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three and a half hours every day； and Livy takes it all at par；
whereas even when I tell her a truth it isn't worth much without
corroboration 。 。 。 。
Soon my brief visit is due。 I've just been up listening at Livy's
door。
5 P。M。 A great disappointment。 I was sitting outside Livy's door
waiting。 Clara came out a minute ago and said L ivy is not so well；
and the nurse can't let me see her to…day。
That pathetic drama was to continue in some degree for many a long month。
All that winter and spring Mrs。 Clemens kept but a frail hold on life。
Clemens wrote little； and refused invitations everywhere he could。 He
spent his time largely in waiting for the two…minute period each day when
he could stand at the bed…foot and say a few words to the invalid； and he
confined his writing mainly to the comforting； affectionate messages
which he was allowed to push under her door。 He was always waiting there
long before the moment he was permitted to enter。 Her illness and her
helplessness made manifest what Howells has fittingly characterized as
his 〃beautiful and tender loyalty to her； which was the most moving
quality of his most faithful soul。〃
CCXXVII
THE SECOND RIVERDALE WINTER
Most of Mark Twain's stories have been dramatized at one time or another；
and with more or less success。 He had two plays going that winter； one
of them the little 〃Death Disk；〃 whichin story form had appeared a year
before in Harper's Magazine。 It was put on at the Carnegie Lyceum with
considerable effect； but it was not of sufficient importance to warrant a
long continuance。
Another play of that year was a dramatization of Huckleberry Finn； by Lee
Arthur。 This was played with a good deal of success in Baltimore；
Philadelphia； and elsewhere； the receipts ranging from three hundred to
twenty…one hundred dollars per night； according to the weather and
locality。 Why the play was discontinued is not altogether apparent；
certainly many a dramatic enterprise has gone further； faring worse。
Huck in book form also had been having adventures a little earlier； in
being tabooed on account of his morals by certain librarians of Denver
and Omaha。 It was years since Huck had been in trouble of that sort； and
he acquired a good deal of newspaper notoriety in consequence。
Certain entries in Mark Twain's note…book reveal somewhat of his life and
thought at this period。 We find such entries as this：
Saturday； January 3； 1903。 The offspring of riches： Pride； vanity；
ostentation； arrogance； tyranny。
Sunday； January 4； 1903。 The offspring of poverty： Greed；
sordidness； envy； hate； malice； cruelty； meanness； lying； shirking；
cheating； stealing； murder。
Monday； February 2； 1903。 33d wedding anniversary。 I was allowed
to see Livy 5 minutes this morning in honor of the day。 She makes
but little progress toward recovery； still there is certainly some；
we are sure。
Sunday； March 1； 1903。 We may not doubt that society in heaven
consists mainly of undesirable persons。
Thursday； March 19； 1903。 Susy's birthday。 She would be 31 now。
The family illnesses； which presently included an allotment for himself；
his old bronchitis； made him rage more than ever at the imperfections of
the species which could be subject to such a variety of ills。 Once he
wrote：
Man was made at the end of the week's work when God was tired。
And again：
Adam； man's benefactorhe gave him all that he has ever received
that was worth havingdeath。
The Riverdale home was in reality little more than a hospital that
spring。 Jean had scarcely recovered her physical strength when she was
attacked by measles； and Clara also fell a victim to the infection。
Fortunately Mrs。 Clemens's health had somewhat improved。
It was during this period that Clemens formulated his eclectic
therapeutic doctrine。 Writing to Twichell April 4； 1903； he said：
Livy does make a little progress these past 3 or 4 days； progress
which is visible to even the untrained eye。 The physicians are
doing good work for her； but my notion is； that no art of healing is
the best for all ills。 I should distribute the ailments around：
surgery cases to the surgeon； lupus to the actinic…ray specialist；
nervous prostration to the Christian Scientist； most ills to the
allopath & the homeopath； & （in my own particular case） rheumatism；
gout； & bronchial attack to the osteopathist。
He had plenty of time to think and to read during those weeks of
confinement； and to rage； and to write when he felt the need of that
expression； though he appears to have completed not much for print beyond
his reply to Mrs。 Eddy； already mentioned； and his burlesque；
〃Instructions in Art；〃 with pictures by himself； published in the
Metropolitan for April and May。
Howells called his attention to some military outrages in the
Philippines； citing a case where a certain lieutenant had tortured one of
his men； a mild offender； to death out of pure deviltry； and had been
tried but not punished for his fiendish crime。＇The torture to death of
Private Edward C。 Richter； an American soldier； by orders of a
commissioned officer of the United States army on the night of February
7； 1902。 Private Richter was bound and gagged and the gag held in his
mouth by means of a club while ice…water was slowly poured into his face；
a dipper full at a time； for two hours and a half； until life became
extinct。＇
Clemens undertook to give expression to his feelings on this subject； but
he boiled so when he touched pen to paper to write of it that it was
simply impossible for him to say anything within the bounds of print。
Then his only relief was to rise and walk the floor； and curse out his
fury at the race that had produced such a specimen。
Mrs。 Clemens； who perhaps got some drift or the echo of these tempests；
now and then sent him a little admonitory； affectionate note。
Among the books that Clemens read； or tried to read； during his
confinement were certain of the novels of Sir Walter Scott。 He had never
been able to admire Scott； and determined now to try to understand this
author's popularity and his standing with the critics； but after wading
through the first volume of one novel； and beginning another one； he
concluded to apply to one who could speak as having authority。 He wrote
to Brander Matthews：
DEAR BRANDER；I haven't been out of my bed for 4 weeks； but…well； I
have been reading a good deal； & it occurs to me to ask you to sit
down； some time or other when you have 8 or 9 months to spare； & jot
me down a certain few literary particulars for my help & elevation。
Your time need not be thrown away； for at your further leisure you
can make Columbian lectures out of the results & do your students a
good turn。
1。 Are there in Sir Walter's novels passages done in good English
English which is neither slovenly nor involved？
2。 Are there passages whose English is not poor & thin &
commonplace； but is of a