that morning down in the diningroom； and 〃Francesca〃 and her mother were
there。
As he stood on the railway platform waiting for the train； he told me how
once； fifty…five years before； as a boy of eighteen； he had changed cars
there for Washington and had barely caught his trainthe crowd yelling
at him as he ran。
We remained overnight in New York； and that evening； at the Grosvenor； he
read aloud a poem of his own which I had not seen before。 He had brought
it along with some intention of reading it at St。 Timothy's； he said；
but had not found the occasion suitable。
〃I wrote it a long time ago in Paris。 I'd been reading aloud to Mrs。
Clemens and Susyin'93； I thinkabout Lord Clive and Warren Hastings；
from Macaulayhow great they were and how far they fell。 Then I took an
imaginary casethat of some old demented man mumbling of his former
state。 I described him； and repeated some of his mumblings。 Susy and
Mrs。 Clemens said； 'Write it'so I did； by and by； and this is it。 I
call it 'The Derelict。'〃
He read in his effective manner that fine poem； the opening stanza of
which follows：
You sneer； you ships that pass me by；
Your snow…pure canvas towering proud！
You traders base！why； once such fry
Paid reverence； when like a cloud
Storm…swept I drove along；
My Admiral at post； his pennon blue
Faint in the wilderness of sky； my long
Yards bristling with my gallant crew；
My ports flung wide； my guns displayed；
My tall spars hid in bellying sail！
You struck your topsails then； and made
Obeisancenow your manners fail。
He had employed rhyme with more facility than was usual for him； and the
figure and phrasing were full of vigor。
〃It is strong and fine；〃 I said； when he had finished。
〃Yes；〃 he assented。 〃It seems so as I read it now。 It is so long since
I have seen it that it is like reading another man's work。 I should call
it good； I believe。〃
He put the manuscript in his bag and walked up and down the floor
talking。
〃There is no figure for the human being like the ship；〃 he said； 〃no such
figure for the storm…beaten human drift as the derelictsuch men as
Clive and Hastings could only be imagined as derelicts adrift； helpless；
tossed by every wind and tide。〃
We returned to Redding next day。 On the train going home he fell to
talking of books and authors； mainly of the things he had never been able
to read。
〃When I take up one of Jane Austen's books；〃 he said； 〃such as Pride and
Prejudice； I feel like a barkeeper entering the kingdom of heaven。 I
know； what his sensation would be and his private comments。 He would not
find the place to his taste； and he would probably say so。〃
He recalled again how Stepniak had come to Hartford； and how humiliated
Mrs。 Clemens had been to confess that her husband was not familiar with
the writings of Thackeray and others。
〃I don't know anything about anything；〃 he said； mournfully； 〃and never
did。 My brother used to try to get me to read Dickens； long ago。 I
couldn't do itI was ashamed； but I couldn't do it。 Yes； I have read
The Tale of Two Cities； and could do it again。 I have read it a good
many times； but I never could stand Meredith and most of the other
celebrities。〃
By and by he handed me the Saturday Times Review； saying：
〃Here is a fine poem； a great poem； I think。 I can stand that。〃
It was 〃The Palatine （in the 'Dark Ages'）；〃 by Willa Sibert Cather；
reprinted from McClure's。 The reader will understand better than I can
express why these lofty opening stanzas appealed to Mark Twain：
THE PALATINE
〃Have you been with the King to Rome；
Brother； big brother？〃
〃I've been there and I've come home；
Back to your play； little brother。〃
〃Oh； how high is Caesar's house；
Brother； big brother？〃
〃Goats about the doorways browse；
Night…hawks nest in the burnt roof…tree；
Home of the wild bird and home of the bee。
A thousand chambers of marble lie
Wide to the sun and the wind and the sky。
Poppies we find amongst our wheat
Grow on Caesar's banquet seat。
Cattle crop and neatherds drowse
On the floors of Caesar's house。〃
〃But what has become of Caesar's gold；
Brother； big brother？〃
〃The times are bad and the world is old
Who knows the where of the Caesar's gold？
Night comes black on the Caesar's hill；
The wells are deep and the tales are ill。
Fireflies gleam in the damp and mold；
All that is left of the Caesar's gold。
Back to your play； little brother。〃
Farther along in our journey he handed me the paper again； pointing to
these lines of Kipling：
How is it not good for the Christian's health
To hurry the Aryan brown；
For the Christian riles and the Aryan smiles；
And he weareth the Christian down；
And the end of the fight is a tombstone white
And the name of the late deceased：
And the epitaph drear： 〃A fool lies here
Who tried to hustle the East。〃
〃I could stand any amount of that；〃 he said； and presently： 〃Life is too
long and too short。 Too long for the weariness of it； too short for the
work to be done。 At the very most； the average mind can only master a
few languages and a little history。〃
I said： 〃Still； we need not worry。 If death ends all it does not matter；
and if life is eternal there will be time enough。〃
〃Yes；〃 he assented； rather grimly； 〃that optimism of yours is always
ready to turn hell's back yard into a playground。〃
I said that； old as I was； I had taken up the study of French； and
mentioned Bayard Taylor's having begun Greek at fifty； expecting to need
it in heaven。
Clemens said； reflectively： 〃Yesbut you see that was Greek。〃
CCLXXXI
THE LAST SUMMER AT STORMFIELD
I was at Stormfield pretty constantly during the rest of that year。 At
first I went up only for the day； but later； when his health did not
improve； and when he expressed a wish for companionship evenings； I
remained most of the nights as well。 Our rooms were separated only by a
bath…room； and as neither of us was much given to sleep； there was likely
to be talk or reading aloud at almost any hour when both were awake。 In
the very early morning I would usually slip in； softly； sometimes to find
him propped up against his pillows sound asleep； his glasses on； the
reading…lamp blazing away as it usually did； day or night； but as often
as not he was awake； and would have some new plan or idea of which he was
eager to be delivered； and there was always interest； and nearly always
amusement in it； even if it happened to be three in the morning or
earlier。
Sometimes； when he thought it time for me to be stirring； he would call
softly； but loudly enough for me to hear if awake； and I would go in； and
we would settle again problems of life and death and science； or； rather；
he would settle them while I dropped in a remark here and there； merely
to hold the matter a little longer in solution。
The pains in his breast came back； and with a good deal of frequency as
the summer advanced； also； they became more severe。 Dr。 Edward Quintard
came up from New York； and did not hesitate to say that the trouble
proceeded chiefly from the heart； and counseled diminished smoking； with
less active exercise； advising particularly against Clemens's lifetime
habit of lightly skipping up and down stairs。
There was no prohibition as to billiards； however； or leisurely walking；
and we played pretty steadily through those peaceful summer days； and
often took a walk down into the meadows or perhaps in the other
direction； when it was not too warm or windy。 Once we went as far as the
river； and I showed him a part of his land he had not seen beforea
beautiful cedar hillside； remote and secluded； a place of enchantment。
On the way I pointed out a little corner of land which earlier he had
given me to straighten our division line。 I told him I was going to
build a study on it； and call it 〃Markland。〃 He thought it an admirable
building…site； and I think he was pleased with the name。 Later he said：
〃If you had a place for that extra billiard…table of mine ＇the Rogers
table； which had been left in New York＇ I would turn it over to you。〃
I replied that I could adapt the size of my proposed study to fit a
billiard…table； and he said：
〃Now that will be very good。 Then； when I want exercise； I can walk down
and play billiards with you； and when you want exercise you can walk up
and play billiards with me。 You must