The following text is preserved in an untitled manuscript in the Mark Twain Papers. Clemens labeled it “Autobiog.” at the top of the first page, but he did not integrate it with the final text of the autobiography. Paine penciled a title on the first page of the manuscript: “Anecdote of Jean. Her love of Animals.” The disaster portrayed in Jean’s picture book occurred on 1 November 1755, when a powerful series of earthquakes, followed by fires and a tsunami, destroyed much of Lisbon and killed an estimated 60,000 people and an unknown number of animals. The event became a focal point for debates on the nature of divine providence, and was frequently depicted in works of art.
Paine omitted this text from the autobiography, but in his biography of Clemens he retold the story, partly by paraphrasing this manuscript ( MTB, 3:1530). The full text is printed here for the first time.
Feb.Ⓐapparatus note 20 ’05.
Jean’s deep love and tenderness for animals continues; and of course will always continue, since it is a part of her temperament. Temperaments are born, not made, and they cannot be changed, by time, nor training, nor by any other force.Ⓐapparatus note Katy has been recalling a beautiful incident, apropos of this. When Jean was a little child, Katy was one day amusing her with a picture-book. One picture represented the Lisbon earthquake: the earth was gaping open and the people were tumbling into the chasm. Jean was not interested. Katy turned to the next picture: the same earthquake, but this timeⒶapparatus note it was the animals that were being swallowed up. Jean’s eyes filled at once and she said “poor things!” Katy said—
“Why, you didn’t care for the people.”
Jean said—
“Oh, they could speak.”
title Jean] Jean’s life is briefly outlined in the Appendix “Family Biographies” (p. 657).
Source document.
MS Untitled manuscript of 2 leaves, written in 1905.The MS was written in black ink on heavy cream-colored wove paper, torn from a tablet, measuring 5¾ by 8 15/16 inches. The title adopted here was written at the top of the first page by Paine. The anecdote is published here for the first time.