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popularity was as instant as it was vast。 But it must be acknowledged
that for a much longer time here than in England polite learning
hesitated his praise。 In England rank； fashion； and culture rejoiced in
him。 Lord mayors； lord chief justices； and magnates of many kinds were
his hosts； he was desired in country houses； and his bold genius
captivated the favor of periodicals which spurned the rest of our nation。
But in his own country it was different。 In proportion as people thought
themselves refined they questioned that quality which all recognize in
him now； but which was then the inspired knowledge of the simple…hearted
multitude。 I went with him to see Longfellow； but I do not think
Longfellow made much of him； and Lowell made less。 He stopped as if with
the long Semitic curve of Clemens's nose； which in the indulgence of his
passion for finding every one more or less a Jew he pronounced
unmistakably racial。 It was two of my most fastidious Cambridge friends
who accepted him with the English； the European entiretynamely； Charles
Eliot Norton and Professor Francis J。 Child。 Norton was then newly back
from a long sojourn abroad； and his judgments were delocalized。 He met
Clemens as if they had both been in England； and rejoiced in his bold
freedom from environment； and in the rich variety and boundless reach of
his talk。 Child was of a personal liberty as great in its fastidious way
as that of Clemens himself； and though he knew him only at second hand；
he exulted in the most audacious instance of his grotesquery； as I shall
have to tell by…and…by； almost solely。 I cannot say just why Clemens
seemed not to hit the favor of our community of scribes and scholars； as
Bret Harte had done； when he came on from California； and swept them
before him； disrupting their dinners and delaying their lunches with
impunity； but it is certain he did not； and I had better say so。
I am surprised to find from the bibliographical authorities that it was
so late as 1875 when he came with the manuscript of Tom Sawyer； and asked
me to read it； as a friend and critic； and not as an editor。 I have an
impression that this was at Mrs。 Clemens's instance in his own
uncertainty about printing it。 She trusted me； I can say with a
satisfaction few things now give me； to be her husband's true and cordial
adviser； and I was so。 I believe I never failed him in this part； though
in so many of our enterprises and projects I was false as water through
my temperamental love of backing out of any undertaking。 I believe this
never ceased to astonish him； and it has always astonished me； it appears
to me quite out of character； though it is certain that an undertaking；
when I have entered upon it； holds me rather than I it。 But however this
immaterial matter may be； I am glad to remember that I thoroughly liked
Tom Sawyer； and said so with every possible amplification。 Very likely；
I also made my suggestions for its improvement； I could not have been a
real critic without that； and I have no doubt they were gratefully
accepted and； I hope； never acted upon。 I went with him to the horse…car
station in Harvard Square； as my frequent wont was； and put him aboard a
car with his MS。 in his hand； stayed and reassured； so far as I counted；
concerning it。 I do not know what his misgivings were； perhaps they were
his wife's misgivings； for she wished him to be known not only for the
wild and boundless humor that was in him； but for the beauty and
tenderness and 〃natural piety〃； and she would not have had him judged by
a too close fidelity to the rude conditions of Tom Sawyer's life。 This
is the meaning that I read into the fact of his coming to me with those
doubts。
XIII。
Clemens had then and for many years the habit of writing to me about what
he was doing； and still more of what he was experiencing。 Nothing struck
his imagination； in or out of the daily routine； but he wished to write
me of it； and he wrote with the greatest fulness and a lavish
dramatization； sometimes to the length of twenty or forty pages； so that
I have now perhaps fifteen hundred pages of his letters。 They will no
doubt some day be published； but I am not even referring to them in these
records； which I think had best come to the reader with an old man's
falterings and uncertainties。 With his frequent absences and my own
abroad； and the intrusion of calamitous cares； the rich tide of his
letters was more and more interrupted。 At times it almost ceased； and
then it would come again； a torrent。 In the very last weeks of his life
he burst forth； and； though too weak himself to write； he dictated his
rage with me for recommending to him a certain author whose truthfulness
he could not deny； but whom he hated for his truthfulness to sordid and
ugly conditions。 At heart Clemens was romantic； and he would have had
the world of fiction stately and handsome and whatever the real world was
not； but he was not romanticistic； and he was too helplessly an artist
not to wish his own work to show life as he had seen it。 I was preparing
to rap him back for these letters when I read that he had got home to
die； he would have liked the rapping back。
He liked coming to Boston； especially for those luncheons and dinners in
which the fertile hospitality of our publisher； Osgood； abounded。 He
dwelt equidistant from Boston and New York； and he had special friends in
New York； but he said he much preferred coming to Boston； of late years
he never went there； and he had lost the habit of it long before he came
home from Europe to live in New York。 At these feasts； which were often
of after…dinner…speaking measure； he could always be trusted for
something of amazing delightfulness。 Once； when Osgood could think of no
other occasion for a dinner； he gave himself a birthday dinner； and asked
his friends and authors。 The beautiful and splendid trooper…like blaring
was there； and I recall how in the long； rambling speech in which Clemens
went round the table hitting every head at it； and especially visiting
Osgood with thanks for his ingenious pretext for our entertainment；
he congratulated blaring upon his engineering genius and his hypnotic
control of municipal governments。 He said that if there was a plan for
draining a city at a cost of a million； by seeking the level of the water
in the down…hill course of the sewers； blaring would come with a plan to
drain that town up…hill at twice the cost and carry it through the Common
Council without opposition。 It is hard to say whether the time was
gladder at these dinners； or at the small lunches at which Osgood and
Aldrich and I foregathered with him and talked the afternoon away till
well toward the winter twilight。
He was a great figure； and the principal figure； at one of the first of
the now worn…out Authors' Readings； which was held in the Boston Museum
to aid a Longfellow memorial。 It was the late George Parsons Lathrop
（everybody seems to be late in these sad days） who imagined the reading；
but when it came to a price for seats I can always claim the glory of
fixing it at five dollars。 The price if not the occasion proved
irresistible； and the museum was packed from the floor to the topmost
gallery。 Norton presided； and when it came Clemens's turn to read he
introduced him with such exquisite praises as he best knew how to give；
but before he closed he fell a prey to one of those lapses of tact which
are the peculiar peril of people of the greatest tact。 He was reminded
of Darwin's delight in Mark Twain； and how when he came from his long
day's exhausting study； and sank into bed at midnight； he took up a
volume of Mark Twain； whose books he always kept on a table beside him；
and whatever had been his tormenting problem； or excess of toil； he felt
secure of a good night's rest from it。 A sort of blank ensued which
Clemens filled in the only possible way。 He said he should always be
glad that he had contributed to the repose of that great man； whom
science owed so much； and then without waiting for the joy in every
breast to burst forth； he began to read。 It was curious to watch his
triumph with the house。 His carefully studied effects would reach the
first rows in the orchestra first； and ripple in laughter back to the
standees against the wall； and then with a fine resurgence come again to
the rear orchestra seats； and so rise from gallery to gallery till it
fell back； a cataract of applause from the topmost rows of seats。 He was
such a practised speaker that he knew all the stops of that simple
instrument man； and there is no doubt that these results were accurately
intended from his unerring knowledge。 He was the most consummate public
performer I ever saw； and it was an incomparable pleasure to hear him
lecture； on the platform he was the great and finished actor which he
probably would not have been on the stage。 He was fond of private
theatricals； and liked to play in them with his children and their
friends； in dramatizations of such stories of his as 'The Prince and the
Pauper；' but I never saw him in any of these scenes。 When he read his
manuscript to you； it was with a thorough； howeve