第 23 节
作者:开了      更新:2022-11-28 19:15      字数:9322
  popular。〃  Certainly he never made any such attempt at the expense of his
  convictions。
  The first Galaxy instalment was a sort of platform of principles for the
  campaign that was to follow。  Not that each month's contribution
  contained personal criticism; or a defense of the Chinese (of whom he was
  always the champion as long as he lived); but a good many of them did。
  In the October number he began a series of letters under the general
  title of 〃Goldsmith's Friend Abroad Again;〃 supposed to have been written
  by a Chinese immigrant in San Francisco; detailing his experience there。
  In a note the author says: 〃No experience is set down in the following
  letters which had to be invented。  Fancy is not needed to give variety to
  the history of the Chinaman's sojourn in America。  Plain fact is amply
  sufficient。〃  The letters show how the supposed Chinese writer of them
  had set out for America; believing it to be a land whose government was
  based on the principle that all men are created equal; and treated
  accordingly; how; upon arriving in San Francisco; he was kicked and
  bruised and beaten; and set upon by dogs; flung into jail; tried and
  condemned without witnesses; his own race not being allowed to testify
  against AmericansIrish…Americansin the San Francisco court。  They are
  scathing; powerful letters; and one cannot read them; even in this day of
  improved conditions; without feeling the hot waves of resentment and
  indignation which Mark Twain must have felt when he penned them。
  Reverend Mr。 Talmage was not the only divine to receive attention in the
  Memoranda。〃  The Reverend Mr。 Sabine; of New York; who had declined to
  hold a church burial service for the old actor; George Holland; came in
  for the most caustic as well as the most artistic stricture of the entire
  series。  It deserves preservation to…day; not only for its literary
  value; but because no finer defense of the drama; no more searching
  sermon on self…righteousness; has ever been put into concrete form。
  '〃The Indignity Put Upon the Remains of Gorge Holland by the Rev。  Mr。
  Sabine〃; Galaxy for February; 1871。  The reader will find it complete
  under Appendix J; at the end of last volume。'
  The 〃 Little Church Around the Corner〃 on Twenty…ninth Street received
  that happy title from this incident。
  〃There is a little church around the corner that will; perhaps; permit
  the service;〃 Mr。 Sabine had said to Holland's friends。
  The little church did permit the service; and there was conferred upon it
  the new name; which it still bears。  It has sheltered a long line of
  actor folk and their friends since then; earning thereby reverence;
  gratitude; and immortal memory。  'Church of the Transfiguration。
  Memorial services were held there for Joseph Jefferson; and a memorial
  window; by John La Farge; has been placed there in memory of Edwin
  Booth。'
  Of the Galaxy contributions a number are preserved in Sketches New and
  Old。  〃How I Edited an Agricultural Paper〃 is one of the best of these
  an excellent example of Mark Twain's more extravagant style of humor。  It
  is perennially delightful; in France it has been dramatized; and is still
  played。
  A successful Galaxy feature; also preserved in the Sketches; was the
  〃Burlesque Map of Paris;〃 reprinted from the Express。  The Franco…
  Prussian War was in progress; and this travesty was particularly timely。
  It creates only a smile of amusement to…day; but it was all fresh and
  delightful then。  Schuyler Colfax; by this time Vice…President; wrote to
  him: 〃I have had the heartiest possible laugh over it; and so have all my
  family。  You are a wicked; conscienceless wag; who ought to be punished
  severely。〃
  The 〃Official Commendations;〃 which accompany the map; are its chief
  charm。  They are from Grant; Bismarck; Brigham Young; and others; the
  best one coming from one J。 Smith; who says:
  My wife was for years afflicted with freckles; and though everything
  was done for her relief that could be done; all was in vain。  But;
  sir; since her first glance at your map they have entirely left her。
  She has nothing but convulsions now。
  It is said that the 〃Map of Paris〃 found its way to Berlin; where the
  American students in the beer…halls used to pretend to quarrel over it
  until they attracted the attention of the German soldiers that might be
  present。  Then they would wander away and leave it on the table and watch
  results。  The soldiers would pounce upon it and lose their tempers over
  it; then finally abuse it and revile its author; to the satisfaction of
  everybody。
  The larger number of 〃Memoranda〃 sketches have properly found oblivion
  to…day。  They were all; or nearly all; collected by a Canadian pirate;
  C。 A。 Backas; in a volume bearing the title of Memoranda; 'Also by a
  harpy named John Camden Hotten (of London); of whom we shall hear again。
  Hotten had already pirated The Innocents; and had it on the market before
  Routledge could bring out the authorized edition。  Routledge later
  published the 〃Memoranda〃 under the title of Sketches; including the
  contents of the Jumping Frog book。' a book long ago suppressed。  Only
  about twenty of the Galaxy contributions found place in Sketches New and
  Old; five years later; and some of these might have been spared as
  literature。  〃To Raise Poultry;〃  〃John Chinaman in New York;〃 and
  〃History Repeats Itself〃 are valuable only as examples of his work at
  that period。  The reader may consult them for himself。
  LXXVIII
  THE PRIMROSE PATH
  But we are losing sight of more important things。  From the very
  beginning Mark Twain's home meant always more to him than his work。  The
  life at 472 Delaware Avenue had begun with as fair a promise as any
  matrimonial journey ever undertaken: There seemed nothing lacking: a
  beautiful home; sufficient income; bright prospectsthese things; with
  health and love; constitute married happiness。  Mrs。 Clemens wrote to her
  sister; Mrs。 Crane; at the end of February: 〃Sue; we are two as happy
  people as you ever saw。  Our days seem to be made up of only bright
  sunlight; with no shadow in them。〃  In the same letter the husband added:
  〃Livy pines and pines every day for you; and I pine and pine every day
  for you; and when we both of us are pining at once you would think it was
  a whole pine forest let loose。〃
  To Redpath; who was urging lecture engagements for the coming season; he
  wrote:
  DEAR RED;I am not going to lecture any more forever。  I have got
  things ciphered down to a fraction now。  I know just about what it
  will cost to live; and I can make the money without lecturing。
  Therefore; old man; count me out。
  And still later; in May:
  I guess I am out of the field permanently。  Have got a lovely wife;
  a lovely house; bewitchingly furnished; a lovely carriage; and a
  coachman whose style and dignity are simply awe…in…spiring; nothing
  less; and I am making more money than necessary; by considerable;
  and therefore why crucify myself nightly on the platform?  The
  subscriber will have to be excused for the present season at least。
  So they were very happy during those early months; acquiring pleasantly
  the education which any matrimonial experience is sure to furnish;
  accustoming themselves to the uses of housekeeping; to life in
  partnership; with all the discoveries and mental and spiritual
  adaptations that belong to the close association of marriage。  They were
  far; very far; apart on many subjects。  He was unpolished; untrained;
  impulsive; sometimes violent。  Twichell remembers that in the earlier
  days of their acquaintance he wore a slouch hat pulled down in front; and
  smoked a cigar that sometimes tilted up and touched the brim of it。  The
  atmosphere and customs of frontier life; the Westernisms of that day;
  still clung to him。  Mrs。 Clemens; on the other hand; was conservative;
  dainty; cultured; spiritual。  He adored her as little less than a saint;
  and she became; indeed; his saving grace。  She had all the personal
  refinement which he lacked; and she undertook the work of polishing and
  purifying her life companion。  She had no wish to destroy his
  personality; to make him over; but only to preserve his best; and she set
  about it in the right waygently; and with a tender gratitude in each
  achievement。
  She did not entirely approve of certain lines of his reading; or; rather;
  she did not understand them in those days。  That he should be fond of
  history and the sciences was natural enough; but when the Life of P。 T。
  Barnum; Written by Himself; appeared; and he sat up nights to absorb it;
  and woke early and lighted the lamp to follow the career of the great
  showman; she was at a loss to comprehend this particular literary
  passion; and indeed was rather jealous of it。  She did not realize then
  his vast interest in the study of human nature; or that such a book
  contained what Mr。 Howells calls 〃the root of the human matter;〃 the
  inner revelation of the human being at first hand。
  Concerning his religious observances her task in the beginning was easy
  enough。  Clemens had not at that time formulated any particular doctrines
  of his own。  His natural kindness of heart; and especi