第172章

"Uncle Joe, why do you always look as if you were just going down into the grave, when you meet a person on the street?"--and then went on to reveal to him the funereal spectacle which he presented on such occasions.Well, she has met Twichell three times since then, and would swim the Connecticut to avoid meeting him the fourth.As soon as he sights her, no matter how public the place nor how far off she is, he makes a bound into the air, heaves arms and legs into all sorts of frantic gestures of delight, and so comes prancing, skipping and pirouetting for her like a drunken Indian entering heaven.

With a full invoice of love from us all to you and Theodore.

S.L.C.

The reference in the next to the "closing sentence" in a letter written by Howells to Clemens about this time, refers to a heart-broken utterance of the former concerning his daughter Winnie, who had died some time before.She had been a gentle talented girl, but never of robust health.Her death had followed a long period of gradual decline.

To W.D.Howells, in Boston:

HARTFORD, Judy 13, '89.

DEAR HOWELLS,--I came on from Elmira a day or two ago, where I left a house of mourning.Mr.Crane died, after ten months of pain and two whole days of dying, at the farm on the hill, the 3rd inst: A man who had always hoped for a swift death.Mrs.Crane and Mrs.Clemens and the children were in a gloom which brought back to me the days of nineteen years ago, when Mr.Langdon died.It is heart-breaking to see Mrs.

Crane.Many a time, in the past ten days, the sight of her has reminded me, with a pang, of the desolation which uttered itself in the closing sentence of your last letter to me.I do see that there is an argument against suicide: the grief of the worshipers left behind; the awful famine in their hearts, these are too costly terms for the release.

I shall be here ten days yet, and all alone: nobody in the house but the servants.Can't Mrs.Howells spare you to me? Can't you come and stay with me? The house is cool and pleasant; your work will not be interrupted; we will keep to ourselves and let the rest of the world do the same; you can have your choice of three bedrooms, and you will find the Children's schoolroom (which was built for my study,) the perfection of a retired and silent den for work.There isn't a fly or a mosquito on the estate.Come--say you will.

With kindest regards to Mrs.Howells, and Pilla and John, Yours Ever MARK.

Howells was more hopeful.He wrote: "I read something in a strange book, The Physical Theory of Another Life, that consoles a little; namely, we see and feel the power of Deity in such fullness that we ought to infer the infinite justice and Goodness which we do not see or feel." And a few days later, he wrote: "I would rather see and talk with you than any other man in the world outside my own blood."A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur's Court was brought to an end that year and given to the artist and printer.Dan Beard was selected for the drawings, and was given a free hand, as the next letter shows.

To Fred J.Hall, Manager Charles L.Webster & Co.:

[Charles L.Webster, owing to poor health, had by this time retired from the firm.]

ELMIRA, July 20, '89.

DEAR MR.HALL,-- Upon reflection--thus: tell Beard to obey his own inspiration, and when he sees a picture in his mind put that picture on paper, be it humorous or be it serious.I want his genius to be wholly unhampered, I shan't have fears as to the result.They will be better pictures than if I mixed in and tried to give him points on his own trade.

Send this note and he'll understand.

Yr S.L.C.

Clemens had made a good choice in selecting Beard for the illustrations.He was well qualified for the work, and being of a socialistic turn of mind put his whole soul into it.When the drawings were completed, Clemens wrote: "Hold me under permanent obligations.What luck it was to find you! There are hundreds of artists that could illustrate any other book of mine, but there was only one who could illustrate this one.Yes, it was a fortunate hour that I went netting for lightning bugs and caught a meteor.

Live forever!"

Clemens, of course, was anxious for Howells to read The Yankee, and Mrs.Clemens particularly so.Her eyes were giving her trouble that summer, so that she could not read the MS.for herself, and she had grave doubts as to some of its chapters.It may be said here that the book to-day might have been better if Mrs.Clemens had been able to read it.Howells was a peerless critic, but the revolutionary subject-matter of the book so delighted him that he was perhaps somewhat blinded to its literary defects.However, this is premature.Howells did not at once see the story.He had promised to come to Hartford, but wrote that trivial matters had made his visit impossible.From the next letter we get the situation at this time.The "Mr.Church" mentioned was Frederick S.Church, the well-known artist.

To W.D.Howells, in Boston:

ELMIRA, July 24, '89.

DEAR HOWELLS,--I, too, was as sorry as I could be; yes, and desperately disappointed.I even did a heroic thing: shipped my book off to New York lest I should forget hospitality and embitter your visit with it.Not that I think you wouldn't like to read it, for I think you would; but not on a holiday that's not the time.I see how you were situated--another familiarity of Providence and wholly wanton intrusion--and of course we could not help ourselves.Well, just think of it: a while ago, while Providence's attention was absorbed in disordering some time-tables so as to break up a trip of mine to Mr.Church's on the Hudson, that Johnstown dam got loose.I swear I was afraid to pray, for fear I should laugh.

Well, I'm not going to despair; we'll manage a meet yet.