登陆注册
5380500000198

第198章

I am miserably sorry to be adding bothers and torments to the over-supply which you already have in these hideous times, but I feel so troubled, myself, considering the dreary fact that we are getting deeper and deeper in debt and the L.A.L.getting to be a heavier and heavier burden all the time, that I must bestir myself and seek a way of relief.

It did not occur to me that in selling out I would injure you--for that Iam not going to do.But to sell L.A.L.will not injure you it will put you in better shape.

Sincerely Yours S.L.CLEMENS.

To Fred J.Hall, in New York:

July 8, '92.

DEAR MR.HALL,--I am sincerely glad you are going to sell L.A.L.I am glad you are shutting off the agents, and I hope the fatal book will be out of our hands before it will be time to put them on again.With nothing but our non-existent capital to work with the book has no value for us, rich a prize as it will be to any competent house that gets it.

I hope you are making an effort to sell before you discharge too many agents, for I suppose the agents are a valuable part of the property.

We have been stopping in Munich for awhile, but we shall make a break for some country resort in a few days now.

Sincerely Yours S.L.C.

July 8

P.S.No, I suppose I am wrong in suggesting that you wait a moment before discharging your L.A.L.agents--in fact I didn't mean that.

I judge your only hope of salvation is in discharging them all at once, since it is their commissions that threaten to swamp us.It is they who have eaten up the $14,000 I left with you in such a brief time, no doubt.

I feel panicky.

I think the sale might be made with better advantage, however, now, than later when the agents have got out of the purchaser's reach.

S.L.C.

P.S.No monthly report for many months.

Those who are old enough to remember the summer of 1893 may recall it as a black financial season.Banks were denying credit, businesses were forced to the wall.It was a poor time to float any costly enterprise.The Chicago company who was trying to build the machines made little progress.The book business everywhere was bad.In a brief note following the foregoing letters Clemens wrote Hall:

"It is now past the middle of July and no cablegram to say the machine is finished.We are afraid you are having miserable days and worried nights, and we sincerely wish we could relieve you, but it is all black with us and we don't know any helpful thing to say or do."He inclosed some kind of manuscript proposition for John Brisben Walker, of the Cosmopolitan, with the comment: "It is my ingenious scheme to protect the family against the alms-house for one more year--and after that--well, goodness knows! I have never felt so desperate in my life--and good reason, for I haven't got a penny to my name, and Mrs.Clemens hasn't enough laid up with Langdon to keep us two months."It was like Mark Twain, in the midst of all this turmoil, to project an entirely new enterprise; his busy mind was always visioning success in unusual undertakings, regardless of immediate conditions and the steps necessary to achievement.

To Fred J.Hall, in New York:

July 26, '93.

DEAR MR.HALL,--.....I hope the machine will be finished this month;but it took me four years and cost me $100,000 to finish the other machine after it was apparently entirely complete and setting type like a house-afire.

I wonder what they call "finished." After it is absolutely perfect it can't go into a printing-office until it has had a month's wear, running night and day, to get the bearings smooth, I judge.

I may be able to run over about mid-October.Then if I find you relieved of L.A.L.we will start a magazine inexpensive, and of an entirely unique sort.Arthur Stedman and his father editors of it.Arthur could do all the work, merely submitting it to his father for approval.

The first number should pay--and all subsequent ones --25 cents a number.

Cost of first number (20,000 copies) $2,000.Give most of them away, sell the rest.Advertising and other expenses--cost unknown.Send one to all newspapers--it would get a notice--favorable, too.

But we cannot undertake it until L.A.L, is out of the way.With our hands free and some capital to spare, we could make it hum.

Where is the Shelley article? If you have it on hand, keep it and I will presently tell you what to do with it.

Don't forget to tell me.

Yours Sincerely S.L.C.

The Shelley article mentioned in this letter was the "Defense of Harriet Sheller," one of the very best of his essays.How he could have written this splendid paper at a time of such distraction passes comprehension.Furthermore, it is clear that he had revised, indeed rewritten, the long story of Pudd'nhead Wilson.

To Fred J.Hall, in New York:

July 30, '93.

DEAR MR.HALL,--This time "Pudd'nhead Wilson" is a success! Even Mrs.

Clemens, the most difficult of critics, confesses it, and without reserves or qualifications.Formerly she would not consent that it be published either before or after my death.I have pulled the twins apart and made two individuals of them; I have sunk them out of sight, they are mere flitting shadows, now, and of no importance; their story has disappeared from the book.Aunt Betsy Hale has vanished wholly, leaving not a trace behind; aunt Patsy Cooper and her daughter Rowena have almost disappeared--they scarcely walk across the stage.The whole story is centered on the murder and the trial; from the first chapter the movement is straight ahead without divergence or side-play to the murder and the trial; everything that is done or said or that happens is a preparation for those events.Therefore, 3 people stand up high, from beginning to end, and only 3--Pudd'nhead, "Tom" Driscoll, and his nigger mother, Roxana; none of the others are important, or get in the way of the story or require the reader's attention.Consequently, the scenes and episodes which were the strength of the book formerly are stronger than ever, now.

同类推荐
  • 四明仁岳异说丛书目次

    四明仁岳异说丛书目次

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明季南略

    明季南略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Lady From The Sea

    The Lady From The Sea

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO

    THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 老残游记

    老残游记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 名人传记丛书:卢梭

    名人传记丛书:卢梭

    名人传记丛书——卢梭——不堪的人生,伟大的思想,传世的杰作:“立足课本,超越课堂”,以提高中小学生的综合素质为目的,让中小学生从课内受益到课外,是一生的良师益友。
  • 和谐社会视野下社会体育的未来发展研究

    和谐社会视野下社会体育的未来发展研究

    体育运动锻炼,既可以帮助人们强健筋骨,又可以帮助人们健美心灵,还可以有效的帮助人们融入社会群体当中。因此,在此种意义上来讲,体育这项运动是可以起到维护社会稳定的积极作用的。本文主要研究社会体育方式休闲化发展趋势、体育选择多样化发展趋势、体育区域扩大化发展趋势、体育性别鲜明化发展趋势、体育职业多元化发展趋势、体育健身科学化发展趋势。从这些方面研究体育对和谐社会构建起到的作用。
  • 女扮男装:极品三少爷

    女扮男装:极品三少爷

    慕清风——博览群书,文武全才,空难身死,灵魂坠入异世。再次醒来,却穿越到东祥国第一草包美男的身上,传言他懦弱胆小,胸无点墨,手无缚鸡之力。一朝穿越,迷乱世人。第一杀手“废话真多,我就是断袖了,你不从也得从!”天水族少主“一直以为我能走进你的心里,没想到却是你赖在我的心里不出去了!”妖孽太子“你如果不把他们都甩了,我就死给你看!”纨绔公子“谁叫你在我面前洗澡了,就要对我负责!”女主晕倒.【片段】“娘亲,爹爹说因为娘亲太懒了,所以小宝才没有妹妹的,小宝想要妹妹,娘亲你要勤快一点!”某小宝一脸义正言辞的站在沐清风面前。女主“……”回头一看某男正在角落里偷笑。
  • 王懿荣传

    王懿荣传

    《王懿荣传》全书近40万字,以丰富的材料,全面详实叙述了王懿荣的家学渊源、生平交友、跻身殿堂、金石巨匠、发现甲骨文以及爱国爱民和血洒京师的伟大爱国学者一生的事迹。
  • 出卖

    出卖

    以“铁路战争”为故事背景,描绘了一幅俄、日争夺三江地区资源的真实图画,生动而深刻地展现面对外寇,有人出卖身体、灵魂,直至民族尊严和国家财富。一个土匪头子采用绑将军女儿的票,反过来又救她的手段,获得将军的信任招为女婿。将军被俄国人暗杀后,他掌管了巡防军。这位草头王司令危机四伏,他的身边既有早年潜伏下来作为将军义女的俄国间谍雨蝶,又有日本情人美女间谍月之香,还有革命党秘密派到司令身边做副官的人……故事在这些人之间错综复杂地展开。作者笔下一群特殊人物——墙头草县知事、唯利是图的商贩、富有正义感的木帮总管等群相,既有一致同慨敌人,又有自己选择道路和独特性格。
  • 撩人娇妻辰少装深沉

    撩人娇妻辰少装深沉

    她被利用,侥幸逃脱,俗话说“大难不死,必有后福”然后她肚子里就被塞了个种。又俗话说“善有善报”,这肚子里的种还是留着吧。不料,生出个腹黑宝,平时没事儿就爱毒舌几句“妈咪,你真是,要身材没身材,要智商没智商,不过关键是你有钱你还不花”靠,她生了个白眼狼,偏偏要打他的时候,翻脸比翻书还快“妈咪,我爱你,就像老鼠爱大米”what?“你这些不要脸的话肯定遗传了你那个不要脸的爹!”突然身后冷飕飕的“要不我们再生一个,我保证这次一定遗传你,宝贝”天了噜,孩子他爹,“呵呵呵,新年快乐,早生贵子,我先走了”。
  • 猎魔榜

    猎魔榜

    不知多少年前,魔族大军撕裂了华国的天空,诸天神佛不知从世界何处升腾而起,同魔族展开了一场旷世大战。“泼猴,三大灵猴已然入魔,斩了他们!”“悟空,愿为师一身血肉,能助众生除魔!莫要阻拦”“猴哥!俺去了!”“大师兄…”猴子挥舞金箍棒,闪闪眼中的金光:“都是呆子”不知多少年后,青涩的少年看着眼前脏兮兮的猴子:“猴哥,我们想覆灭魔族。”“呆子”
  • 性恶

    性恶

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 完美机甲剑神

    完美机甲剑神

    进入大宇宙时期的人类,在星空遭遇黑暗魔族,双方血战星空。少年张远重生十年前,借游戏《英雄》加入星空战场,一代机甲剑神横空出世。新书《最后一个炼金师》已发。
  • 创业,从一个简单的创意开始

    创业,从一个简单的创意开始

    本书讲述的不是空泛的长篇大论,而是实实在在的技巧、步骤。既有方法,又有实例。使用这些方法,作者成功授权的20多个创意为企业带来几十亿美元的销售收入,自己也因此过上了富足的生活。他数以千计的学生也通过这一方法,成功地将创意转化为丰厚的收入。避免漫长、复杂而耗费资金的艰难过程,将简单的创意推入市场,并获得收益。创业,只需从一个简单的创意开始。