Rockefeller and others； and is still one of its managers and directors。
In 1893 we fell together by accident one evening in the Murray Hill
Hotel； and our friendship began on the spot and at once。 Ever since then
he has added my business affairs to his own and carried them through； and
I have had no further trouble with them。 Obstructions and perplexities
which would have driven me mad were simplicities to his master mind and
furnished him no difficulties。 He released me from my entanglements with
Paige and stopped that expensive outgo； when Charles L。 Webster & Company
failed he saved my copyrights for Mrs。 Clemens when she would have
sacrificed them to the creditors although they were in no way entitled to
them； he offered to lend me money wherewith to save the life of that
worthless firm； when I started lecturing around the world to make the
money to pay off the Webster debts he spent more than a year trying to
reconcile the differences between Harper & Brothers and the American
Publishing Company and patch up a working…contract between them and
succeeded where any other man would have failed； as fast as I earned
money and sent it to him he banked it at interest and held onto it；
refusing to pay any creditor until he could pay all of the 96 alike； when
I had earned enough to pay dollar for dollar he swept off the
indebtedness and sent me the whole batch of complimentary letters which
the creditors wrote in return； when I had earned 28；500 more； 18；500 of
which was in his hands； I wrote him from Vienna to put the latter into
Federal Steel and leave it there； he obeyed to the extent of 17；500； but
sold it in two months at 25；000 profit； and said it would go ten points
higher； but that it was his custom to 〃give the other man a chance〃 （and
that was a true wordthere was never a truer one spoken）。 That was at
the end of '99 and beginning of 1900； and from that day to this he has
continued to break up my bad schemes and put better ones in their place；
to my great advantage。 I do things which ought to try man's patience；
but they never seem to try his； he always finds a colorable excuse for
what I have done。 His soul was born superhumanly sweet； and I do not
think anything can sour it。 I have not known his equal among men for
lovable qualities。 But for his cool head and wise guidance I should
never have come out of the Webster difficulties on top； it was his good
steering that enabled me to work out my salvation and pay a hundred cents
on the dollarthe most valuable service any man ever did me。
His character is full of fine graces； but the finest is this： that he can
load you down with crushing obligations and then so conduct himself that
you never feel their weight。 If he would only require something in
returnbut that is not in his nature； it would not occur to him。 With
the Harpers and the American Company at war those copyrights were worth
but little； he engineered a peace and made them valuable。 He invests
100；000 for me here； and in a few months returns a profit of 31；000。 I
invest （in London and here） 66；000 and must wait considerably for
results （in case there shall be any）。 I tell him about it and he finds
no fault； utters not a sarcasm。 He was born serene； patient； all…
enduring； where a friend is concerned； and nothing can extinguish that
great quality in him。 Such a man is entitled to the high gift of humor：
he has it at its very best。 He is not only the best friend I have ever
had； but is the best man I have known。
S。 L。 CLEMENS。
APPENDIX U
FROM MARK TWAIN'S LAST POEM
BEGUN AT RIVERDALE； NEW YORK。 FINISHED AT YORK HARBOR； MAINE；
AUGUST 18； 1902
（See Chapter ccxxiii）
（A bereft and demented mother speaks）
。 。 。 O； I can see my darling yet： the little form
In slip of flimsy stuff all creamy white；
Pink…belted waist with ample bows；
Blue shoes scarce bigger than the house…cat's ears
Capering in delight and choked with glee。
It was a summer afternoon； the hill
Rose green above me and about； and in the vale below
The distant village slept； and all the world
Was steeped in dreams。 Upon me lay this peace；
And I forgot my sorrow in its spell。 And now
My little maid passed by； and she
Was deep in thought upon a solemn thing：
A disobedience； and my reproof。
Upon my face She must not look until the day was done；
For she was doing penance 。 。 。 She？
O； it was I！ What mother knows not that？
And so she passed； I worshiping and longing 。 。 。
It was not wrong？ You do not think me wrong？
I did it for the best。 Indeed I meant it so。
She flits before me now：
The peach…bloom of her gauzy crepe；
The plaited tails of hair；
The ribbons floating from the summer hat；
The grieving face； dropp'd head absorbed with care。
O； dainty little form！
I see it move； receding slow along the path；
By hovering butterflies besieged； I see it reach
The breezy top clear…cut against the sky； 。 。 。
Then pass beyond and sink from sight…forever！
Within； was light and cheer； without；
A blustering winter's right。 There was a play；
It was her own； for she had wrought it out
Unhelped； from her own head…and she
But turned sixteen！ A pretty play；
All graced with cunning fantasies；
And happy songs； and peopled all with fays；
And sylvan gods and goddesses；
And shepherds； too； that piped and danced；
And wore the guileless hours away
In care…free romps and games。
Her girlhood mates played in the piece；
And she as well： a goddess； she；
And looked it； as it seemed to me。
'Twas fairyland restored…so beautiful it was
And innocent。 It made us cry； we elder ones；
To live our lost youth o'er again
With these its happy heirs。
Slowly； at last； the curtain fell。
Before us； there； she stood； all wreathed and draped
In roses pearled with dew…so sweet； so glad；
So radiant！and flung us kisses through the storm
Of praise that crowned her triumph 。 。 。 。 O；
Across the mists of time I see her yet；
My Goddess of the Flowers！
。 。 。 The curtain hid her 。 。 。 。
Do you comprehend？ Till time shall end！
Out of my life she vanished while I looked！
。 。 。 Ten years are flown。
O； I have watched so long；
So long。 But she will come no more。
No； she will come no more。
It seems so strange 。 。 。 so strange 。 。 。
Struck down unwarned！
In the unbought grace； of youth laid low
In the glory of her fresh young bloom laid low
In the morning of her life cut down！
And I not by！ Not by
When the shadows fell； the night of death closed down
The sun that lit my life went out。 Not by to answer
When the latest whisper passed the lips
That were so dear to memy name！
Far from my post！ the world's whole breadth away。
O； sinking in the waves of death she cried to me
For mother…help； and got for answer
Silence！
We that are oldwe comprehend； even we
That are not mad： whose grown…up scions still abide；
Their tale complete：
Their earlier selves we glimpse at intervals
Far in the dimming past；
We see the little forms as once they were；
And whilst we ache to take them to our hearts；
The vision fades。 We know them lost to us
Forever lost； we cannot have them back；
We miss them as we miss the dead；
We mourn them as we mourn the dead。
APPENDIX V
SELECTIONS FROM AN UNFINISHED BOOK； 〃3；000 YEARS AMONG THE MICROBES〃
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A MICROBE； WHO； IN A FORMER EXISTENCE； HAD BEEN A
MANHIS PRESENT HABITAT BEING THE ORGANISM OF A TRAMP； BLITZOWSKI。
（WRITTEN AT DUBLIN； NEW HAMPSHIRE； 1905）
（See Chapter ccxxxv）
Our world （the tramp） is as large and grand and awe…compelling to us
microscopic creatures as is man's world to man。 Our tramp is
mountainous； there are vast oceans in him； and lakes that are sea…like
for size； there are many rivers （veins and arteries） which are fifteen
miles across； and of a length so stupendous as to make the Mississippi
and the Amazon trifling little Rhode Island brooks by comparison。 As for
our minor rivers； they are multitudinous； and the dutiable commerce of
disease which they carry is rich beyond the dreams of the American
custom…house。
Take a man like Sir Oliver Lodge； and what secret of Nature can be hidden
from him？ He says： 〃A billion； that is a million millions；＇？？ Trillion
D。W。＇ of atoms is truly an immense number； but the resulting aggregate is
still excessively minute。 A portion of substance consisting； of a
billion atoms is only barely visible with the highest power of a
microscope； and a speck or granule； in order to be visible to the naked
eye； like a grain of lycopodium…dust； must be a million times bigger
still。〃
The human eye could see it thenthat dainty little speck。 But with my
microbe…eye I could see every individual of the whirling billions of
atoms that compose the speck。 Nothing is ever at restwood； iron；
water； everything is alive； everything is raging； whirling； whizzing； day
and night and night and day； nothing is dead； there is no such thing as
death； everything is full of bristling life； tremendous life； even the
bones of the crusader that perished before Jerusalem eight centuries ago。
There are no vegetables； all things are animal； each electron is an