnish　him　a　promising　claim；　and
teach　him　the　art　of　following　the　little　fan…like　drift　of　gold　specks
to　the　nested　deposit　of　nuggets　somewhere　up　the　hillside。　　He　regularly
shared　his　cabin　with　one　Dick　Stoker　（Dick　Baker；　of　'Roughing　It'）；
another　genial　soul　who　long　ago　had　retired　from　the　world　to　this
forgotten　land；　also　with　Dick's　cat；　Tom　Quartz；　but　there　was　always
room　for　guests。

In　'Roughing　It'；　and　in　a　later　story；　〃The　Californian's　Tale；〃　Mark
Twain　has　made　us　acquainted　with　the　verdant　solitude　of　the　Tuolumne
hills；　that　dreamy；　delicious　paradise　where　once　a　vast　population　had
gathered　when　placer…mining　had　been　in　its　bloom；　a　dozen　years　before。
The　human　swarm　had　scattered　when　the　washings　failed　to　pay；　leaving
only　a　quiet　emptiness　and　the　few　pocket…miners　along　the　Stanislaus　and
among　the　hills。　　Vast　areas　of　that　section　present　a　strange　appearance
to…day。　　Long　stretches　there　are；　crowded　and　jammed　and　drifted　with
ghostly　white　stones　that　stand　up　like　fossils　of　a　prehistoric　life
the　earth　deposit　which　once　covered　them　entirely　washed　away；　every
particle　of　it　removed　by　the　greedy　hordes；　leaving　only　this　vast
bleaching　drift；　literally　the　〃picked　bones　of　the　land。〃　　At　one　place
stands　Columbia；　regarded　once　as　a　rival　to　Sacramento；　a　possible　State
capitala　few　tumbling　shanties　nowand　a　ruined　church。

It　was　the　4th　of　December；　1864；　when　Mark　Twain　arrived　at　Jim　Gillis's
cabin。　　He　found　it　a　humble　habitation　made　of　logs　and　slabs；　partly
sheltered　by　a　great　live…oak　tree；　surrounded　by　a　stretch　of　grass。
It　had　not　much　in　the　way　of　pretentious　furniture；　but　there　was　a
large　fireplace；　and　a　library　which　included　the　standard　authors。
A　younger　Gillis　boy；　William；　was　there　at　this　t