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mark twain, a biography, 1900-1907-第53章

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sufficiently to insure their subsequent care。  These kittens he called
Sackcloth and AshesAshes being the joint name of the two that looked
exactly alike; and so did not need distinctive titles。  Their gambols
always amused him。  He would stop any time in the midst of dictation to
enjoy them。  Once; as he was about to enter the screen…door that led into
the hall; two of the kittens ran up in front of him and stood waiting。 
With grave politeness he opened the door; made a low bow; and stepped
back and said: 〃Walk in; gentlemen。  I always give precedence to
royalty。〃  And the kittens marched in; tails in air。  All summer long
they played up and down the wide veranda; or chased grasshoppers and
butterflies down the clover slope。  It was a never…ending amusement to
him to see them jump into the air after some insect; miss it and tumble
back; and afterward jump up; with a surprised expression and a look of
disappointment and disgust。  I remember once; when he was walking up and
down discussing some very serious subjectand one of the kittens was
lying on the veranda asleepa butterfly came drifting along three feet
or so above the floor。  The kitten must have got a glimpse of the insect
out of the corner of its eye; and perhaps did not altogether realize its
action。  At all events; it suddenly shot straight up into the air;
exactly like a bounding rubber ball; missed the butterfly; fell back on
the porch floor with considerable force and with much surprise。  Then it
sprang to its feet; and; after spitting furiously once or twice; bounded
away。  Clemens had seen the performance; and it completely took his
subject out of his mind。  He laughed extravagantly; and evidently cared
more for that moment's entertainment than for many philosophies。

In that remote solitude there was one important advantagethere was no
procession of human beings with axes to grind; and few curious callers。 
Occasionally an automobile would find its way out there and make a
circuit of the drive; but this happened too seldom to annoy him。  Even
newspaper men rarely made the long trip from Boston or New York to secure
his opinions; and when they came it was by permission and appointment。 
Newspaper telegrams arrived now and then; asking for a sentiment on some
public condition or event; and these he generally answered willingly
enough。  When the British Premier; Campbell…Bannerman; celebrated his
seventieth birthday; the London Tribune and the New York Herald requested
a tribute。  He furnished it; for Bannerman was a very old friend。  He had
known him first at Marienbad in '91; and in Vienna in '98; in daily
intercourse; when they had lived at the same hotel。  His tribute ran:

To HIS EXCELLENCY THE BRITISH PREMIER;Congratulations; not condolences。 
Before seventy we are merely respected; at best; and we have to behave
all the time; or we lose that asset; but after seventy we are respected;
esteemed; admired; revered; and don't have to behave unless we want to。 
When I first knew you; Honored Sir; one of us was hardly even respected。
                                                  MARK TWAIN。

He had some misgivings concerning the telegram after it had gone; but he
did not recall it。

Clemens became the victim of a very clever hoax that summer。  One day a
friend gave him two examples of the most deliciously illiterate letters;
supposed to have been written by a woman who had contributed certain
articles of clothing to the San Francisco sufferers; and later wished to
recall them because of the protests of her household。  He was so sure
that the letters were genuine that he included them in his dictations;
after reading them aloud with great effect。  To tell the truth; they did
seem the least bit too well done; too literary in their illiteracy; but
his natural optimism refused to admit of any suspicion; and a little
later he incorporated one of the Jennie Allen letters in a speech which
he made at a Press Club dinner in New York on the subject of simplified
spellingoffering it as an example of language with phonetic brevity
exercising its supreme function; the direct conveyance of ideas。  The
letters; in the end; proved to be the clever work of Miss Grace Donworth;
who has since published them serially and in book form。  Clemens was not
at all offended or disturbed by the exposure。  He even agreed to aid the
young author in securing a publisher; and wrote to Miss Stockbridge;
through whom he had originally received the documents:

     DEAR MISS STOCKBRIDGE (if she really exists);

     257 Benefit Street (if there is any such place):

     Yes; I should like a copy of that other letter。  This whole fake is
     delightful; & I tremble with fear that you are a fake yourself &
     that I am your guileless prey。  (But never mind; it isn't any
     matter。)

     Now as to publication

He set forth his views and promised his assistance when enough of the
letters should be completed。

Clemens allowed his name to be included with the list of spelling
reformers; but he never employed any of the reforms in his letters or
writing。  His interest was mainly theoretical; and when he wrote or spoke
on the subject his remarks were not likely to be testimonials in its
favor。  His own theory was that the alphabet needed reform; first of all;
so that each letter or character should have one sound; and one sound
only; and he offered as a solution of this an adaptation of shorthand。 
He wrote and dictated in favor of this idea to the end of his life。  Once
he said:

〃Our alphabet is pure insanity。  It can hardly spell any large word in
the English language with any degree of certainty。  Its sillinesses are
quite beyond enumeration。  English orthography may need reforming and
simplifying; but the English alphabet needs it a good many times as
much。〃

He would naturally favor simplicity in anything。  I remember him reading;
as an example of beautiful English; The Death of King Arthur; by Sir
Thomas Malory; and his verdict:

〃That is one of the most beautiful things ever written in English; and
written when we had no vocabulary。〃

〃A vocabulary; then; is sometimes a handicap?〃

〃It is indeed。〃

Still I think it was never a handicap with him; but rather the plumage of
flight。  Sometimes; when just the right word did not come; he would turn
his head a little at different angles; as if looking about him for the
precise term。  He would find it directly; and it was invariably the word
needed。  Most writers employ; now and again; phrases that do not sharply
present the ideathat blur the picture like a poor opera…glass。  Mark
Twain's English always focused exactly。




CCXLVIII

〃WHAT IS MAN?〃 AND THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Clemens decided to publish anonymously; or; rather; to print privately;
the Gospel; which he had written in Vienna some eight years before and
added to from time to time。  He arranged with Frank Doubleday to take
charge of the matter; and the De Vinne Press was engaged to do the work。 
The book was copyrighted in the name of J。 W。 Bothwell; the
superintendent of the De Vinne company; and two hundred and fifty
numbered copies were printed on hand…made pa
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