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fewer exposures than I might otherwise have done。 I think he expected
very little from this amateur performance； but； by that happy element of
accident which plays so large a part in photographic success； the results
were better than I had hoped for。 When I brought him the prints； a few
days later； he expressed pleasure and asked； 〃Why didn't you make more？〃
Among them was one in an attitude which had grown so familiar to us； that
of leaning over to get his pipe from the smoking…table； and this seemed
to give him particular satisfaction。 It being a holiday； he had not
donned his dressing…gown； which on the whole was well for the
photographic result。 He spoke of other pictures that had been made of
him； especially denouncing one photograph； taken some twenty years before
by Sarony； a picture； as he said； of a gorilla in an overcoat； which the
papers and magazines had insisted on using ever since。
〃Sarony was as enthusiastic about wild animals as he was about
photography； and when Du Chaillu brought over the first gorilla he sent
for me to look at it and see if our genealogy was straight。 I said it
was； and Sarony was so excited that I had recognized the resemblance
between us； that he wanted to make it more complete； so he borrowed my
overcoat and put it on the gorilla and photographed it； and spread that
picture out over the world as mine。 It turns up every week in some
newspaper or magazine； but it's not my favorite； I have tried to get it
suppressed。〃
Mark Twain made his first investment in Redding that spring。 I had
located there the autumn before； and bought a vacant old house； with a
few acres of land； at what seemed a modest price。 I was naturally
enthusiastic over the bargain； and the beauty and salubrity of the
situation。 His interest was aroused； and when he learned that there was
a place adjoining； equally reasonable and perhaps even more attractive；
he suggested immediately that I buy it for him； and he wanted to write a
check then for the purchase price； for fear the opportunity might be
lost。 I think there was then no purpose in his mind of building a
country home； but he foresaw that such a site； at no great distance from
New York； would become more valuable； and he had plenty of idle means。
The purchase was made without difficultya tract of seventy…five acres；
to which presently was added another tract of one hundred and ten acres；
and subsequently still other parcels of land； to complete the ownership
of the hilltop； for it was not long until he had conceived the idea of a
home。 He was getting weary of the heavy pressure of city life。 He
craved the retirement of solitudeone not too far from the maelstrom； so
that he might mingle with it now and then when he chose。 The country
home would not be begun for another year yet； but the purpose of it was
already in the air。 No one of the family had at this time seen the
location。
CCXLIV
TRAITS AND PHILOSOPHIES
I brought to the dictation one morning the Omar Khayyam card which
Twichell had written him so long ago； I had found it among the letters。
It furnished him a subject for that morning。 He said：
How strange there was a time when I had never heard of Omar Khayyam！
When that card arrived I had already read the dozen quatrains or so
in the morning paper； and was still steeped in the ecstasy of
delight which they occasioned。 No poem had ever given me so much
pleasure before； and none has given me so much pleasure since。 It
is the only poem I have ever carried about with me。 It has not been
from under my hand all these years。
He had no general fondness for poetry； but many poems appealed to him；
and on occasion he liked to read them aloud。 Once； during the dictation；
some verses were sent up by a young authoress who was waiting below for
his verdict。 The lines pictured a phase of negro life； and she wished to
know if he thought them worthy of being read at some Tuskegee ceremony。
He did not fancy the idea of attending to the matter just then and said：
〃Tell her she can read it。 She has my permission。 She may commit any
crime she wishes in my name。〃
It was urged that the verses were of high merit and the author a very
charming young lady。
〃I'm very glad；〃 he said； 〃and I am glad the Lord made her； I hope He
will make some more just like her。 I don't always approve of His
handiwork； but in this case I do。〃
Then suddenly he added：
〃Well； let me see itno time like the present to get rid of these
things。〃
He took the manuscript and gave such a rendition of those really fine
verses as I believe could not be improved upon。 We were held breathless
by his dramatic fervor and power。 He returned a message to that young
aspirant that must have made her heart sing。 When the dictation had
ended that day； I mentioned his dramatic gift。
〃Yes；〃 he said； 〃it is a gift； I suppose； like spelling and punctuation
and smoking。 I seem to have inherited all those。〃 Continuing； he spoke
of inherited traits in general。
〃There was Paige；〃 he said； 〃an ignorant man who could not make a machine
himself that would stand up； nor draw the working plans for one； but he
invented the eighteen thousand details of the most wonderful machine the
world has ever known。 He watched over the expert draftsmen； and
superintended the building of that marvel。 Pratt & Whitney built it； but
it was Paige's machine； neverthelessthe child of his marvelous gift。
We don't create any of our traits； we inherit all of them。 They have
come down to us from what we impudently call the lower animals。 Man is
the last expression； and combines every attribute of the animal tribes
that preceded him。 One or two conspicuous traits distinguish each family
of animals from the others； and those one or two traits are found in
every member of each family； and are so prominent as to eternally and
unchangeably establish the character of that branch of the animal world。
In these cases we concede that the several temperaments constitute a law
of God； a command of God； and that whatsoever is done in obedience to
that law is blameless。 Man； in his evolution； inherited the whole sum of
these numerous traits； and with each trait its share of the law of God。
He widely differs from them in this： that he possesses not a single
characteristic that is equally prominent in each member of his race。 You
can say the housefly is limitlessly brave； and in saying it you describe
the whole house…fly tribe； you can say the rabbit is limitlessly timid；
and by the phrase you describe the whole rabbit tribe； you can say the
spider and the tiger are limitlessly murderous； and by that phrase you
describe the whole spider and tiger tribes； you can say the lamb is
limitlessly innocent and sweet and gentle； and by that phrase you
describe all the lambs。 There is hardly a creature that you cannot
definitely and satisfactorily describe by one single traitexcept man。
Men are not all cowards like the rabbit； nor all brave like the house…
fly； nor all sweet and innocent and gentle like the lamb； nor all
murderous like the spider and the tiger and the wasp； no