第191章

Nothing of importance happened in America.The new Paige company had a factory started in Chicago and expected to manufacture fifty machines as a beginning.They claimed to have capital, or to be able to command it, and as the main control had passed from Clemens's hands, he could do no more than look over the ground and hope for the best.As for the business, about all that he could do was to sign certain notes necessary to provide such additional capital as was needed, and agree with Hall that hereafter they would concentrate their efforts and resist further temptation in the way of new enterprise.Then he returned to Bad-Nauheim and settled down to literature.This was the middle of July, and he must have worked pretty steadily, for he presently had a variety of MSS.ready to offer.

To Fred J.Hall, in New York:

Aug.10, '92.

DEAR MR.HALT,--I have dropped that novel I wrote you about, because Isaw a more effective way of using the main episode--to wit: by telling it through the lips of Huck Finn.So I have started Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer (still 15 years old) and their friend the freed slave Jim around the world in a stray balloon, with Huck as narrator, and somewhere after the end of that great voyage he will work in the said episode and then nobody will suspect that a whole book has been written and the globe circumnavigated merely to get that episode in an effective (and at the same time apparently unintentional) way.I have written 12,000 words of this narrative, and find that the humor flows as easily as the adventures and surprises--so I shall go along and make a book of from 50,000 to 100,000 words.

It is a story for boys, of course, and I think will interest any boy between 8 years and 80.

When I was in New York the other day Mrs.Dodge, editor of St.Nicholas, wrote and, offered me $5,000 for (serial right) a story for boys 50,000words long.I wrote back and declined, for I had other matter in my mind, then.

I conceive that the right way to write a story for boys is to write so that it will not only interest boys but will also strongly interest any man who has ever been a boy.That immensely enlarges the audience.

Now this story doesn't need to be restricted to a Childs magazine--it is proper enough for any magazine, I should think, or for a syndicate.Idon't swear it, but I think so.

Proposed title of the story, "New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."[No signature.]

The "novel" mentioned in the foregoing was The Extraordinary Twins, a story from which Pudd'nhead Wilson would be evolved later.It was a wildly extravagant farce--just the sort of thing that now and then Mark Twain plunged into with an enthusiasm that had to work itself out and die a natural death, or mellow into something worth while.

Tom Sawyer Abroad, as the new Huck story was finally called, was completed and disposed of to St.Nicholas for serial publication.

The Twichells were in Europe that summer, and came to Bad-Nauheim.

The next letter records a pleasant incident.The Prince of Wales of that day later became King Edward VII.

To Mr.and Mrs.Orion Clemens, in Keokuk, Iowa.:

Private.BAD-NAUHEIM, Aug.23, '92.

DEAR ORION AND MOLLIE,--("Private" because no newspaper-man or other gossip must get hold of it)Livy is getting along pretty well, and the doctor thinks another summer here will cure her.

The Twichell's have been here four days and we have had good times with them.Joe and I ran over to Homburg, the great pleasure resort, Saturday, to dine with some friends, and in the morning I went walking in the promenade and met the British Ambassador to the Court of Berlin, and he introduced me to the Prince of Wales, and I found him a most unusually comfortable and unembarrassing Englishman to talk with--quick to see the obscurest point, and equipped with a laugh which is spontaneous and catching.Am invited by a near friend of his to meet him at dinner day after tomorrow, and there could be a good time, but the brass band will smash the talk and spoil everything.

We are expecting to move to Florence ten or twelve days hence, but if this hot weather continues we shall wait for cooler.I take Clara to Berlin for the winter-music, mainly, with German and French added.Thus far, Jean is our only glib French scholar.

We all send love to you all and to Pamela and Sam's family, and Annie.

SAM

Clemens and family left Bad-Nauheim for Italy by way of Switzerland.

In September Mrs.Clemens's sister, Mrs.Crane, who had been with them in Europe during the first year, had now returned to America.

Mrs.Clemens had improved at the baths, though she had by no means recovered her health.We get a general report of conditions from the letter which Clemens wrote Mrs.Crane from Lucerne, Switzerland, where the party rested for several days.The "Phelps" mentioned in this letter was William Walter Phelps, United States Minister to Germany.The Phelps and Clemens families had been much associated in Berlin."Mason" was Frank Mason, Consul General at Frankfort, and in later years at Paris."Charlie and Ida " were Charles and Mrs.Langdon, of Elmira.

To Mrs.Crane, in Elmira, N.Y.:

LUCERNE, Sept.18, '92.

DEAR AUNT SUE,--Imagine how I felt to find that you had actually gone off without filling my traveling ink stand which you gave me! I found it out yesterday.Livy advised me to write you about it.