按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
…
CARNEGIE HALL
APRIL 19TH； 1906
FOR THE BENEFIT OF
Robert Fulton Memorial Association
MILITARY ORGANIZATION OLD GUARD IN
FULL DRESS UNIFORM WILL BE PRESENT
MUSIC BY OLD GUARD BAND
TICKETS AND BOXES ON SALE AT CARNEGIE HALL
AND WALDORF…ASTORIA
SEATS 1。50； 1。00； 50 CENTS
It was not likely that I should laugh。 I had a sinking feeling in the
cardiac region which does not go with mirth。 It did not for the moment
occur to me that the stage would be filled with eminent citizens and
vice…presidents； and I had a vision of myself sitting there alone in the
chair in that wide emptiness； with the chief performer directing
attention to me every other moment or so； for perhaps an hour。 Let me
hurry on to say that it did not happen。 I dare say he realized my
unfitness for the work； and the far greater appropriateness of conferring
the honor on General Grant； for in the end he gave him the assignment； to
my immeasurable relief。
It was a magnificent occasion。 That spacious hall was hung with bunting；
the stage was banked and festooned with decoration of every sort。
General Grant； surrounded by his splendidly uniformed staff； sat in the
foreground； and behind was ranged a levee of foremost citizens of the
republic。 The band played 〃America〃 as Mark Twain entered； and the great
audience rose and roared out its welcome。 Some of those who knew him
best had hoped that on this occasion of his last lecture he would tell of
that first appearance in San Francisco； forty years before； when his
fortunes had hung in the balance。 Perhaps he did not think of it； and no
one had had the courage to suggest it。 At all events； he did a different
thing。 He began by making a strong plea for the smitten city where the
flames were still raging； urging prompt help for those who had lost not
only their homes； but the last shred of their belongings and their means
of livelihood。 Then followed his farcical history of Fulton； with
General Grant to make the responses； and presently he drifted into the
kind of lecture he had given so often in his long trip around the world…
retelling the tales which had won him fortune and friends in many lands。
I do not know whether the entertainment was long or short。 I think few
took account of time。 To a letter of inquiry as to how long the
entertainment would last； he had replied：
I cannot say for sure。 It is my custom to keep on talking till I
get the audience cowed。 Sometimes it takes an hour and fifteen
minutes； sometimes I can do it in an hour。
There was no indication at any time that the audience was cowed。 The
house was packed； and the applause was so recurrent and continuous that
often his voice was lost to those in its remoter corners。 It did not
matter。 The tales were familiar to his hearers； merely to see Mark
Twain； in his old age and in that splendid setting； relating them was
enough。 The audience realized that it was witnessing the close of a
heroic chapter in a unique career。
CCXLIII
AN INVESTMENT IN REDDING
Many of the less important happenings seem worth remembering now。 Among
them was the sale； at the Nast auction； of the Mark Twain letters；
already mentioned。 The fact that these letters brought higher prices
than any others offered in this sale was gratifying。 Roosevelt； Grant；
and even Lincoln items were sold； but the Mark Twain letters led the
list。 One of them sold for forty…three dollars； which was said to be the
highest price ever paid for the letter of a living man。 It was the
letter written in 1877； quoted earlier in this work； in which Clemens
proposed the lecture tour to Nast。 None of the Clemens…Nast letters
brought less than twenty…seven dollars； and some of them were very brief。
It was a new measurement of public sentiment。 Clemens； when he heard of
it； said：
〃I can't rise to General Grant's lofty place in the estimation of this
country； but it is a deep satisfaction to me to know that when it comes
to letter…writing he can't sit in the front seat along with me。 That
forty…three…dollar letter ought to be worth as much as eighty…six dollars
after I'm dead。〃
A perpetual string of callers came to 21 Fifth Avenue； and it kept the
secretary busy explaining to most of them why Mark Twain could not
entertain their propositions； or listen to their complaints； or allow
them to express in person their views on public questions。 He did see a
great many of what might be called the milder type persons who were
evidently sincere and not too heavily freighted with eloquence。 Of these
there came one day a very gentle…spoken woman who had promised that she
would stay but a moment； and say no more than a few words； if only she
might sit face to face with the great man。 It was in the morning hour
before the dictations； and he received her； quite correctly clad in his
beautiful dressing…robe and propped against his pillows。 She kept her
contract to the letter； but when she rose to go she said； in a voice of
deepest reverence：
〃May I kiss your hand？〃
It was a delicate situation； and might easily have been made ludicrous。
Denial would have hurt her。 As it was； he lifted his hand； a small；
exquisite hand it was； with the gentle dignity and poise of a king； and
she touched her lips to it with what was certainly adoration。 Then； as
she went； she said：
〃How God must love you！〃
〃I hope so；〃 he said； softly； and he did not even smile； but after she
had gone he could not help saying； in a quaint； half…pathetic voice
〃I guess she hasn't heard of our strained relations。〃
Sitting in that royal bed； clad in that rich fashion； he easily conveyed
the impression of royalty； and watching him through those marvelous
mornings he seemed never less than a king； as indeed he wasthe king of
a realm without national boundaries。 Some of those nearest to him fell
naturally into the habit of referring to him as 〃the King；〃 and in time
the title crept out of the immediate household and was taken up by others
who loved him。
He had been more than once photographed in his bed； but it was by those
who had come and gone in a brief time； with little chance to study his
natural attitudes。 I had acquired some knowledge of the camera； and I
obtained his permission to let me photograph hima permission he seldom
denied to any one。 We had no dictations on Saturdays； and I took the
pictures on one of these holiday mornings。 He was so patient and
tractable； and so natural in every attitude； that it was a delight to
make the negatives。 I was afraid he would become impatient； and made
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 thi