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appear to have actually seen the play during that theatrical season； and
many and various were the attempts made to place it elsewhere； always
with one resultthat each actor or manager； in the end； declared it to
be strictly a Raymond play。 The thing was hanging fire for nearly a
year； altogether； while they were waiting on Raymond； who had a
profitable play； and was in no hurry for the recrudescence of Sellers。
Howells tells how he eventually took the manuscript to Raymond； whom he
found 〃in a mood of sweet reasonableness〃 at one of Osgood's luncheons。
Raymond said he could not do the play then； but was sure he would like it
for the coming season； and in any case would be glad to read it。
In due time Raymond reported favorably on the play； at least so far as
the first act was concerned； but he objected to the materialization
feature and to Sellers as claimant for the English earldom。 He asked
that these features be eliminated； or at least much ameliorated； but as
these constituted the backbone and purpose of the whole play； Clemens and
Howells decided that what was left would be hardly worth while。 Raymond
finally agreed to try the play as it was in one of the larger towns …
Howells thinks in Buffalo。 A week later the manuscript came back to
Webster； who had general charge of the business negotiations； as indeed
he had of all Mark Twain's affairs at this time； and with it a brief
line：
DEAR SIR；I have just finished rereading the play； and am convinced
that in its present form it would not prove successful。 I return
the manuscript by express to your address。
Thanking you for your courtesy； I am；
Yours truly； JOHN T。 RAYMOND。
P。S。If the play is altered and made longer I will be pleased to
read it again。
In his former letter Raymond had declared that 〃Sellers； while a very
sanguine man； was not a lunatic； and no one but a lunatic could for a
moment imagine that he had done such a work〃 （meaning the
materialization）。 Clearly Raymond wanted a more serious presentation；
something akin to his earlier success； and on the whole we can hardly
blame him。 But the authors had faith in their performance as it stood；
and agreed they would make no change。
Finally a well…known elocutionist； named Burbank； conceived the notion of
impersonating Raymond as well as Sellers； making of it a sort of double
burlesque； and agreed to take the play on those terms。 Burbank came to
Hartford and showed what he could do。 Howells and Clemens agreed to give
him the play； and they hired the old Lyceum Theater for a week； at seven
hundred dollars； for its trial presentation。 Daniel Frohman promoted it。
Clemens and Howells went over the play and made some changes； but they
were not as hilarious over it or as full of enthusiasm as they had been
in the beginning。 Howells put in a night of sufferinglong； dark hours
of hot and cold waves of fearand rising next morning from a tossing
bed； wrote： 〃Here's a play which every manager has put out…of…doors and
which every actor known to us has refused； and now we go and give it to
an elocutioner。 We are fools。〃
Clemens hurried over to Boston to consult with Howells； and in the end
they agreed to pay the seven hundred dollars for the theater； take the
play off and give Burbank his freedom。 But Clemens's faith in it did not
immediately die。 Howells relinquished all right and title in it； and
Clemens started it out with Burbank and a traveling company； doing one…
night stands； and kept it going for a week or more at his own expense。
It never reached New York。
〃And yet；〃 says Howells； 〃I think now that if it had come it would have
been successful。 So hard does the faith of the unsuccessful dramatist
die。〃 ＇This was as late as the spring of 1886； at which time Howells's
faith in the play was exceedingly shaky。 In one letter he wrote： 〃It is
a lunatic that we have created； and while a lunatic in one act might
amuse； I'm afraid that in three he would simply bore。〃
And again：
〃As it stands； I believe the thing will fail； and it would be a disgrace
to have it succeed。〃＇
CXLVIII
CABLE AND HIS GREAT JOKE
Meanwhile； with the completion of the Sellers play Clemens had flung
himself into dramatic writing once more with a new and more violent
impetuosity than ever。 Howells had hardly returned to Boston when he
wrote：
Now let's write a tragedy。
The inclosed is not fancy； it is history； except that the little girl was
a passing stranger； and not kin to any of the parties。 I read the
incident in Carlyle's Cromwell a year ago； and made a note in my note…
book； stumbled on the note to…day； and wrote up the closing scene of a
possible tragedy； to see how it might work。
If we made this colonel a grand fellow； and gave him a wife to suithey？
It's right in the big historical timeswar； Cromwell in big； picturesque
power； and all that。
Come； let's do this tragedy； and do it well。 Curious； but didn't
Florence want a Cromwell？ But Cromwell would not be the chief figure
here。
It was the closing scene of that pathetic passage in history from which
he would later make his story； 〃The Death Disc。〃 Howells was too tired
and too occupied to undertake immediately a new dramatic labor； so
Clemens went steaming ahead alone。
My billiard…table is stacked up with books relating to the Sandwich
Islands； the walls are upholstered with scraps of paper penciled
with notes drawn from them。 I have saturated myself with knowledge
of that unimaginably beautiful land and that most strange and
fascinating people。 And I have begun a story。 Its hidden motive
will illustrate a but…little considered fact in human nature： that
the religious folly you are born in you will die in； no matter what
apparently reasonabler religious folly may seem to have taken its
place； meanwhile abolished and obliterated it。 I start Bill
Ragsdale at eleven years of age； and the heroine at four； in the
midst of the ancient idolatrous system； with its picturesque and
amazing customs and superstitions； three months before the arrival
of the missionaries andthe erection of a shallow Christianity upon
the ruins of the old paganism。
Then these two will become educated Christians and highly civilized。
And then I will jump fifteen years and do Ragsdale's leper business。
When we come to dramatize； we can draw a deal of matter from the
story； all ready to our hand。
He made elaborate preparations for the Sandwich Islands story； which he
and Howells would dramatize later； and within the space of a few weeks he
actually did dramatize 'The Prince and the Pauper' and 'Tom Sawyer'； and
was prodding Webster to find proper actors or managers； stipulating at
first severe and arbitrary terms； which were gradually modified； as one
after another of the prospective customers found these dramatic wares
unsuited to their needs。 Mark Twain was one of the most dramatic
creatures that ever lived； but he lacked the faculty of stage arrangement
of the dramatic idea。 It is one of the commonest defects in the litera