The Mysterious Stranger Manuscripts (Literature) (71 page)

A Ranks. A Your redeemed w(ore)ear crowns, aureoles, halos, for you
are a childish lot & delight in vanities for the eye as glass beads delight savages. Your new Jerusalem & your pearly gates & so onrather loud taste. And the music there!

You haven't changed one shade, in tastes or otherwise in 8500
million yrs.

G-5

(A)B I

Annie plays music-he suffers-finds her at home when he gets
there. Then he plays?

Savage dog. Animals were Adam's loving servants. And so are his n
Talks with them. A [halfcircled]

He is made of air. A Loaded the cat. A [circled]

When sense of humor is complete, he does the materializing at
seances.

For the moment, Hotch is spiritualist, but not his Presbyterian
wife.

Describe H's, Annie, Aunt Rachel & Uncle Jeff.

A His church prospers-for they don't take up a collection. Also,
he gives away money freely. A [in left margin]

Chess, cards, checkers,-stocking the cards. Drawing, painting.

He quickly learns to talk with Tom Nash, then improves on
the system.

Electricity A Pipes-cigars. A [halfcircled]

G-6

1

Bring slathers of little red, A behind, cooling devils to print ms
Bible &

feed the whole town n (cold plate from cubboard to sit on n
pants-monev-

-touch of love—

blizzard-

Bible-sermons--dialogues-in Appendix

No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger

Group A

These notes, on a single sheet of glossy pearl-gray Par Value tablet
paper, are in the same dark blue ink as the first 171 pages of the manuscript and were probably written during their composition.

A-1

Notes.

Whenever a thing is large n & bragable n, "Sho, you ought to see
it in Sirius."

Whenever it is "advanced" Lord, you ought to see it in (get that
name from Lady Duff Gordon.)

These snubs make me tired,-& Doan too.

I visit those places with 44.

44 hunts maj [magician] constantly with miracles-Satan comeshe takes the credit at first; then too late tries to get out of it.

He is burned at the stake (it is 44 in disguise).

Appears again-is destroyed in various ways, keeps coming to life.

Group B

This group of notes consists of six glossy buff-colored tablet sheets approximately 9" by 53/4", numbered consecutively, in the hand of Isabel V. Lyon. The notes were dictated some time after mid-November 1902 when she became Mark Twain's secretary and probably before the composition of the third chapter of "No. 44."'
Spelling errors have been silently emended. The first two items, in Mark Twain's hand, in dark blue ink, have been rendered in boldface type.

B-1

1

Jesus! said Father Adolf. [in top left corner]

A drunken, armored knight.

A dethroned King in the cellar.

Pi.

Hell box.

Towel.

Strap oil.

Barty contributes money and is repaid.

I am told on and my trouble begins.

I explain to him what to do without speaking.

I shirked going to his room that night.

Some one propagates the suspicion that I am his friend.

B-2

2

Fischer and others begin to lean toward him, and I venture to say a good word to them for him.

There should have been a carouse in 44's honor that night.

A conspiracy is brewing during several days against the master.

I pick up the facts from Fischer & Co.

The idea is to ruin him, oust him and put some one in his place.

44 is persecuted in all ways the first day.

At last Blume strikes him.

B-3

3

That is more than Fischer can stand.

Ile resents it.

That classes him with 44's friend, and the count begins to divide.

I privately work upon Fischer through Mar.

Some time Mar. and Maria will begin to be attracted toward 44.

Father Peter and his niece must come in here somewhere.

And perhaps the conspirators will purposely or by accident betray

the printing shop to Father Adolf.

B-4

4

Getting used to being in the opposition.

And finding a sort of support in Fischer.

I lose the bulk of my fears, and consort with 44 by night but not by
day.

I am astonished to find that he is quite willing to kill a good man.

Thinks it would be doing him a favor.

But spares Ernest-and all vicious men.

Because they did not make themselves.

And are not to blame for what they are and do.

They are entitled to large compassion.

B-5

5

I always find it impossible to budge him from that position.

Or get him to feel an insult or an injury.

The master's influence wanes little by little.

Perhaps by and by the magician will take the head of the table.

He is heavy hearted.

And finds solace in teaching 44.

44 explains what one's DreamSelf is.

Maria and her mother are feeling strong enough now.

To try again to oust Mar. and

B-6

6

her mother.

44 will take a hand.

Group C

This group of notes, in the hand of Jean Clemens, is on four Par Value
tablet sheets, with writing on both the verso and the recto. The notes
follow the second chapter of "No. 44," with a few omissions and
changes in wording. Presumably Mark Twain dictated this passage to
Jean for reference and omitted material not of immediate use. The
changes are proposed shifts of plot direction. Jean's spelling, punctuation, and capitalization have been regularized. Later penciled corrections and additions by Mark Twain have been rendered in boldface
type.

C-1

1.

Heinrich Stein, the master, was portly, of a grave and dignified
carriage, with a large & benevolent face & calm deep eyes-a patient
man whose temper could stand much before it broke. His head was
bald, with a valance of silky white hair hanging around it, his face
was clean shaven, his raiment was good & fine, but not rich. He was
a scholar, & a dreamer & thinker, & loved learning & study, & would
have submerged his mind all the days & nights in his books & been
pleasantly & peacefully unconscious of his surroundings, if God had
been willing. His complexion was younger than his hair; he was four
or five years short of sixty.

C-2

2.

A large part of his surroundings consisted of his wife. She was well
along in life, and was long & lean & flat-breasted, & had an active &
vicious tongue & a diligent & devilish spirit, & more religion than was
good for her, considering the quality of it. She hungered for money,
& believed there was a treasure hid in the black deeps of the castle
somewhere; & between fretting & sweating about that & trying to
bring sinners nearer to God where any fell in her way she was able
to fill up her time and save her life from getting uninteresting & her
soul from getting mouldy. There was old tradition for the treasure,
and the word of

C-3

3.

Balthasar Hoffman thereto. He had come from a (great) A long n
way off, & had brought a great reputation with him, which he concealed (fro) in our family the best he could, for he had no more
ambition to be burnt by the Church than another. He lived with us on light salary & board, & worked the constellations for the treasure.
He had an easy berth & was not likely to lose his job if the constellations held out, for it was Frau Stein that hired him; & her faith
in him, as in all things she had at heart, was of the staying kind.
Inside the walls, where was safety, he clothed himself as Egyptians
and magicians should, & moved stately, robed in black velvet starred
& mooned (& velveted) & cometed & sun'd with the symbols of his
trade done in silver, & on his head a conical tower with A like n symbols glinting from it. When he at intervals went outside he left his
business suit behind, with good discretion, & went dressed like anybody else & looking the Christian
etc.
Very naturally we were all
afraid of him-abjectly so, I suppose I may say-though