mark twain, a biography, 1900-1907-第35章

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was　of　course　another　matter；　and　that　for　such　a　work　no　arrangement　had
been　made。　　He　may　have　added　one　or　two　other　general　remarks；　then；
turning　those　piercing　agate…blue　eyes　directly　upon　me；　he　said：

〃When　would　you　like　to　begin？〃

There　was　a　dresser　with　a　large　mirror　behind　him。　　I　happened　to　catch
my　reflection　in　it；　and　I　vividly　recollect　saying　to　it　mentally：　〃This
is　not　true；　it　is　only　one　of　many　similar　dreams。〃　　But　even　in　a　dream
one　must　answer；　and　I　said：

〃Whenever　you　like。　　I　can　begin　now。〃

He　was　always　eager　in　any　new　undertaking。

〃Very　good；〃　he　said。　　〃The　sooner；　then；　the　better。　　Let's　begin　while
we　are　in　the　humor。　　The　longer　you　postpone　a　thing　of　this　kind　the
less　likely　you　are　ever　to　get　at　it。〃

This　was　on　Saturday；　as　I　have　stated。　　I　mentioned　that　my　family　was
still　in　the　country；　and　that　it　would　require　a　day　or　two　to　get
established　in　the　city。　　I　asked　if　Tuesday；　January　9th；　would　be　too
soon　to　begin。　　He　agreed　that　Tuesday　would　do；　and　inquired　something
about　my　plan　of　work。　　Of　course　I　had　formed　nothing　definite；　but　I
said　that　in　similar　undertakings　a　part　of　the　work　had　been　done　with　a
stenographer；　who　had　made　the　notes　while　I　prompted　the　subject　to
recall　a　procession　of　incidents　and　episodes；　to　be　supplemented　with
every　variety　of　material　obtainableletters　and　other　documentary
accumulations。　　Then　he　said：

〃I　think　I　should　enjoy　dictating　to　a　stenographer；　with　some　one　to
prompt　me　and　to　act　as　audience。　　The　room　adjoining　this　was　fitted　up
for　my　study。　　My　manuscripts　and　notes　and　private　books　and　many　of　my
letters　are　there；　and　there　are　a　trunkful　or　two　of　such　things　in　the
attic。　　I　seldom　use　the　room　myself。　　I　do　my　writing　and　reading　in
bed。　　I　will　turn　that　room　over　to　you　for　this　work。　　Whatever　you　need
will　be　brought　to　you。　　We　can　have　the　dictation　here　in　the　morning；　
and　you　can　put　in　the　rest　of　the　day　to　suit　yourself。　　You　can　have　a
key　and　come　and　go　as　you　please。〃

That　was　always　his　way。　　He　did　nothing　by　halves；　nothing　without
unquestioning　confidence　and　prodigality。　　He　got　up　and　showed　me　the
lovely　luxury　of　the　study；　with　its　treasures　of　material。　　I　did　not
believe　it　true　yet。　　It　had　all　the　atmosphere　of　a　dream；　and　I　have　no
distinct　recollection　of　how　I　came　away。　　When　I　returned　to　The　Players
and　found　Charles　Harvey　Genung　there；　and　told　him　about　it；　it　is　quite
certain　that　he　perjured　himself　when　he　professed　to　believe　it　true　and
pretended　that　he　was　not　surprised。




CCXXXIX

WORKING　WITH　MARK　TWAIN

On　Tuesday；　January　9；　1906；　I　was　on　hand　with　a　capable　stenographer
Miss　Josephine　Hobby；　who　had　successively；　and　successfully；　held
secretarial　positions　with　Charles　Dudley　Warner　and　Mrs。　Mary　Mapes
Dodge；　and　was　therefore　peculiarly　qualified　for　the　work　in　hand。

Clemens；　meantime；　had　been　revolving　our　plans　and　adding　some　features
of　his　own。　　He　proposed　to　double　the　value　and　interest　of　our
employment　by　letting　his　dictations　continue　the　form　of　those　earlier
autobiographical　chapters；　begun　with　Redpath　in　1885；　and　continued
later　in　Vienna　and　at　the　Villa　Quarto。　　He　said　he　did　not　think　he
could　follow　a　definite　chronological　program；　that　he　would　like　to
wander　about；　picking　up　this　point　and　that；　as　memory　or　fancy
prompted；　without　any　particular　biographical　order。　　It　was　his　purpose；
he　declared；　that　his　dictations　should　not　be　published　until　he　had
been　dead　a　hundred　years　or　morea　prospect　which　seemed　to　give　him　an
especial　gratification。　＇As　early　as　October；　1900；　he　had　proposed　to
Harper　&　Brothers　a　contract　for　publishing　his　personal　memoirs　at　the
expiration　of　one　hundred　years　from　date；　and　letters　covering　the
details　were　exchanged　with　Mr。　Rogers。　　The　document；　however；　was　not
completed。＇

He　wished　to　pay　the　stenographer；　and　to　own　these　memoranda；　he　said；
allowing　me　free　access　to　them　for　any　material　I　might　find　valuable。　
I　could　also　suggest　subjects　for　dictation；　and　ask　particulars　of　any
special　episode　or　period。　　I　believe　this　covered　the　whole　arrangement；
which　did　not　require　more　than　five　minutes；　and　we　set　to　work　without
further　prologue。

I　ought　to　state　that　he　was　in　bed　when　we　arrived；　and　that　he　remained
there　during　almost　all　of　these　earlier　dictations；　clad　in　a　handsome
silk　dressing…gown　of　rich　Persian　pattern；　propped　against　great　snowy
pillows。　　He　loved　this　loose　luxury　and　ease；　and　found　it　conducive　to
thought。　　On　the　little　table　beside　him；　where　lay　his　cigars；　papers；
pipes；　and　various　knickknacks；　shone　a　reading…lamp；　making　more
brilliant　the　rich　coloring　of　his　complexion　and　the　gleam　of　his
shining　hair。　　There　was　daylight；　too；　but　it　was　north　light；　and　the
winter　days　were　dull。　　Also　the　walls　of　the　room　were　a　deep；
unreflecting　red；　and　his　eyes　were　getting　old。　　The　outlines　of　that
vast　bed　blending　into　the　luxuriant　background；　the　whole　focusing　to
the　striking　central　figure；　remain　in　my　mind　to…daya　picture　of
classic　value。

He　dictated　that　morning　some　matters　connected　with　the　history　of　the
Comstock　mine；　then　he　drifted　back　to　his　childhood；　returning　again　to
the　more　modern　period；　and　closed；　I　think；　with　some　comments　on
current　affairs。　　It　was　absorbingly　interesting；　his　quaint；　unhurried
fashion　of　speech；　the　unconscious　movement　of　his　hands；　the　play　of　his
features　as　his　fancies　and　phrases　passed　in　mental　review　and　were
accepted　or　waved　aside。　　We　were　watching　one　of　the　great　literary
creators　of　his　time　in　the　very　process　of　his　architecture。　　We
constituted　about　the　most　select　audience　in　the　world　enjoying　what
was；　likely　enough；　its　most　remarkable　entertainment。　　When　he　turned　at
last　and　inquired　the　time　we　were　all　amazed　that　two　hours　and　more　had
slipped　away。

〃And　how　much　I　have　enjoyed　it！〃　he　said。　　〃It　is　the　ideal　plan　for
this　kind　of　work。　　Narrative　writing　is　always　disappointing。　　The
moment　you　pick　up　a　pen　you　begin　to　lose　the　spontaneity　of　the
personal　relation；　which　contains　the　very　essence　of　interest。　　With
shorthand　dictation　one　can　talk　as　if　he　were　at　his　own　dinner…table
always　a　most　inspiring　place。　　I　expect　to　dictate　all　the　rest　of　my
life；　if　you　good　people　are　willing　to　come　and　listen　to　it。〃

The　dictations　thus　begun　continued　steadily　from　week　to　week；　and
always　with　increasing　charm。　　We　never　knew　what　he　was　going　to　talk
about；　and　it　was　seldom　that　he　knew　until　the　moment　of　beginning；　then
he　went　drifting　among　episodes；　incidents；　and　periods　in　his
irresponsible　fashion；　the　fashion　of　table…conversation；　as　he　said；　the
methodless　method　of　the　human　mind。　　It　was　always　delightful；　and
always　amusing；　tragic；　or　instructive；　and　it　was　likely　to　be　one　of
these　at　one　instant；　and　another　the　next。　　I　felt　myself　the　most
fortunate　biographer　in　the　world；　as　undoubtedly　I　was；　though　not　just
in　the　way　that　I　first　imagined。

It　was　not　for　several　weeks　that　I　began　to　realize　that　these　marvelous
reminiscences　bore　only　an　atmospheric　relation　to　history；　that　they
were　aspects　of　biography　rather　than　its　veritable　narrative；　and　built
largelysometimes　whollyfrom　an　imagination　that；　with　age；　had
dominated　memory；　creating　details；　even　reversing　them；　yet　with　a
perfect　sincerity　of　purpose　on　the　part　of　the　narrator　to　set　down　the
literal　and　unvarnished　truth。　　It　was　his　constant　effort　to　be　frank
and　faithful　to　fact；　to　record；　to　confess；　and　to　condemn　without
stint。　　If　you　wanted　to　know　the　worst　of　Mark　Twain　you　had　only　to　ask
him　for　it。　　He　would　give　it；　to　the　last　syllableworse　than　the
worst；　for　his　imagination　would　magnify　it　and　adorn　it　with　new
iniquities；　and　if　he　gave　it　again；　or　a　dozen　times；　he　would　improve
upon　it　each　time；　until　the　thread　of　history　was　almost　impossible　to
trace　through　the　marvel　of　that　fabric；　and　he　would　do　the　same　for
another　person　just　as　willingly。　　Those　vividly　real　personalities　that
he　marched　and