第18章

Butthelastishardlyfair。Itisjournalism，butitisliteraryjournalism，andthereareunquestionablyareasthatarepurelyliterary，andnotjournalisticatall。Therewouldalwaysbethoseinanybookoftravelhemightwrite。Thestoryoftheriverrevisitedisaninterestingtheme；andiftherevisitinghadbeendone，letussayeightortenyearsearlier，beforehehadbecomeatheoreticalpessimist，andbeforetheriveritselfhadbecomeabackgroundforpessimism，thetalemighthavehadmoreoftheliteraryglamourandillusion，eveniflessthatisotherwisevaluable。

’LifeontheMississippi’hasbeenalwayspopularinGermany。TheEmperorWilliamofGermanyonceassuredMarkTwainthatitwashisfavoriteAmericanbook，andonthesameeveningtheportieroftheauthor’slodginginBerlinechoedtheEmperor’sopinion。

PaulLindau，adistinguishedGermanauthorandcritic，inaninterviewatthetimetheMississippibookappeared，spokeofthegeneraldelightofhiscountrymeninitsauthor。Whenhewasasked，"ButhavenottheGermansbeenoffendedbyMarkTwain’sstricturesontheircustomsandlanguageinhisTrampAbroadf"hereplied，"Weknowwhatweareandhowwelook，andthefancifulpicturepresentedtooureyesgivesusonlyfoodforlaughter，notcauseforresentment。Thejokeshemadeonourlongwords，ourinvertedsentences，andthepositionoftheverbhavereallyledtoareforminstylewhichwillendinmakingourlanguageascompactandcrispastheFrenchorEnglish。IregardMarkTwainastheforemosthumoristoftheage。"

Howells，travelingthroughEurope，foundLindau’sfinalsentimentechoedelsewhere，andhefoundsomethingmore：inEuropeMarkTwainwasalreadyhighlyregardedasaseriouswriter。ThomasHardysaidtoHowellsonenightatdinner：

"Whydon’tpeopleunderstandthatMarkTwainisnotmerelyagreathumorist？Heisaveryremarkablefellowinaverydifferentway。"

TheRev。Dr。Parker，returningfromEnglandjustthen，declaredthat，whereverhewentamongliterarypeople，thetalkwasaboutMarkTwain；

alsothatontwooccasions，whenhehadventureddiffidentlytosaythatheknewthatauthorpersonally，hewasatoncesoevidentlyregardedaslyingforeffectthathefeltguilty，andlookedit，anddidnotventuretosayitanymore；thus，inamanner，practisinguntruthtosavehisreputationforveracity。

ThattheMississippibookthroughoutdidmuchtosolidifythisforeignopinionofMarkTwain’sliteraryimportancecannotbedoubted，anditisoneofhisbooksthatwilllivelongestinthememoryofmen。

CXLIII

AGUESTOFROYALTY

ForpurposesofcopyrightanothertriptoCanadawasnecessary，andwhenthenewspapersannounced(May，1883)thatMarkTwainwasabouttocrossthebordertherecameonemorningthefollowingtelegram：

MeetingofLiteraryandScientificSocietyatOttawafrom22dto26th。Itwouldgivememuchpleasureifyoucouldcomeandbemyguestduringthattime。

LORNE。

TheMarquisofLorne，thenGovernor—GeneralofCanada，wasthehusbandofQueenVictoria’sdaughter，thePrincessLouise。Theinvitationwasthereforeinthenatureofacommand。Clemensobeyeditgraciouslyenough，andwithafeelingofexaltationnodoubt。Hehadbeenhonoredbythenobleandthegreatinmanylands，butthiswasroyalty——Englishroyalty——payingatributetoanAmericanwriterwhomneithertheMarquisnorthePrincess，hiswife，hadeverseen。Theyhadinvitedhimbecausetheyhadcaredenoughforhisbookstomakethemwishtoseehim，tohavehimasaguestinRideauHall，theirhome。MarkTwainwasdemocratic。

Akingtohimwasnomorethananyotherman；ratherlessifhewerenotagoodking。Buttherewassomethingnationalinthistribute；and，besides，LordLorneandthePrincessLouisewerethekindofsovereignsthathonoredtheirrank，insteadofbeinghonoredbyit。

Itisagooddeallikeafairytalewhenyouthinkofit；thebarefootedboyofHannibal，whohadbecomeaprinter，apilot，arough—handedminer，beingsummoned，notsomanyyearslater，byroyaltyasoneofAmerica’sforemostmenofletters。Thehonorwasnogreaterthanmanyothershehadreceived，certainlynotgreaterthanthecallsofCanonKingsleyandRobertBrowningandTurgenieffathisLondonhotellodgings，butitwasofalessusualkind。

Clemensenjoyedhisvisit。PrincessLouiseandtheMarquisofLornekepthimwiththemalmostcontinually，andwereloathtolethimgo。Oncetheytookhimtobogganing——anexcitingexperience。

IthappenedthatduringhisstaywiththemtheopeningoftheCanadianParliamenttookplace。LordLorneandtheprincipaldignitariesofstateenteredonecarriage，andinacarriagebehindthemfollowedPrincessLouisewithMarkTwain。AstheyapproachedtheParliamentHousethecustomarysalutewasfired。ClemenspretendedtothePrincessconsiderablegratification。Thetemptationwastoostrongtoresist：

"YourHighness，"hesaid，"Ihavehadothercomplimentspaidtome，butnoneequaltothisone。Ihaveneverbeforehadasalutefiredinmyhonor。"

ReturningtoHartford，hesentcopiesofhisbookstoLordLome，andtothePrincessaspecialcopyofthatabsurdmanual，TheNewGuideoftheConversationinPortugueseandEnglish，forwhichhehadwrittenanintroduction。——[Aseriouswork，inPortugal，thoughissuedbyOsgood(’83)asajoke。Clemensintheintroductionsays："Itsdelicious，unconsciousridiculousnessanditsenchantingnaivetyareassupremeandunapproachableintheirwayasShakespeare’ssublimities。"Anextract，theclosingparagraphfromthebook’spreface，willillustratehismeaning：

"Weexpectthen，whothelittlebook(forthecarethatwewrotehim，andforhertypographicalcorrection)，thatmaybeworththeacceptationofthestudiouspersons，andespeciallyoftheYouth，atwhichwededicatehimparticularly。"

CXLIV

ASUMMERLITERARYHARVEST

ArrivingatthefarminJune，Clemenshadafreshcropofideasforstoriesofmanylengthsandvarieties。Hisnote—bookofthattimeisfullofmotifsandplots，mostofthemofthatimprobableandextravagantkindwhichtendedtodefeatanyliterarypurpose，whetherhumorousorotherwise。Itseemsworthwhilesettingdownoneormoreofthesehere，fortheyarecharacteristicofthemyriadconceptionsthatcameandwent，andbeyondthesewrittenmemorandaleftnotracebehind。Hereisafairexampleofmany：

Twomenstarvingonaraft。ThepauperhasaBostoncracker，resolvestokeepittillthemultimillionaireisbeginningtostarve，thenmakehimpay$50，000forit。Millionaireagrees。

Pauper’scupidityrises，resolvestowaitandgetmore；twenty—fourhourslateraskshimamillionforthecracker。Millionaireagrees。

Pauperhasawilddreamofbecomingenormouslyrichoffhiscracker；

backsdown；liesallnightbuildingcastlesintheair；nextdayraiseshispricehigherandhigher，tillmillionairehasoffered$100，000，000，everycenthehasintheworld。Pauperaccepts。

Millionaire："Nowgiveittome。"

Pauper："No；itisn’tatradeuntilyousigndocumentalhistoryofthetransactionandmakeanoathtopay。"

Whilepauperisfinishingthedocumentmillionaireseesaship。

Whenpaupersays，"Signandtakethecracker，"millionairesmilesasmile，declines，andpointstotheship。

Yetthisishardlymoreextravagantthananotherideathatismentionedrepeatedlyamongthenotes——thatofanotherwisepennilessmanwanderingaboutLondonwithasinglemillion—poundbank—noteinhispossession，amotifwhichdevelopedintoaverygoodstoryindeed。

IDEAFOR"STORMFIELD’SVISITTOHEAVEN"

Inmoderntimesthehallsofheavenarewarmedbyregistersconnectedwithhell；andthisisgreatlyapplaudedbyJonathanEdwards，Calvin，BaxterandCompany，becauseitaddsanewpangtothesinner’ssufferingstoknowthattheveryfirewhichtortureshimisthemeansofmakingtherighteouscomfortable。

Thentherewastobeanotherstory，inwhichthevariouscharactersweretohaveaweird，pestilentialnomenclature；suchas"LockjawHarris，"

"InfluenzaSmith，""SinapismDavis，"andadozenortwomore，aperfectoutbreakofdisorders。

Another——probablytheinspirationofsomeveryhotafternoon——wastopresentlifeintheinteriorofaniceberg，whereacolonywouldliveforagenerationortwo，driftingaboutinavastcircularcurrentyearafteryear，subsistingonpolarbearsandotherArcticgame。

Anideawhichhefollowedoutandcompletedwasthe1002dArabianNight，inwhichScheherazadecontinuesherstories，untilshefinallytalkstheSultantodeath。Thatwasahumorousidea，certainly；butwhenHowellscamehomeandreaditintheusualwayhedeclaredthat，whiletheopeningwaskillinglyfunny，whenhegotintothestoryitselfitseemedtohimthathewas"madeafellow—suffererwiththeSultanfromScheherazade’sprolixity。"

"Onthewhole，"hesaid，"itisnotyourbest，noryoursecondbest；butallthewayitskirtsacertainkindoffunwhichyoucan’taffordtoindulgein。"

Andthatwasthetruth。Sothetale，neatlytypewritten，retiredtoseclusion，andthereremainstothisday。

Clemenshadoneinspirationthatsummerwhichwasnotdirectlyliterary，buthistorical，duetohisfamiliaritywithEnglishdates。HewroteTwichell：

Daybeforeyesterday，feelingnotinconditionforwriting，Ileftthestudy，butIcouldn’tholdin——hadtodosomething；soIspenteighthoursinthesunwithayardstick，measuringoffthereignsoftheEnglishkingsontheroadsinthesegrounds，fromWilliamtheConquerorto1883，calculatingtoinventanopen—airgamewhichshallfillthechildren’sheadswithdateswithoutstudy。Igiveeachking’sreignonefootofspacetotheyearanddriveonestakeinthegroundtomarkthebeginningofeachreign，andImakethechildrencallthestakebytheking’sname。Youcanstandinthedoorandtakeabird’s—eyeviewofEnglishmonarchy，fromtheConquerortoEdwardIV。；thenyoucanturnandfollowtheroadupthehilltothestudyandbeyondwithanopera—glass，andbird’s—eyeviewtherestofitto1883。

Youcanmarkthesharpdifferenceinthelengthofreignsbythevaryingdistancesofthestakesapart。YoucanseeRichardII。，twofeet；OliverCromwell，twofeet；JamesII。，threefeet，andsoon——

andthenbigskips；pegsstandingforty—five，forty—six，fifty，fifty—six，andsixtyfeetapart(Elizabeth，Victoria，EdwardIII。，HenryIII。，andGeorgeIII。)。Bytheway，third’saluckynumberforlengthofdays，isn’tit？Yes，sir；bymyschemeyougetarealizingnotionofthetimeoccupiedbyreigns。

Thereasonittookmeeighthourswasbecause，withlittleJean’sinterruptingassistance，IhadtomeasurefromtheConquesttotheendofHenryVI。threetimesover，andbesidesIhadtowhittleoutallthosepegs。

Ididafullday’sworkandathirdover，yesterday，butwasfullofmygameafterIwenttobedtryingtofititforindoors。SoI

didn’tgettosleeptillprettylate；butwhenIdidgooffIhadcontrivedanewwaytoplaymyhistorygamewithcardsandaboard。

Wemaybesuretheideaofthegamewouldpossesshim，onceitgotafairstartlikethat。Hedecidedtosavethehumanracethatyearwithahistorygame。Whenhehadgotthechildrenfairlygoingandinterestedinplayingit，headaptedittoacribbage—board，andspenthisdaysandnightsworkingitoutandperfectingittoadegreewheretheworldatlargemightlearnallthefactsofallthehistories，notonlywithouteffort，butwithanactualhungerforchronology。HewouldhaveagamenotonlyoftheEnglishkings，butofthekingsofeveryothernation；

likewiseofgreatstatesmen，vice—chancellors，churchmen，ofcelebritiesineveryline。Hewouldprepareabooktoaccompanythesegames。Eachgamewouldcontainonethousandfacts，whilethebookwouldcontaineightthousand；itwouldbeaveritableencyclopedia。HewouldorganizeclubsthroughouttheUnitedStatesforplayingthegame；prizesweretobegiven。Expertswouldtakeitup。Heforesawadepartmentineverynewspaperdevotedtothegameanditsproblems，insteadoftochessandwhistandotheruselessdiversions。HewrotetoOrion，andsethimtoworkgatheringfactsanddatesbythebushel。HewrotetoWebster，senthimaplan，andorderedhimtoapplyforthepatentwithoutdelay。

Patentsmustalsobeappliedforabroad。Withallnationsplayingthisgreatgame，verylikelyitwouldproducemillionsinroyalties；andso，inthetrueSellersfashion，theiridescentbubblewasblownlargerandlarger，untilfinallyitblewup。Thegameonpaperhadbecomesolarge，soelaborate，sointricate，thatnoonecouldplayit。Yetthefirstideawasagoodone：thekingstakesdrivenalongthedrivewayandupthehillsideofQuarryFarm。Thechildrenenjoyedit，andplayeditthroughmanysweetsummerafternoons。Once，inthedayswhenhehadgrownold，hewrote，remembering：

Amongtheprincipalmeritsofthegameswhichweplayedbyhelpofthepegswerethese：thattheyhadtobeplayedintheopenair，andthattheycompelledbriskexercise。ThepegofWilliamtheConquerorstoodinfrontofthehouse；onecouldstandneartheConquerorandhaveallEnglishhistoryskeletonizedandlandmarkedandmile—postedunderhiseye……Theeyehasagoodmemory。

Manyyearshavegonebyandthepegshavedisappeared，butIstillseethemandeachinitsplace；andnoking’snamefallsuponmyearwithoutmyseeinghispegsatonce，andnoticingjusthowmanyfeetofspacehetakesupalongtheroad。

Itturnedoutanimportantliteraryyearafterall。IntheMississippibookhehadusedachapterfromthestoryhehadbeenworkingatfromtimetotimeforanumberofyears，’TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn’。

Readingoverthemanuscriptnowhefoundhisinterestinitsharpandfresh，hisinspirationrenewed。Thetripdowntheriverhadrevivedit。

Theinterestinthegamebecamequiescent，andhesettoworktofinishthestoryatadeadheat。

ToHowells，August22(1883)，hewrote：

IhavewritteneightorninehundredmanuscriptpagesinsuchabriefspaceoftimethatImustn’tnamethenumberofdays；I

shouldn’tbelieveitmyself，andofcoursecouldn’texpectyouto。

Iusedtorestrictmyselftofourandfivehoursadayandfivedaysintheweek，butthistimeIhavewroughtfrombreakfasttill5。15

P。M。sixdaysintheweek，andonceortwiceIsmouchedaSundaywhenthebosswasn’tlooking。NothingishalfsogoodasliteraturehookedonSunday，onthesly。

Hereferstothegame，thoughratherindifferently。

WhenIwroteyouIthoughtIhadit；whereasIwasmerelyenteringupontheinitiatorydifficultiesofit。Imighthaveknownitwouldn’tbeaneasyjoborsomebodywouldhaveinventedadecenthistoricalgamelongago——athingwhichnobodyhasdone。

NotwithstandingthefactthathewasworkingatHuckwithenthusiasm，heseemstohavebeeninnohurrytoreviseitforpublication，eitherasaserialorasabook。ButthefactthathepersevereduntilHuckFinnatlastfoundcompleteutterancewasofitselfasufficientmatterforcongratulation。

CXLV

HOWELLSANDCLEMENSWRITEAPLAY

BeforeHowellswentabroadClemenshadwritten：

NowIthinkthattheplayforyoutowritewouldbeoneentitled，"ColonelMulberrySellersinAge"(75)，withLafayetteHawkins(at50)stillstickingtohimandbelievinginhimandcallinghim"Mylord。"He[Sellers]isaspecialistandascientistinvariousways。Yourrefinedpeopleandpurityofspeechwouldmakethebestpossiblebackground，andwhenyouaredone，IcouldtakeyourmanuscriptandrewritetheColonel’sspeeches，andmakehimproperlyextravagant，andIwouldlettheplaygotoRaymond，andbindhimupwithacontractthatwouldgivehimthebellyacheeverytimehereadit。Shallwethinkthisover，ordropitasbeingnonsense？

Howells，returnedandsettledinBostononcemore，hadrevivedaninterestintheplayidea，。HecorrespondedwithClemensconcerningitandagreedthattheAmericanClaimant，Leathers，shouldfurnishtheinitialimpulseofthedrama。

TheydecidedtoreviveColonelSellersandmakehimtheheir；ColonelSellersinoldage，morewildlyextravagantthanever，withnewschemes，newpatents，newmethodsofamelioratingtheillsofmankind。

HowellscamedowntoHartfordfromBostonfullofenthusiasm。HefoundClemenswithsomeideasoftheplanjotteddown：certaineffectsandsituationswhichseemedtohimamusing，buttherewasnogeneralschemeofaction。Howells，tellingofit，says：

Ifeltauthorizedtomakehimobservethathisschemewasasnearlynothingaschaoscouldbe。Heagreedhilariouslywithme，andwaswillingtoletitstandinproofofhisentiredramaticinability。

Howells，inturn，proposedaplanwhichClemensapproved，andtheysettowork。HowellscouldimitateClemens’sliterarymanner，andtheyhadariotouslyjubilantfortnightworkingouttheirhumors。Howellshastoldaboutitinhisbook，andheoncerelatedittothewriterofthismemoir。Hesaid：

"ClemenstookonesceneandIanother。Wehadloadsandloadsoffunaboutit。Wecrackedoursideslaughingoveritasitwentalong。Wethoughtitmightygood，andIthinktothisdaythatitwasmightygood。

Wecalledtheplay’ColonelSellers。’Werevivedhim。ClemenshadanotionofSellersasaspiritualmedium—therewasagooddealofexcitementaboutspiritualismthen；healsohadanotionofSellersleadingawomen’stemperancecrusade。WeconceivedtheideaofSellerswantingtotry，inthepresenceoftheaudience，howamanfeltwhohadfallen，throughdrink。Sellerswastoendwithasortofcorkscrewperformanceonthestage。Healwaysworeamarvelousfireextinguisher，oneofhisinventions，strappedonhisback，soinanysuddenemergency，hecouldgiveproofofitseffectiveness。"

Inconnectionwiththeextinguisher，HowellsprovidedSellerswithapairofwings，whichSellersdeclaredwouldenablehimtofloataroundinanyaltitudewheretheflamesmightbreakout。Theextinguisher，wasnottobechargedwithwateroranysortofliquid，butwithGreekfire，ontheprinciplethatlikecureslike；inotherwords，thebuildingwastobeinoculatedwithGreekfireagainsttheordinaryconflagration。Ofcoursethewholethingwasasabsurdaspossible，and，readingtheoldmanuscriptto—day，oneisimpressedwiththeroaringhumorofsomeofthescenes，andwiththewildextravaganceofthefarcemotive，notwhollywarrantedbythepreviouscharacterofSellers，unless，indeed，hehadgonestarkmad。Itis，infact，Sellerscaricatured。Thegentle，tendersideofSellers——thebestside——thesidewhichClemensandHowellsthemselvescaredformost，isnotthere。ChapterIIIofMarkTwain’snovel，TheAmericanClaimant，containsascenebetweenColonelSellersandWashingtonHawkinswhichpresentstheextravaganceoftheColonel’smaterializationscheme。Itisamodifiedversionofoneofthescenesintheplay，andisasamusingandunoffendingasany。

Theauthors’rollickingjoyintheirworkconvincedthemthattheyhadproducedamasterpieceforwhichthepublicingeneral，andtheactorsinparticular，werewaiting。HowellswentbacktoBostontiredout，butelateintheprospectofimminentfortune。

CXLVI

DISTINGUISHEDVISITORS

Meantime，whileHowellshadbeeninHartfordworkingattheplaywithClemens，MatthewArnoldhadarrivedinBoston。OninquiringforHowells，athishome，thevisitorwastoldthathehadgonetoseeMarkTwain。

ArnoldwasperhapstheonlyliteraryEnglishmanleftwhohadnotacceptedMarkTwainathislargervalue。Heseemedsurprisedandsaid：

"Oh，buthedoesn’tlikethatsortofthing，doeshe？"

TowhichMrs。Howellsreplied：

"HelikesMr。Clemensverymuch，andhethinkshimoneofthegreatestmenheeverknew。"

ArnoldproceededtoHartfordtolecture，andonenightHowellsandClemenswenttomeethimatareception。SaysHowells：

WhilehishandlaxlyheldmineingreetingIsawhiseyesfixedintenselyontheothersideoftheroom。"Who——whointheworldisthat？"Ilookedandsaid，"Oh，thatisMarkTwain。"IdonotrememberjusthowtheirinstantencounterwascontrivedbyArnold’swish；butIhavetheimpressionthattheywerenotpartedforlongduringtheevening，andthenextnightArnold，asifstillundertheglamourofthatpotentpresence，wasatClemens’shouse。

HecametheretodinewiththeTwichellsandtheRev。Dr。EdwinP。

Parker。Dr。ParkerandArnoldlefttogether，and，walkingquietlyhomeward，discussedtheremarkablecreaturewhosepresencetheyhadjustleft。Clemenshadbeenathisbestthatnight——athishumorousbest。Hehadkeptaperpetualgaleoflaughtergoing，withastringofcommentandanecdoteofakindwhichTwichelloncedeclaredtheworldhadneverbeforeseenandwouldneverseeagain。Arnoldseemeddazedbyit，unabletocomeoutfromunderitsinfluence。HerepeatedsomeofthethingsMarkTwainhadsaid；thoughtfully，asiftryingtoanalyzetheirmagic。

Thenheaskedsolemnly：

"Andisheneverserious？"

AndDr。Parkerassolemnlyanswered：

"Mr。Arnold，heisthemostseriousmanintheworld。"Dr。Parker，recallingthisincident，rememberedalsothatProtapChunderMazoomdar，aHindooChristianprelateofhighrank，visitedHartfordin1883，andthathisonedesirewastomeetMarkTwain。InsomememorandaofthisvisitDr。Parkerhaswritten：

IsaidthatMarkTwainwasafriendofmine，andwewouldimmediatelygotohishouse。Hewasalleagerness，andIperceivedthatIhadrisengreatlyinthismostrefinedandcultivatedgentleman’sestimation。ArrivingatMr。Clemens’sresidence，I

promptlysoughtabriefprivateinterviewwithmyfriendforhisenlightenmentconcerningthedistinguishedvisitor，afterwhichtheywereintroducedandspentalongwhiletogether。InduetimeMazoomdarcameforthwithMark’slikenessandautograph，andaswewalkedawayhiswholeairandmannerseemedtosay，withSimeonofold，"Lord，nowlettestthouthyservantdepartinpeace！"

CXLVII

THEFORTUNESOFAPLAY

Howellsisoftheimpressionthatthe"Claimant"playhadbeenofferedtootheractorsbeforeRaymondwasmadeawareofit；butthereareletters(toWebster)whichindicatethatRaymondwastoseetheplayfirst，thoughClemensdeclares，inaletterofinstruction，thathehopesRaymondwillnottakeit。Thenhesays：

WhydoIofferhimtheplayatall？Forthesereasons：heplaysthatcharacterwell；therearenotthirtyactorsinthecountrywhocandoitbetter；and，too，hehasasortofsentimentalrighttobeofferedthepiece，thoughnomoral，orlegal，orotherkindofright。

Thereforewedoofferittohim；butonlyonce，nottwice。Letushavenohemmingandhawing；makeshort，sharpworkofthebusiness。

IdeclinetohaveanycorrespondencewithR。myselfinanyway。

ThiswasattheendofNovember，1883，whiletheplaywasstillbeingrevised。NegotiationswithRaymondhadalreadybegun，thoughhedoesnotappeartohaveactuallyseentheplayduringthattheatricalseason，andmanyandvariousweretheattemptsmadetoplaceitelsewhere；alwayswithoneresult——thateachactorormanager，intheend，declaredittobestrictlyaRaymondplay。Thethingwashangingfirefornearlyayear，altogether，whiletheywerewaitingonRaymond，whohadaprofitableplay，andwasinnohurryfortherecrudescenceofSellers。

HowellstellshowheeventuallytookthemanuscripttoRaymond，whomhefound"inamoodofsweetreasonableness"atoneofOsgood’sluncheons。

Raymondsaidhecouldnotdotheplaythen，butwassurehewouldlikeitforthecomingseason，andinanycasewouldbegladtoreadit。

InduetimeRaymondreportedfavorablyontheplay，atleastsofarasthefirstactwasconcerned，butheobjectedtothematerializationfeatureandtoSellersasclaimantfortheEnglishearldom。Heaskedthatthesefeaturesbeeliminated，oratleastmuchameliorated；butastheseconstitutedthebackboneandpurposeofthewholeplay，ClemensandHowellsdecidedthatwhatwasleftwouldbehardlyworthwhile。Raymondfinallyagreedtotrytheplayasitwasinoneofthelargertowns—

HowellsthinksinBuffalo。AweeklaterthemanuscriptcamebacktoWebster，whohadgeneralchargeofthebusinessnegotiations，asindeedhehadofallMarkTwain’saffairsatthistime，andwithitabriefline：

DEARSIR，——Ihavejustfinishedrereadingtheplay，andamconvincedthatinitspresentformitwouldnotprovesuccessful。Ireturnthemanuscriptbyexpresstoyouraddress。

Thankingyouforyourcourtesy，Iam，Yourstruly，JOHNT。RAYMOND。

P。S。——IftheplayisalteredandmadelongerIwillbepleasedtoreaditagain。

InhisformerletterRaymondhaddeclaredthat"Sellers，whileaverysanguineman，wasnotalunatic，andnoonebutalunaticcouldforamomentimaginethathehaddonesuchawork"(meaningthematerialization)。ClearlyRaymondwantedamoreseriouspresentation，somethingakintohisearliersuccess，andonthewholewecanhardlyblamehim。Buttheauthorshadfaithintheirperformanceasitstood，andagreedtheywouldmakenochange。

Finallyawell—knownelocutionist，namedBurbank，conceivedthenotionofimpersonatingRaymondaswellasSellers，makingofitasortofdoubleburlesque，andagreedtotaketheplayonthoseterms。BurbankcametoHartfordandshowedwhathecoulddo。HowellsandClemensagreedtogivehimtheplay，andtheyhiredtheoldLyceumTheaterforaweek，atsevenhundreddollars，foritstrialpresentation。DanielFrohmanpromotedit。

ClemensandHowellswentovertheplayandmadesomechanges，buttheywerenotashilariousoveritorasfullofenthusiasmastheyhadbeeninthebeginning。Howellsputinanightofsuffering——long，darkhoursofhotandcoldwavesoffear——andrisingnextmorningfromatossingbed，wrote："Here’saplaywhicheverymanagerhasputout—of—doorsandwhicheveryactorknowntoushasrefused，andnowwegoandgiveittoanelocutioner。Wearefools。"

ClemenshurriedovertoBostontoconsultwithHowells，andintheendtheyagreedtopaythesevenhundreddollarsforthetheater，taketheplayoffandgiveBurbankhisfreedom。ButClemens’sfaithinitdidnotimmediatelydie。Howellsrelinquishedallrightandtitleinit，andClemensstarteditoutwithBurbankandatravelingcompany，doingone—

nightstands，andkeptitgoingforaweekormoreathisownexpense。

ItneverreachedNewYork。

"Andyet，"saysHowells，"Ithinknowthatifithadcomeitwouldhavebeensuccessful。Soharddoesthefaithoftheunsuccessfuldramatistdie。"——[Thiswasaslateasthespringof1886，atwhichtimeHowells’sfaithintheplaywasexceedinglyshaky。Inoneletterhewrote："Itisalunaticthatwehavecreated，andwhilealunaticinoneactmightamuse，I’mafraidthatinthreehewouldsimplybore。"

Andagain：

"Asitstands，Ibelievethethingwillfail，anditwouldbeadisgracetohaveitsucceed。"]

CXLVIII

CABLEANDHISGREATJOKE

Meanwhile，withthecompletionoftheSellersplayClemenshadflunghimselfintodramaticwritingoncemorewithanewandmoreviolentimpetuositythanever。HowellshadhardlyreturnedtoBostonwhenhewrote：

Nowlet’swriteatragedy。

Theinclosedisnotfancy，itishistory；exceptthatthelittlegirlwasapassingstranger，andnotkintoanyoftheparties。IreadtheincidentinCarlyle’sCromwellayearago，andmadeanoteinmynote—

book；stumbledonthenoteto—day，andwroteuptheclosingsceneofapossibletragedy，toseehowitmightwork。

Ifwemadethiscolonelagrandfellow，andgavehimawifetosuit——hey？

It’srightinthebighistoricaltimes——war；Cromwellinbig，picturesquepower，andallthat。

Come，let’sdothistragedy，anddoitwell。Curious，butdidn’tFlorencewantaCromwell？ButCromwellwouldnotbethechieffigurehere。

Itwastheclosingsceneofthatpatheticpassageinhistoryfromwhichhewouldlatermakehisstory，"TheDeathDisc。"Howellswastootiredandtoooccupiedtoundertakeimmediatelyanewdramaticlabor，soClemenswentsteamingaheadalone。

Mybilliard—tableisstackedupwithbooksrelatingtotheSandwichIslands；thewallsareupholsteredwithscrapsofpaperpenciledwithnotesdrawnfromthem。Ihavesaturatedmyselfwithknowledgeofthatunimaginablybeautifullandandthatmoststrangeandfascinatingpeople。AndIhavebegunastory。Itshiddenmotivewillillustrateabut—littleconsideredfactinhumannature：thatthereligiousfollyyouareborninyouwilldiein，nomatterwhatapparentlyreasonablerreligiousfollymayseemtohavetakenitsplace；meanwhileabolishedandobliteratedit。IstartBillRagsdaleatelevenyearsofage，andtheheroineatfour，inthemidstoftheancientidolatroussystem，withitspicturesqueandamazingcustomsandsuperstitions，threemonthsbeforethearrivalofthemissionariesand——theerectionofashallowChristianityupontheruinsoftheoldpaganism。

ThenthesetwowillbecomeeducatedChristiansandhighlycivilized。

AndthenIwilljumpfifteenyearsanddoRagsdale’sleperbusiness。

Whenwecometodramatize，wecandrawadealofmatterfromthestory，allreadytoourhand。

HemadeelaboratepreparationsfortheSandwichIslandsstory，whichheandHowellswoulddramatizelater，andwithinthespaceofafewweeksheactuallydiddramatize’ThePrinceandthePauper’and’TomSawyer’，andwasproddingWebstertofindproperactorsormanagers；stipulatingatfirstsevereandarbitraryterms，whichweregraduallymodified，asoneafteranotheroftheprospectivecustomersfoundthesedramaticwaresunsuitedtotheirneeds。MarkTwainwasoneofthemostdramaticcreaturesthateverlived，buthelackedthefacultyofstagearrangementofthedramaticidea。Itisoneofthecommonestdefectsintheliterarymake—up；alsooneofthehardesttorealizeandtoexplain。

Thewinterof1883—84wasagayoneintheClemenshome。HenryIrvingwasamongthoseentertained，AugustusSaint—Gaudens，Aldrichandhiswife，Howellsofcourse，andGeorgeW。Cable。CablehadnowpermanentlylefttheSouthforthepromisedlandwhichallauthorsoftheSouthandWestseekeventually，andhadinduecoursemadehiswaytoHartford。

ClemenstookCable’sfortunesinhand，ashehaddonewithmanyanother，invitedhimtohishome，andundertooktoopennegotiationswiththeAmericanPublishingCompany，ofwhichFrankBlisswasnowthemanager，fortheimprovementofhisfortunes。

Cablehadbeengivingreadingsfromhisstoriesandhadsomewherepickedupthemeasles。HesuddenlycamedownwiththecomplaintduringhisvisittoClemens，andhiscasewasaviolentone。Itrequiredtheconstantattendanceofatrainednurseandoneortwomembersofthehouseholdtopullhimthrough。

Inthecourseoftimehewasconvalescent，andwhencontagionwasnolongertobefearedguestswereinvitedinforhisentertainment。Atoneofthesegatherings，Cableproducedacuriousbook，whichhesaidhadbeenlenttohimbyProf。FrancisBacon，ofNewHaven，asagreatrarity。

ItwasalittleprivatelyprintedpamphletwrittenbyaSouthernyouth，namedS。WatsonWolston，aYalestudentof1845，andwasanabsurdromanceofthehyperflorid，grandiloquentsort，entitled，"LoveTriumphant，ortheEnemyConquered。"Itsheroine’snamewasAmbulinia，anditsflowery，half—meaninglessperiodsandimpossiblesituationsdelightedClemensbeyondmeasure。HebeggedCabletolendittohim，toreadattheSaturdayMorningClub，declaringthathecertainlymustownthebook，atwhatevercost。HenryC。Robinson，whowaspresent，rememberedhavingseenacopyinhisyouth，andTwichellthoughtherecalledsuchabookonsaleinNewHavenduringhiscollegedays。

Twichellsaidnothingastoanypurposeinthematter；butsomewhatlater，beinginNewHaven，hesteppedintotheoldbook—storeandfoundthesameproprietor，whorememberedverywellthebookanditsauthor。

Twichellratherfearfullyaskedifbyanychanceacopyofitmightstillbeobtained。

"Well，"wastheanswer，"Iundertooktoputmycellarinordertheotherday，andfoundaboutacordofthemdownthere。IthinkIcansupplyyou。"

Twichelltookhomesixofthebooksattencentseach，andontheirfirstspringwalktoTalcott’sTowercasuallymentionedtoClemensthequestfortherareAmbulinia。ButClemenshadgivenupthepursuit。NewYorkdealershadreportednosuccessinthematter。Thebookwasnolongerinexistence。

"Whatwouldyougiveforacopy？"asked。Twichell。

Clemensbecameexcited。

"Itisn’taquestionofprice，"hesaid；"thatwouldbefortheownertosetifIcouldfindhim。"

Twichelldrewalittlepackagefromhispocket。

"Well，Mark，"hesaid，"herearesixcopiesofthatbook，tobeginwith。

Ifthatisn’tenough，Icangetyouawagon—load。"

Itwasenough。ButitdidnotdeterClemensinhispurpose，whichwastoimmortalizethelittlebookbypointingoutitspeculiarcharms。Hedidthislater，andeventuallyincludedtheentirestory，withcomments，inoneofhisownvolumes。

ClemensandTwichelldidnotalwayswalkthatspring。Theearlyformofbicycle，theprehistorichigh—wheel，hadcomeintovogue，andtheyeachgotoneandattempteditsconquest。TheypractisedintheearlymorninghoursonFarmingtonAvenue，whichwaswideandsmooth，andtheyhadaninstructor，ayoungGerman，who，afteramorningortwo，regardedMarkTwainhelplesslyandsaid：

"Mr。Clemens，it’sremarkable——youcanfalloffofabicyclemoredifferentwaysthanthemanthatinventedit。"

Theywerecuriousthings，thoseoldhigh—wheelmachines。Youwereperchedawayupintheair，withthefeelingthatyouwerelikelyatanymomenttostrikeapebbleorsomethingthatwouldflingyouforwardwithdamagingresults。Frequentlythatiswhathappened。Theword"header"

seemstohavegrownoutofthatearlybicyclingperiod。PerhapsMarkTwaininventedit。Hehadenoughexperiencetodoit。Healwaysdeclaredafterwardthatheinventedallthenewbicycleprofanitythathassincecomeintogeneraluse。Oncehewrote：

Therewasarowoflowstepping—stonesacrossoneendofthestreet，ameasuredyardapart。EvenafterIgotsoIcouldsteerprettyfairlyIwassoafraidofthosestonesthatIalwayshitthem。TheygavemetheworstfallsIevergotinthatstreet，exceptthosewhichIgotfromdogs。Ihaveseenitstatedthatnoexpertisquickenoughtorunoveradog；thatadogisalwaysabletoskipoutofhisway。Ithinkthatthatmaybetrue；butIthinkthatthereasonhecouldn’trunoverthedogwasbecausehewastryingto。I

didnottrytorunoveranydog。ButIranovereverydogthatcamealong。Ithinkitmakesagreatdealofdifference。Ifyoutrytorunoverthedogheknowshowtocalculate，butifyouaretryingtomisshimhedoesnotknowhowtocalculate，andisliabletojumpthewrongwayeverytime。Itwasalwayssoinmyexperience。EvenwhenIcouldnothitawagonIcouldhitadogthatcametoseemepractise。Theyalllikedtoseemepractise，andtheyallcame，fortherewasverylittlegoingoninourneighborhoodtoentertainadog。

Heconquered，measurably，thatold，discouragingthing，andheandTwichellwouldgoonexcursions，sometimesasfarasWethersfieldortothetower。Itwasapleasantchange，atleastitwasaninterestingone；

butbicyclingonthehighwheelwasneverapopulardiversionwithMarkTwain，andhisenthusiasminthesporthaddiedbeforethe"safety"camealong。

HehadhismachinesentouttoElmira，butthereweretoomanyhillsinChemungCounty，andafteronebriefexcursionhecamein，limpingandpushinghiswheel，anddidnottryitagain。

ToreturntoCable。Whenthe1stofApril(1884)approachedheconcludeditwouldbeagoodtimetopayoffhisdebtofgratitudeforhisrecententertainmentintheClemens’shome。Hewenttoworkatitsystematically。Hehada"privateandconfidential"circularletterprinted，andhemailedittoonehundredandfiftyofMarkTwain’sliteraryfriendsinBoston，Hartford，Springfield，NewYork，Brooklyn，Washington，andelsewhere，suggestingthattheywritetohim，sothattheirletterswouldreachhimsimultaneouslyApril1st，askingforhisautograph。Nostampsorcardsweretobeinclosedforreply，anditwasrequestedthat"nostrangertoMr。Clemensandnominor"shouldtakepart。Mrs。Clemenswasletintothesecret，sothatshewouldseetoitthatherhusbanddidnotrejecthismailorcommitittotheflamesunopened。

Itwouldseemthateveryonereceivingtheinvitationmusthaverespondedtoit，foronthemorningofApril1stastupefyingmassofletterswasunloadedonMarkTwain’stable。Hedidnotknowwhattomakeofit，andMrs。Clemensstoodofftowatchtheresults。ThefirstoneheopenedwasfromDeanSage，afriendwhomhevaluedhighly。SagewrotefromBrooklyn：

DEARCLEMENS，——Ihaverecentlybeenaskedbyayoungladywhounfortunatelyhasamaniaforautograph—collecting，butotherwiseisacharmingcharacter，andcomelyenoughtosuityourfastidioustaste，tosecureforherthesignmanualofthefewdistinguishedpersonsfortunateenoughtohavemyacquaintance。Inenumeratingthemtoher，aftermentioningthenamesofGeo。ShepardPage，JoeMichell，Capt。IsaiahRyndus，Mr。Willard，DanMace，andJ。L。

Sullivan，Icametoyours。"Oh！"saidshe，"Ihavereadallhisworks——LittleBreeches，TheHeathenChinee，andtherest——andthinkthemdelightful。Doobligemebyaskinghimforhisautograph，precededbyanylittlesentimentthatmayoccurtohim，provideditisnottooshort。"

OfcourseIpromised，andhopeyouwillobligemebysendingsomelittlethingaddressedtoMissOakes。

Weareallprettywellathomejustnow，thoughindispositionhasbeenamongusforthepastfortnight。WithregardstoMrs。Clemensandthechildren，inwhichmywifejoins，Yourstruly，DEANSAGE。

Itamusedandrathersurprisedhim，anditfooledhimcompletely；butwhenhepickedupaletterfromBranderMatthews，asking，insomeabsurdfashion，forhissignature，andanotherfromEllenTerry，andfromIrving，andfromStedman，andfromWarner，andWaring，andH。C。Bunner，andSarony，andLaurenceHutton，andJohnHay，andR。U。Johnson，andModjeska，thesizeandqualityofthejokebegantooverawehim。Hewasdelighted，ofcourse；forreallyitwasafinecompliment，initsway，andmostofthelettersweredistinctlyamusing。Someofthemaskedforautographsbytheyard，somebythepound。HenryIrvingsaid：

Ihavejustgotbackfromaverylaterehearsal—fiveo’clock——verytired——buttherewillbenoresttillIgetyourautograph。

SomerequestedhimtositdownandcopyafewchaptersfromTheInnocentsAbroadforthemortosendanoriginalmanuscript。Othersrequestedthathisautographbeattachedtoacheckofinterestingsize。JohnHaysuggestedthathecopyahymn，afewhundredlinesofYoung’s"NightThoughts，"andanequalamountofPollak’s"CourseofTime。"

Iwantmyboytoformatasteforseriousandelevatedpoetry，anditwilladdconsiderablecommercialvaluetohavetheminyourhandwriting。

Altogetherthereadingofthelettersgavehimadelightfulday，andhisadmirationforCablegrewaccordingly。Cable，too，waspleasedwiththesuccessofhisjoke，thoughhedeclaredhewouldneverrisksuchathingagain。Anewspaperofthetimereportshimassaying：

Ineversufferedsomuchagonyasforafewdaysprevioustothe1stofApril。IwasafraidtheletterswouldreachMarkwhenhewasinaffliction，inwhichcaseallofuswouldneverhaveceasedflyingtomakeituptohim。

WhenIvisitedMarkweusedtoopenourbudgetsofletterstogetheratbreakfast。Weusedtosingoutwheneverwestruckanautograph—

hunter。Ithinktheideacamefromthat。ThefirstpersonIspoketoaboutitwasRobertUnderwoodJohnson，oftheCentury。MymostenthusiasticallywastheRev。HenryWardBeecher。Weneverthoughtitwouldgetintothepapers。Ineverplayedapracticaljokebefore。Ineverwillagain，certainly。

MarkTwaininthosedaysdidnotencouragetheregularautograph—

collectors，andseldompaidanyattentiontotheirrequestsforhissignature。Hechangedallthisinlateryears，andkeptasupplyalwaysonhandtosatisfyeveryrequest；butinthoseearlierdayshehadnopatiencewithcollectingfads，anditrequiredaparticularlypleasingapplicationtoobtainhissignature。

CXLIX

MARKTWAININBUSINESS

SamuelClemensbythistimewasdefinitelyengagedinthepublishingbusiness。Websterhadacompleteofficewithassistantsat658Broadway，andhadacquiredaprettythoroughandpracticalknowledgeofsubscriptionpublishing。Hewasabusy，industriousyoungman，tirelesslyenergetic，andwithagooddealofconfidence，bynomeansunnecessarytocommercialsuccess。HeplacedthismentalandphysicalcapitalagainstMarkTwain’sinspirationandfinancialbacking，andthecombinationofCharlesL。Webster&Co。seemedlikelytobeastrongone。

Already，inthespringof1884。，WebsterhadthenewMarkTwainbook，’TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn’，wellinhand，andwasonthewatchforpromisingsubscriptionbooksbyotherauthors。Clemens，withhisusualbusinessvisionandeyeforresults，withagenerousdisregardofdetail，wassupervisingthelargerpreliminaries，andfulminatingatthepettydistractionsanddifficultiesastheycamealong。Certainplayshewastryingtoplacewereenoughtokeephimprettythoroughlyupsetduringthisperiod，andproof—readingneveraddedtohishappiness。ToHowellshewrote：

Mydaysaregivenuptocursings，bothloudanddeep，forIamreadingthe’HuckFinn’proofs。Theydon’tmakeaverygreatmanymistakes，butthosethatdooccurareofanaturethatmakeamanswearhisteethloose。

WhereuponHowellspromptlywrotehimthathewouldhelphimoutwiththeHuckFinnproofsforthepleasureofreadingthestory。Clemens，amongotherthings，wastryingtoplaceapatentgrape—scissors，inventedbyHowells’sfather，sothattherewas，insomedegree，anequivalentfortheheavyobligation。Thatitwasaheavyonewegatherfromhisferventacknowledgment：

Ittookmybreathaway，andIhaven’trecoveredityet，entirely——I

meanthegenerosityofyourproposaltoreadtheproofsofHuckFinn。

Now，ifyoumeanit，oldman——ifyouareinearnest—proceed，inGod’sname，andbebymeforeverblessed。Ican’tconceiveofarationalmandeliberatelypilingsuchanatrociousjobuponhimself。

Butiftherebesuchaman，andyoubethatman，pileiton。Theproof—readingof’ThePrinceandthePauper’costmethelastragsofmyreligion。

ClemensdecidedtohavetheHuckleberryFinnbookillustratedafterhisownideas。Helookedthroughthevariouscomicpaperstoseeifhecouldfindtheworkofsomenewmanthatappealedtohisfancy。InthepagesofLifehediscoveredsomecomicpicturesillustratingthepossibilityofapplyingelectricalburnerstomessengerboys，waiters，etc。Thestyleandthespiritofthesethingsamusedhim。HeinstructedWebstertolookuptheartist，whoprovedtobeayoungman，E。W。Kemblebyname，lateroneofourforemostcartoonists。WebsterengagedKembleandputthemanuscriptinhishands。ThroughthepublicationofcertainchaptersofHuckFinnintheCenturyMagazine，Kemblewasbroughttothenoticeofitseditors，whowroteClemensthattheywereprofoundlyindebtedtohimforunearthing"suchagemofanillustrator。"

Clemens，encouragedandfullofenthusiasm，nowendeavoredtointeresthimselfinthepracticaldetailsofmanufacture，buthisstockofpatiencewaslightandthedetailsweremany。Hisearlybusinessperiodresembles，insomeofitsfeatures，hisminingexperienceinEsmeralda，hisletterstoWebsterbeingnotunlikethosetoOrioninthatformerday。Theyaremuchoftenergentle，considerate，evenapologetic，buttheyareoccasionallyterse，arbitrary，andprofane。Itrequiredeffortforhimtobeentirelycalminhisbusinesscorrespondence。AcriticismofoneofWebster’sassistantswillserveasanexampleofhislessquietmethod：

Charley，yourproof—reader，isanidiot；andnotonlyanidiot，butblind；andnotonlyblind，butpartlydead。

Ofcourse，onemustregardmanyofMarkTwain’sbusinessaspectshumorously。Toconsiderthemotherwiseistoplacehiminafalselightaltogether。Heworehimselfoutwithhisanxietiesandirritations；butthatevenhe，inthemidstofhisfuries，sawthehumorofitallissufficientlyevidencedbytheformofhissavagephrasing。Therewerefewthingsthatdidnotamusehim，andcertainlynothingamusedmore，oroftener，thanhimself。

Itispropertoaddadetailinevidenceofabusinesssoundnesswhichhesometimesmanifested。HehadobservedthemethodsofBlissandOsgood，andhaddrawnhisconclusions。InthebeginningoftheHuckFinncanvasshewroteWebster：

Keepitdiligentlyinmindthatwedon’tissuetillwehavemadeabigsale。

Getatyourcanvassingearlyanddriveitwithallyourmight，withanintentandpurposeofissuingonthe1othor15thofnextDecember(thebesttimeintheyeartotumbleabigpileintothetrade)；butifwehaven’t40，000subscriptionswesimplypostponepublicationtillwe’vegotthem。Itisaplain，simplepolicy，andwouldhavesavedbothofmylastbooksifithadbeenfollowed。

[Thatistosay，’ThePrinceandthePauper’andtheMississippibook，neitherofwhichhadsolduptohisexpectationsonthe，initialcanvass。]

CL

FARMPICTURES

GerhardtreturnedfromParisthatsummer，afterthreeyearsofstudy，aqualifiedsculptor。Hewaspreparedtotakecommissions，andcametoElmiratomodelabustofhisbenefactor。Theworkwasfinishedafterfourorfiveweeksofhardeffortandpronouncedadmirable；butGerhardt，attemptingtomakeacastonemorning，ruineditcompletely。Thefamilygatheredroundthedisaster，whichtothemseemedfinal，butthesculptorwentimmediatelytowork，andinanamazinglybrieftimeexecutedanewbustevenbetterthanthefirst，anexcellentpieceofmodelingandafinelikeness。Itwasdecidedthatacutofitshouldbeusedasafrontispieceforthenewbook，TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn。

ClemenswasatthistimegivingthefinalreadingstotheHuckFinnpages，alaborinwhichMrs。Clemensandthechildrenmateriallyassisted。InthechildishbiographywhichSusybeganofherfather，ayearlater，shesays：

Eversincepapaandmamaweremarriedpapahaswrittenhisbooksandthentakenthemtomamainmanuscript，andshehasexpurgated——

[Susy’sspellingispreserved]——them。PapareadHuckleberryFinntousinmanuscript，——[Probablymeaningproof。]——justbeforeitcameout，andthenhewouldleavepartsofitwithmamatoexpurgate，whilehewentofftothestudytowork，andsometimesClaraandI

wouldbesittingwithmamawhileshewaslookingthemanuscriptover，andIremembersowell，withwhatpangsofregretweusedtoseeherturndowntheleavesofthepages，whichmeantthatsomedelightfullyterriblepartmustbescratchedout。AndIrememberonepartpertickularlywhichwasperfectlyfascinatingitwassoterrible，thatClaraandIusedtodelightinandoh，withwhatdespairwesawmamaturndowntheleafonwhichitwaswritten，wethoughtthebookwouldalmostberuinedwithoutit。Butwegraduallycametothinkasmamadid。

CommentingonthisphaseofHuck’sevolutionMarkTwainhassincewritten：

IrememberthespecialcasementionedbySusy，andcanseethegroupyet——two—thirdsofitpleadingforthelifeoftheculpritsentencethatwassofascinatinglydreadful，andtheotherthirdofitpatientlyexplainingwhythecourtcouldnotgranttheprayerofthepleaders；butIdonotrememberwhatthecondemnedphrasewas。Ithadmuchcompany，andtheyallwenttothegallows；butitispossiblethatthatespeciallydreadfulonewhichgavethoselittlepeoplesomuchdelightwascunninglydevisedandputintothebookforjustthatfunction，andnotwithanyhopeorexpectationthatitwouldgetbythe"expergator"alive。Itispossible，forIhadthatcustom。

LittleJeanwasprobablytooyouthfulyettotakepartinthatliteraryarbitration。Shewasfour，andhadmoreinterestincows。Insomememorandawhichherfatherkeptofthatperiod——the"Children’sBook"——hesays：

Shegoesouttothebarnwithoneofuseveryeveningtowardsixo’clock，tolookatthecows——whichsheadores——noweakerwordcanexpressherfeelingforthem。ShesitsraptandcontentedwhileDavidmilksthethree，makingaremarknowandthen——alwaysaboutthecows。Thetimepassesslowlyanddrearilyforherattendant，butnotforher。Shecouldstandaweekofit。Whenthemilkingisfinished，and"Blanche，""Jean，"and"thecrosscow"areturnedintotheadjoininglittlecow—lot，wehavetosetJeanonashedinthatlot，andstaybyherhalfanhour，tillEliza，theGermannurse，comestotakehertobed。Thecowsmerelystandthere，anddonothing；yetthemeresightofthemisall—sufficientforJean。Sherequiresnothingmore。Theotherevening，aftercontemplatingthemalongtime，astheystoodinthemuddymuckchewingthecud，shesaid，withdeepandreverentappreciation，"Ain’tthisasweetlittlegarden？"

Yesterdayeveningourcows(afterbeinginspectedandworshipedbyJeanfromtheshedforanhour)wanderedoffdownintothepastureandleftherbereft。IthoughtIwasgoingtogetbackhome，now，butthatwasanerror。Jeanknewofsomemorecowsinafieldsomewhere，andtookmyhandandledmethitherward。Whenweturnedthecornerandtooktheright—handroad，Isawthatweshouldpresentlybeoutofrangeofcallandsight；soIbegantoargueagainstcontinuingtheexpedition，andJeanbegantoargueinfavorofit，sheusingEnglishforlightskirmishingandGermanfor"business。"Ikeptupmyendwithvigor，anddemolishedherargumentsindetail，oneaftertheother，tillIjudgedIhadheraboutcornered。Shehesitatedamoment，thenansweredup，sharply：

"Wirwerdennichtsmehrdarubersprechen！"(Wewon’ttalkanymoreaboutit。)

Itnearlytookmybreathaway，thoughIthoughtImightpossiblyhavemisunderstood。Isaid：

"Why，youlittlerascal！Washastdugesagt？"

Butshesaidthesamewordsoveragain，andinthesamedecidedway。

IsupposeIoughttohavebeenoutraged，butIwasn’t；Iwascharmed。

Hisownnote—booksofthatsummerareasfullasusual，buttherearefewerliteraryideasandmorephilosophies。Therewasanexcitement，justthen，aboutthetrichinagerminpork，andoneofhismemorandasays：

Ithinkweareonlythemicroscopictrichinaconcealedinthebloodofsomevastcreature’sveins，andthatitisthatvastcreaturewhomGodconcernshimselfaboutandnotus。

Andthereisanotherwhichsays：

People，intryingtojustifyeternity，saywecanputitinbylearningalltheknowledgeacquiredbytheinhabitantsofthemyriadsofstars。Wesha’n’tneedthat。Wecoulduseuptwoeternitiesinlearningallthatistobelearnedaboutourownworld，andthethousandsofnationsthathaverisen，andflourished，andvanishedfromit。Mathematicsalonewouldoccupymeeightmillionyears。

HerecordsanincidentwhichherelatedmorefullyinalettertoHowells：

BeforeIforgetitImusttellyouthatMrs。Clemenshassaidabrightthing。Adrop—lettercametomeaskingmetolecturehereforachurchdebt。Ibegantorageovertheexceedinglycoolwordingoftherequest，whenMrs。Clemenssaid："IthinkIknowthatchurch，and，ifso，thispreacherisacoloredman；hedoesn’tknowhowtowriteapolishedletter。Howshouldhe？"

MymannerchangedsosuddenlyandsoradicallythatMrs。C。said："I

willgiveyouamotto，anditwillbeusefultoyouifyouwilladoptit：’Considereverymancoloredtillheisprovedwhite。’"

Itisderngood，Ithink。

Oneofthenote—bookscontainstheseentries：

Talkinglastnightabouthomematters，Isaid，"IwishIhadsaidtoGeorgewhenwewereleavinghome，’Now，George，Iwishyouwouldtakeadvantageofthesethreeorfourmonths’idletimewhileIamaway————’"

"Tolearntoletmymatchesalone，"interruptedLivy。TheverywordsIwasgoingtouse。YetGeorgehadnotbeenmentionedbefore，norhispeculiarities。

SeveralyearsagoIsaid：

"SupposeIshouldlivetobeninety—two，andjustasIwasdyingamessengershouldenterandsay————"

"YouarebecomeEarlofDurham，"interruptedLivy。TheverywordsI

wasgoingtoutter。Yettherehadnotbeenawordsaidabouttheearl，oranyotherperson，norhadtherebeenanyconversationcalculatedtosuggestanysuchsubject。

CLI

MARKTWAINMUGWUMPS

TheRepublicanPresidentialnominationofJamesG。Blaineresultedinapoliticalrevoltsuchasthenationhadnotknown。Blainewasimmenselypopular，buthehadmanyenemiesinhisownparty。Therewerestrongsuspicionsofhisbeingconnectedwithdoubtfulfinanciering—enterprises，moreorlesssensitivetoofficialinfluence，andwhilethesescandalshadbecomequietedaverylargeportionoftheRepublicanconstituencyrefusedtobelievethemunjustified。WhatmightbetermedtheintellectualelementofRepublicanismwasagainstBlame：GeorgeWilliamCurtis，CharlesDudleyWarner，JamesRussellLowell，HenryWardBeecher，ThomasNast，thefirmofHarper&Brothers，JosephW。Hawley，JosephTwichell，MarkTwain——infactthemajorityofthinkingmenwhoheldprincipleabovepartyintheirchoice。

OnthedayoftheChicagonomination，HenryC。Robinson，CharlesE。

Perkins，EdwardM。Bunce，F。G。Whitmore，andSamuelC。DunhamwerecollectedwithMarkTwaininhisbilliard—room，takingturnsatthegameanddiscussingthepoliticalsituation，withGeorge，thecoloredbutler，atthetelephonedown—stairstoreportthereturnsastheycamein。Asfastastheballotwasreceivedatthepoliticalheadquartersdown—town，itwastelephoneduptothehouseandGeorgereporteditthroughthespeaking—tube。

TheoppositiontoBlaineintheconventionwassostrongthatnooneoftheassembledplayersseriouslyexpectedhisnomination。Whatwastheiramazement，then，whenaboutmid—afternoonGeorgesuddenlyannouncedthroughthespeaking—tubethatBlainewasthenominee。Thebuttsofthebilliardcuescamedownonthefloorwithabump，andforamomenttheplayerswerespeechless。ThenHenryRobinsonsaid：

"It’shardlucktohavetovoteforthatman。"

Clemenslookedathimunderhisheavybrows。

"But——wedon’t——havetovoteforhim，"hesaid。

"Doyoumeantosaythatyou’renotgoingtovoteforhim？"

"Yes，thatiswhatImeantosay。Iamnotgoingtovoteforhim。"

Therewasageneralprotest。Mostofthoseassembleddeclaredthatwhenaparty’srepresentativeschoseamanonemuststandbyhim。Theymightchooseunwisely，butthepartysupportmustbemaintained。Clemenssaid：

"NopartyholdstheprivilegeofdictatingtomehowIshallvote。Ifloyaltytopartyisaformofpatriotism，Iamnopatriot。IfthereisanyvaluabledifferencebetweenamonarchistandanAmerican，itliesinthetheorythattheAmericancandecideforhimselfwhatispatrioticandwhatisn’t。Iclaimthatdifference。Iamtheonlypersoninthesixtymillionsthatisprivilegedtodictatemypatriotism。"

Therewasagooddealoftalkbackandforth，and，intheend，mostofthosetherepresentremainedloyaltoBlaine。GeneralHawleyandhispaperstoodbyBlaine。WarnerwithdrewfromhiseditorshipoftheCourantandremainedneutral。TwichellstoodwithClemensandcamenearlosinghispulpitbyit。Openletterswerepublishedinthenewspapersabouthim。Itwasacampaignwhenpoliticsdividedneighbors，families，andcongregations。IfweexcepttheCivilWarperiod，thereneverhadbeenamorerancorouspoliticalwarfarethanthatwagedbetweenthepartiesofJamesG。BlaineandGroverClevelandin1884。

ThatHowellsremainedtruetoBlainewasagrieftoClemens。HehadgonetothefarmwithHowellsonhispoliticalconscienceandhadwrittenferventandimploringlettersonthesubject。AslateasSeptember17th，hesaid：

SomehowIcan’tseemtorestquietundertheideaofyourvotingforBlaine。Ibelieveyousaidsomethingaboutthecountryandtheparty。Certainlyallegiancetotheseiswell，butcertainlyaman’sfirstdutyistohisownconscienceandhonor；thepartyandcountrycomesecondtothat，andneverfirst。Idon’taskyoutovoteatall。IonlyurgeyounottosoilyourselfbyvotingforBlaine……

Don’tbeoffended；Imeannooffense。Iamnotconcernedabouttherestofthenation，butwell，good—by。

Yoursever，MARK。

BeyondhisprayerfulletterstoHowells，Clemensdidnotgreatlyconcernhimselfwithpoliticsonthefarm，but，returningtoHartford，hewentvigorouslyintothecampaign，presided，asusual，atmass—meetings，andmadepoliticalspeecheswhichinvitedthelaughterofbothparties，andwereuniversallyquotedandprintedwithoutregardtothepaper’sconvictions。

Itwasduringonesuchspeechasthisthat，inthecourseofhisremarks，abandoutsidecamemarchingbyplayingpatrioticmusicsoloudlyastodrownhisvoice。Hewaitedtillthebandgotby，butbythetimehewaswellunderwayagainanotherbandpassed，andoncemorehewasobligedtowaittillthemusicdiedawayinthedistance。Thenhesaid，quiteserenely：

"Youwillfindmyspeech，withoutthemusic，inthemorningpaper。"

InintroducingCarlSchurzatagreatmugwumpmass—meetingatHartford，October20，1884。，heremarkedthathe[Clemens]wastheonlylegitimatelyelectedofficer，andwasexpectedtoreadalonglistofvice—presidents；buthehadforgottenallaboutit，andhewouldaskallthegentlementhere，ofwhateverpoliticalcomplexion，todohimagreatfavorbyactingasvice—presidents。Thenhesaid：

Asfarasmyownpoliticalchangeofheartisconcerned，IhavenotbeenconvincedbyanyDemocraticmeans。TheopinionIholdofMr。

BlaineisduetothecommentsoftheRepublicanpressbeforethenomination。Notthattheyhavesaidbitterorscandalousthings，becauseRepublicanpapersareabovethat，butthethingstheysaiddidnotseemtobecomplimentary，andseemedtometoimplyeditorialdisapprovalofMr。BlameandthebeliefthathewasnotqualifiedtobePresidentoftheUnitedStates。

Itisjustalittleindelicateformetobehereonthisoccasionbeforeanassemblageofvoters，forthereasonthattheablestnewspaperinColorado——theablestnewspaperintheworld——hasrecentlynominatedmeforPresident。Itishardlyfitformetopresideatadiscussionofthebrothercandidate，butthebestamonguswilldothemostrepulsivethingsthemomentwearesmittenwithaPresidentialmadness。IfIhadrealizedthatthiscanvasswastoturnonthecandidate’sprivatecharacterIwouldhavestartedthatColoradopapersooner。Iknowthecrimesthatcanbeimputedandprovedagainstmecanbetoldonthefingersofyourhands。ThiscannotbesaidofanyotherPresidentialcandidateinthefield。

InasmuchastheBlaine—Clevelandcampaignwasessentiallyacampaignofscurrility，thistouchwasloudlyapplauded。

MarkTwainvotedforGroverCleveland，thoughuptotheveryeveofelectionhewasreadytosupportaRepublicannomineeinwhomhehadfaith，preferablyEdmunds，andhetriedtoinaugurateamovementbywhichEdmundsmightbenominatedasasurprisecandidateandsweepthecountry。

ItwasprobablyDr。Burchard’sill—advisedutteranceconcerningthethreeallegedR’sofDemocracy，"Rum，Romanism，andRebellion，"thatdefeatedBlaine，andbysomestrange，occultmeansMarkTwain’sbutlerGeorgegotwindofthisdamningspeechbeforeitbecamenewsonthestreetsofHartford。Georgehadgonewithhisparty，andhadaconsiderablesumofmoneywageredonBlaine’selection；butheknewitwaslikelytobeveryclose，andhehadaninstantanddeepconvictionthatthesethreefatalwordsandBlaine’sfailuretorepudiatethemmeantthecandidate’sdownfall。Heimmediatelyabandonedeverythingintheshapeofhouseholdduties，andwithinthebriefestpossibletimehadchangedenoughmoneytomakehimsafe，andleavehimagoodmarginofwinningsbesides，intheeventofBlame’sdefeat。Thiswasevening。AverylittlelaterthenewsofBlaine’sblunder，announcedfromtheopera—housestage，wasliketheexplosionofabomb。ButitwasnonewstoGeorge，whowenthomerejoicingwithhisenemies。

CLII

PLATFORMINGWITHCABLE

ThedrainofmanyinvestmentsandtheestablishmentofapublishinghousehadtoldheavilyonClemens’sfinances。Itbecamedesirabletoearnalargesumofmoneywithasmuchexpeditionaspossible。Authors’

readingshadbecomepopular，andClemenshadreadinPhiladelphiaandBostonwithsatisfactoryresults。Henowconceivedtheideaofagrandtourofauthorsasacommercialenterprise。HeproposedtoAldrich，Howells，andCablethathecharteraprivatecarforthepurpose，andthatwiththeirownhousekeepingarrangements，cooking，etc。，theycouldgoswingingaroundthecircuit，reaping，agoldenharvest。Heofferedtobegeneralmanageroftheexpedition，theimpresarioasitwere，andagreedtoguaranteetheothersnotlessthanseventy—fivedollarsadayapieceastheirnetreturnfromthe"circus，"ashecalledit。

HowellsandAldrichlikedwellenoughtoconsideritasanamusingprospect，butonlyCablewaswillingtorealizeit。Hehadbeenscouringthecountryonhisownaccount，andhewaswillingenoughtojoinforceswithMarkTwain。

Clemensdetestedplatforming，buttheideaofreadingfromhisbooksormanuscriptforsomereasonseemedlessobjectionable，and，asalreadystated，theneedofmuchmoneyhadbecomeimportant。

HearrangedwithJ。B。Pondforthebusinesssideoftheexpedition，thoughinrealityhewasitsproprietor。Theprivate—carideawasgivenup，butheemployedCableatasalaryoffourhundredandfiftydollarsaweekandexpenses，andhepaidPondacommission。Perhaps，withoutgoinganyfurther，wemaysaythatthetourwasafinancialsuccess，andyieldedalargereturnoftheneededfunds。

ClemensandCablehadapleasantenoughtime，andhaditnotbeenfortheabsencefromhomeandthedisagreeablenessofrailwaytravel，therewouldhavebeenlittletoregret。Theywereacuriouslyassociatedpair。

Cablewasorthodoxinhisreligion，devotedtoSunday—school，Biblereading，andchurchaffairsingeneral。Clemens——well，Clemenswasdifferent。Onthefirsteveningoftheirtour，whenthelatterwascomfortablysettledinbedwithanentertainingbook，CableappearedwithhisBible，andproceededtoreadachapteraloud。Clemensmadenocomment，andthiswentonforaneveningortwomore。Thenhesaid：

"Seehere，Cable，we’llhavetocutthispartoftheprogramout。YoucanreadtheBibleasmuchasyoupleasesolongasyoudon’treadittome。"

Cableretiredcourteously。Hehadakeensenseofhumor，andmostthingsthatMarkTwaindid，whetherheapprovedornot，amusedhim。Cabledidnotsmoke，butheseemedalwaystopreferthesmokingcompartmentwhentheytraveled，tothemorerespectableportionsofthecar。OnedayClemenssandtohim：

"Cable，whydoyousitinhere？Youdon’tsmoke，andyouknowIalwayssmoke，andsometimesswear。"

Cablesaid，"Iknow，Mark，Idon’tdothesethings，butIcan’thelpadmiringthewayyoudothem。"

WhenSundaycameitwasMarkTwain’sgreathappinesstostayinbedallday，restingafterhisweekoflabor；butCablewouldrise，brightandchipper，dresshimselfinneatandsuitableattire，andvisitthevariouschurchesandSunday—schoolsintown，usuallymakingabriefaddressateach，beingalwaysinvitedtodoso。

ItseemsworthwhiletoincludeoneoftheClemens—Cableprogramshere——

amostsatisfactoryone。Theyvarieditonoccasion，andwhentheyweretwonightsinaplacechangeditcompletely，buttheprogramheregivenwastheonetheywerelikelytouseaftertheyhadproveditsworth：

PROGRAM

Richling’svisittoKateRileyGEO。W。CABLE

KingSollermunMARKTWAIN

(a)KateRileyandRistofolo(b)Narcisseinmourningfor"LadyByron"

(c)Mary’sNightRideGEO。W。CABLE

(a)TragicTaleoftheFishwife(b)ATryingSituation(c)AGhostStoryMARKTWAIN

AtaMarkTwainmemorialmeeting(November30，1910)，wherethefewwhowereleftofhisoldcompanionstoldoverquaintandtendermemories，GeorgeCablerecalledtheirreadingdaystogetherandtoldofMarkTwain’sconscientiousefforttodohisbest，tobeworthyofhimself，regardlessofallotherconcerns。HetoldhowwhentheyhadbeentravelingforawhileClemensseemedtorealizethathewasonlygivingtheaudiencenonsense；makingthemlaughattrivialitieswhichtheywouldforgetbeforetheyhadlefttheentertainmenthall。CablesaidthatuptothattimehehadsupposedClemens’schiefthoughtwastheentertainmentofthemoment，andthatiftheaudiencelaughedhewassatisfied。Hetoldhowhehadsatinthewings，waitinghisturn，andheardthetidesoflaughtergatherandrollforwardandbreakagainstthefootlights，timeandtimeagain，andhowhehadbelievedhiscolleaguetobegloryinginthattriumph。Whatwashissurprise，then，onthewaytothehotelinthecarriage，whenClemensgroanedandseemedwrithinginspiritandsaid：

"Oh，Cable，Iamdemeaningmyself。Iamallowingmyselftobeamerebuffoon。It’sghastly。Ican’tendureitanylonger。"

CableaddedthatallthatnightandthenextdayMarkTwaindevotedhimselftothestudyandrehearsalofselectionswhichwerejustifiednotonlyashumor，butasliteratureandart。

Agoodmanyinterestingandamusingthingswouldhappenonsuchatour。

Manyoftheseareentirelyforgotten，ofcourse，butofotherscertainmemorandahavebeenpreserved。GroverClevelandhadbeenelectedwhentheysetoutontheirtravels，butwasstillholdinghispositioninAlbanyasGovernorofNewYork。WhentheyreachedAlbanyCableandClemensdecidedtocallonhim。TheydrovetotheCapitolandwereshownintotheGovernor’sprivateoffice。Clevelandmadethemwelcome，and，aftergreetings，saidtoClemens：

"Mr。Clemens，Iwasafellow—citizenofyoursinBuffaloagoodmanymonthssomeyearsago，butyounevercalledonmethen。Howdoyouexplainthis？"

Clemenssaid："Oh，thatisverysimpletoanswer，yourExcellency。InBuffaloyouwereasheriff。Ikeptawayfromthesheriffasmuchaspossible，butyou’reGovernornow，andonthewaytothePresidency。

It’sworthwhilecomingtoseeyou。"

Clemensmeantimehadbeenresting，halfsitting，onthecorneroftheExecutivedesk。Heleanedbackalittle，andsuddenlyaboutadozenyoungmenopenedvariousdoors，filedinandstoodatattention，asifwaitingfororders。

Noonespokeforamoment；thentheGovernorsaidtothiscollectionofattendants：

"Youaredismissed，younggentlemen。Yourservicesarenotrequired。

Mr。Clemensissittingonthebells。"

InBuffalo，whenClemensappearedonthestage，heleisurelyconsideredtheaudienceforamoment；thenhesaid：

"Imissagoodmanyfaces。Theyhavegone——gonetothetomb，tothegallows，ortotheWhiteHouse。Allofusareentitledtoatleastoneofthesedistinctions，anditbehoovesustobewiseandprepareforall。"

OnThanksgivingEvethereaderswereinMorristown，NewJersey，wheretheywereentertainedbyThomasNast。ThecartoonistpreparedaquietsupperforthemandtheyremainedovernightintheNasthome。Theyweretoleavenextmorningbyanearlytrain，andMrs。Nasthadagreedtoseethattheywereupindueseason。Whenshewokenextmorningthereseemedastrangesilenceinthehouseandshegrewsuspicious。Goingtotheservants’room，shefoundthemsleepingsoundly。Thealarm—clockinthebackhallhadstoppedataboutthehourtheguestsretired。Thestudioclockwasalsofoundstopped；infact，everytimepieceonthepremiseshadretiredfrombusiness。Clemenshadfoundthattheclocksinterferedwithhisgettingtosleep，andhehadquietedthemregardlessofearlytrainsandreadingengagements。Onbeingaccusedofduplicityhesaid：

"Well，thoseclockswerealloverworked，anyway。Theywillfeelmuchbetterforanight’srest。"

AfewdayslaterNastsenthimacaricaturedrawing——apicturewhichshowedMarkTwaingettingridoftheoffendingclocks。

AtChristmas—timetheytookafortnight’sholidayandClemenswenthometoHartford。Asurprisewasawaitinghimthere。Mrs。Clemenshadmadeanadaptationof’ThePrinceandthePauper’play，andthechildrenoftheneighborhoodhadpreparedapresentationofitforhisspecialdelectation。Heknew，onhisarrivalhome，thatsomethingmysteriouswasinprogress，forcertainroomswereforbiddenhim；buthehadnoinklingoftheirplanuntiljustbeforetheperformance——whenhewasledacrossthegroundstoGeorgeWarner’shome，intothelargeroomtherewhereitwastobegiven，andplacedinaseatdirectlyinfrontofthestage。

Gerhardthadpaintedthedrop—curtain，andassistedinthegeneralconstructionofsceneryandeffects。Theresultwasreallyimposing；butpresently，whenthecurtainroseandtheguestofhonorrealizedwhatitwasallabout，andwhattheyhadundertakenforhispleasure，hewasdeeplymovedandsupremelygratified。

Therewasbutonehitchintheperformance。ThereisaplacewherethePrincesays，"Fathersbealike，mayhap；minehathnotadoll’stemper。"

ThiswasSusy’spart，andasshesaidittheaudiencedidnotfailtorememberitsliteralappropriateness。Therewasamoment’ssilence，thenatitter，followedbyaroaroflaughter，inwhicheverybodybutthelittleactorsjoined。Theydidnotseethehumorandweredisturbedandgrieved。Curiouslyenough，MrsClemensherself，inarrangingandcastingtheplay，hadnotconsideredthepossibilityofthiseffect。Thepartswerealldaintilyplayed。Thechildrenworetheirassumedpersonalitiesasifnativetothem。DaisyWarnerplayedthepartofTomCanty，ClaraClemenswasLadyJaneGrey。

ItwasonlythebeginningofThePrinceandthePauperproductions。Theplaywasrepeated，Clemensassisting，addingtotheparts，andhimselfplayingtheroleofMilesHendon。InherchildishbiographySusysays：

Papahadonlythreedaystolearnthepartin，butstillwewereallsurethathecoulddoit。ThescenethatheactedinwasthescenebetweenMilesHendonandthePrince，the"Prithee，pourthewater"

scene。IwasthePrinceandpapaandIrehearsedtogethertwoorthreetimesadayforthethreedaysbeforetheappointedevening。