They asked us considerable many questions; wanted to know whatⒶalteration in the MS we covered up the raft that way,Ⓐhistorical collation for, and laid by in the daytimeⒶhistorical collation insteadⒶemendation of running—was Jim a runawayⒶemendation nigger? Says I—Ⓐhistorical collation
“Goodness sakes, would a runaway nigger run south?”
No, they allowed he wouldn’t. I had to account for things some way, soⒶalteration in the MS I says—Ⓐhistorical collation
“My folks was living in Pike countyⒶhistorical collation, in Missouri, whereⒶemendation I was born, and they all died off but me, and pa,Ⓐhistorical collation and my brother IkeⒺexplanatory note. Pa, he ’lowed he’d break up and go down and liveⒶalteration in the MS with uncleⒶhistorical collation Ben, who’s got a little one-horse placeⒶalteration in the MS on the riverⒶhistorical collation forty-four mile below Orleans. Pa was pretty poor, and had some debts; so when he’d squared up there warn’t nothing left but sixteen dollars and our nigger, Jim. That warn’t enough to take us fourteen hundred mile, deck passage nor no other way. Well, when the river rose, pa had a streak of luck,Ⓐhistorical collation one day; he ketched this piece of a raft; so weⒶemendation reckoned we’d go down to Orleans on it. Pa’s luck didn’t hold out; a steamboat run over the forrardⒶhistorical collation corner ofⒶalteration in the MS the raftⒶhistorical collation one night, and weⒶalteration in the MS all went overboard and doveⒶalteration in the MS under the wheel; Jim and me come up,Ⓐhistorical collation all right, but pa was drunk, and Ike was only four yearsⒶemendation old, so they never come up no more. Well, for the next day or two we had considerable trouble, because people was always coming out in skiffsⒶemendation and trying to take Jim away from me, saying they believed he was a runawayⒶemendation nigger. We don’t run daytimesⒶhistorical collation no more, now; nights they don’t bother us.”
The duke says—Ⓐhistorical collation
[begin page 167] “Leave me alone to cipher out a way soⒶemendation we can run in the day timeⒶhistorical collation if we want to. I’ll think the thing over—I’ll invent a plan that’llⒶemendation fix it.Ⓐalteration in the MS We’ll let it alone for to-day, because of course we don’t wantⒶemendation to go by that town yonderⒶemendation in daylightⒶemendation—it mightn’t be healthy.”
Towards night it begun to darken up and look like rain; the heat lightning was squirting around, low down in the sky, and the leaves was beginning to shiverⒶalteration in the MS—Ⓐemendationit was going to be pretty ugly, it was easy to see that. So the duke and the king went to overhauling our wigwam, to see what the beds was like. My bed was a straw tick—better than Jim’s, which was a corn-shuck tick; there’s always cobs around about in a shuck tick, and they poke into you and hurt; and when you roll over, the dry shucks sound like you was rolling over in a pile of dead leavesⒶemendation; it makes such a rustling that you wake up. Well, the duke allowed he would take my bed; but the king allowed he wouldn’tⒶemendation. He says—Ⓐhistorical collation
“I should a reckoned the difference in rank would a sejestedⒶhistorical collation to you that a corn-shuck bed warn’t jestⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation fitten for me to sleep on. Your grace’llⒶhistorical collation take the shuck bed yourself.”
JimⒶalteration in the MS and me was in a sweat again, for a minute, beingⒶhistorical collation afraid there was going to be some more trouble amongst them; so we was pretty glad when the duke says—Ⓐhistorical collation
“ ’Tis my fate to be always ground into the mire under the iron heel of oppression. MisfortuneⒶemendation has broken my once haughty spirit; I yield, I submit; ’tis my fate.Ⓐemendation I am alone in the world—let me suffer; I can bear it.”
We got away as soon as it was good and dark. The king told us to stand well out towards the middle of the river, and not show a light till we got a long ways below the town. WeⒶalteration in the MS come in sight of the little bunch of lights by and byⒶhistorical collation—that was the town, you know—and slid by, about a halfⒶemendation a mile out, all right. When we was three-quarters of a mile below, we hoisted up our signal lantern; and about ten o’clock it come on to rain and blow and thunder and lighten like everything; so the king told us to both stay on watch till the weather got better; then him and the duke crawled into the wigwam and turned in for the night. It was my watch below,Ⓐhistorical collation till twelve, but I wouldn’t a turnedⒶemendation in, anyway, if I’d had a bed; because a body don’t see such a storm as that every day in the week, not by a long sight. My souls, how the wind did screamⒶemendation along! andⒶhistorical collation every second or two there’d [begin page 168] come a glare that lit up the white-caps for a half a mile around, andⒶalteration in the MS you’d see the islands looking dustyⒶemendation through the rainⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS, and the trees thrashing aroundⒶemendation in the wind; then comes a h-wack!Ⓐhistorical collation—bum! bum! bumble-umble-um-bum-bum-bum-bumⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation—and the thunder would goⒶemendation rumblingⒶemendation and grumbling awayⒶemendation, and quit—Ⓐemendationand then rip Ⓐemendation comes another flash and another sockdolagerⒶemendation. The waves most washed me offⒶemendation the raft, sometimes, but I hadn’t any clothes on, and didn’t mind. We didn’t have noⒶemendation trouble about snags; the lightning was glaring and flittering around so constant that we could see them plentyⒶalteration in the MS soon enough to throw her head this way or that and miss them.
I had the middle watchⒺexplanatory note, you know, but I was pretty sleepy by that time, so Jim he said he would stand the first half of it for me; he was always mighty good, that way, Jim was. I crawled into the wigwam, but the king and the duke had their legs sprawled around soⒶemendation there warn’t no show for me; so I laid outside—I didn’t mind the rain, because it was warm,Ⓐalteration in the MS and the waves warn’tⒶemendation running so high, now. About two they come up again, though, and Jim was going to call me, but heⒶemendation changed his mind because he reckoned they warn’tⒶemendation high enough yet to do any harm;Ⓐalteration in the MS but he was mistaken about that, for pretty soon,Ⓐhistorical collation all of a sudden along comes a regular ripper, and washed me overboardⒶemendation.Ⓐalteration in the MS It most killed Jim a-laughing. He was the easiest niggerⒶemendation to laugh that ever was, anyway.
I took the watch, and Jim he laid down and snoredⒶemendation away; andⒶhistorical collation by and byⒶhistorical collation the storm let up for good and all; and the first cabin-lightⒶemendation that showed, I rousted himⒶhistorical collation out and we slid the raft into hiding-quarters for the day.
The king got out an old ratty deck of cards,Ⓐhistorical collation afterⒶalteration in the MS breakfast, and him and the duke played seven-up a whileⒶhistorical collation,Ⓐalteration in the MS five cents a game. Then they got tired of itⒶhistorical collation and allowed they would “lay out a campaign,” as they called it. The duke went down into his carpet-bag and fetched up a lot of little printed bills, and read them out loud. One bill saidⒶhistorical collation “theⒶhistorical collation celebratedⒶalteration in the MS Dr. Armand de Montalban,Ⓐhistorical collation of Paris,Ⓐalteration in the MS” would “lecture on the science of phrenologyⒶhistorical collation” at such-and-suchⒶhistorical collation a place, onⒶalteration in the MS the blank day of blank, at ten cents admission, and “furnish charts of character at twenty-five cents apiece.” TheⒶemendation duke said thatⒶemendation was him. In another bill he was the “world-renownedⒶhistorical collation Shaksperean tragedian, Garrick the YoungerⒺexplanatory note, of Drury Lane, London.” In other bills he had a lot ofⒶemendation other names,Ⓐemendation and done other wonderful things, like [begin page 169] finding water and gold with a “divining rodⒶhistorical collation,”Ⓔexplanatory note “dissipating witch-spellsⒶemendation,” and so on. By and byⒶhistorical collation he says—Ⓐhistorical collation
“But the histrionic muse is the darlingⒶemendation. Have you ever trod the boards, Royalty?”
“No,” says the king.
“You shall, then,Ⓐemendation before you’reⒶemendation three days older, Fallen Grandeur,” says the duke. “TheⒶemendation first good town we come to, we’ll hire a hall and do the sword-fight in Richard IIIⒺexplanatory note,Ⓐhistorical collation and the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet.Ⓐhistorical collation How does that strike you?”
“I’m in, up to the hub, for anything that willⒶemendation pay, Bilgewater,Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation but you see I don’t know nothing about play-actn’Ⓐemendation, and hain’t ever seen much of it. I was too small when pap used to have ’em at the palace.Ⓐemendation Do you reckon you can learn me?”
“Easy!”Ⓐalteration in the MS
“All right. I’m jestⒶhistorical collation a-freezn’Ⓐemendation for something fresh, anyway. Less commence, right away.”
So the duke heⒶemendation told him all about who Romeo was, and who Juliet was, and said he was used to being Romeo, so the king could be Juliet.
“But if Juliet’s such a young gal, dukeⒶhistorical collation, my peeled head and my white whiskers is goin’ to look oncommonⒶemendation odd on her, maybeⒶhistorical collation.”
“No, don’t you worry—Ⓐhistorical collationthese country jakes won’t ever think of that. Besides, you know, you’ll be in costume,Ⓐalteration in the MS and that makes all the difference in the world; Juliet’sⒶhistorical collation Ⓐalteration in the MS in a balcony,Ⓐhistorical collation enjoying the moonlight before she [begin page 170] goes to bed, and she’s got on her night-gownⒶemendation and her ruffled night-cap. Here areⒶalteration in the MS the costumesⒶalteration in the MS for the parts.”
He got out two or three curtain-calico suitsⒶhistorical collation which he said was meedyevil armor,Ⓐhistorical collation for Richard IIIⒶhistorical collation and t’other chap, and a long white cotton night shirtⒶhistorical collation and a ruffledⒶalteration in the MS night-capⒶemendation to match. The king was satisfied; so the duke got out his book and read the parts over in the most splendid spread-eagleⒶemendation way, prancing around and acting at the same time, to show how it had gotⒶalteration in the MS to be done; then he give the book to the king and told him to get his partⒶemendation by heart.
There was a little one-horse town about three mile down the bend, and after dinner the duke said he had ciphered out his idea about how to run in daylight without it being dangersomeⒶalteration in the MS for Jim; so he allowed he would go down to the town and fix that thing. The king allowed he would go,Ⓐhistorical collation too, and see if he couldn’t strike something. We was out of coffee, so Jim said I better go along with them in the canoe and get some.
When we got there, there warn’t nobodyⒶemendation stirring; streets empty, and perfectly dead and still, like Sunday. We found a sick nigger sunning himself in a back yard, and he said everybody that warn’t too youngⒶhistorical collation or too sickⒶhistorical collation or too old, was gone to camp-meetingⒶemendation Ⓔexplanatory note, about two mile back in the woods. The king got the directions, and allowed he’d go and work that camp meetingⒶhistorical collation Ⓔexplanatory note for all it was worth, and I might go, too.
The duke said what he was after was a printing officeⒶhistorical collation. We found it;Ⓐhistorical collation a little bit of a concern,Ⓐhistorical collation up over a carpenter shop—carpenters and printers all gone to the meeting, and no doors locked. It was a dirty, littered-up place, and had ink-marksⒶhistorical collation, and handbillsⒶemendation with pictures of horses and runaway-niggersⒶhistorical collation Ⓐalteration in the MS on them, all over the walls.Ⓐhistorical collation The duke shed his coat and said he was all right,Ⓐhistorical collation now. So me and the king lit out for the camp meetingⒶhistorical collation.
We got there in about a half an hour, fairly drippingⒶemendation, for it was a mostⒶalteration in the MS awful hot day.Ⓐemendation There was as much as aⒶalteration in the MS thousand people there, from twentyⒶalteration in the MS mile around. The woods was full of teams and wagons, hitched everywheresⒶalteration in the MS, feeding out of the wagon troughs and stompingⒶalteration in the MS to keep off the flies. There was sheds made out of poles and roofed over with branches, where they had lemonade and ginger-breadⒶhistorical collation to sell, and pilesⒶemendation of watermelonsⒶhistorical collation Ⓐalteration in the MS and green corn and such-like truck.
[begin page 171] The preaching was going on under the same kindsⒶemendation of sheds, only they was bigger and held crowds of people. The benches was made out of outside slabs of logs, with holes bored in the round side to drive sticks into for legs. They didn’t have noⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS backs. The preachers had high platforms to stand on,Ⓐhistorical collation at one end of the sheds. The women had on sun-bonnetsⒶemendation; and some had linsey-woolseyⒶhistorical collation frocksⒶalteration in the MS, some gingham ones, and a few of the young ones had on calico. SomeⒶemendation of the young men was barefooted, and some of the childrenⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS didn’t have on any clothes but just a tow-linenⒶhistorical collation shirt. Some of the old women was knitting, and some of the young folks was courting on the sly.
The first shed we come to, theⒶalteration in the MS preacher was lining-outⒶhistorical collation a hymn.Ⓐalteration in the MS He lined out two lines,Ⓐemendation everybody sungⒶalteration in the MS it, and it was kind of grand to hear it, there was so many of them and they done it in such a rousing way; then he lined out two more for them to sing—and so on.Ⓐemendation The people woke up more and more, and sung louder and louder; and towards the end,Ⓐhistorical collation some begun to groan, and some begun to shout. [begin page 172] Then theⒶemendation preacher begun to preach; and begun in earnest, too; Ⓐemendation and went weavingⒶemendation firstⒶalteration in the MS to one side of the platformⒶemendation and then the otherⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation, and then a-leaningⒶhistorical collation down over the front of it, with his arms and his body goingⒶemendation all the time, and shoutingⒶemendation his words out withⒶalteration in the MS all his might;Ⓐemendation and every now and then he would hold up his Bible and spread it openⒶemendation, and kind of pass it around this way and that, shouting, “It’s the brazen serpent in the wilderness!Ⓐemendation lookⒶhistorical collation upon it and live!Ⓐemendation Ⓔexplanatory note”Ⓐalteration in the MS andⒶhistorical collation people would shoutⒶemendation out, “Glory!Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation— A-a-men!”Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation And so he went onⒶemendation, and the people groaning andⒶalteration in the MS crying and saying amen:Ⓐemendation
“O, comeⒶemendation to the mourners’Ⓐemendation bench! ComeⒶhistorical collation, black with sin!Ⓐalteration in the MS [ Amen! Ⓐalteration in the MS] come, sick and sore! [Amen! Ⓐhistorical collation]Ⓐalteration in the MS come, lame and halt, and blindⒶemendation! [Amen!] come, pore and needy, sunk in shame! [A-a- men!]Ⓐhistorical collation come all that’s worn, and soiled, and sufferingⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation!—come with a broken spirit! come with a contrite heart!Ⓐalteration in the MS come,Ⓐhistorical collation in your rags and sin and dirt!Ⓐalteration in the MS the waters that cleanse is free, the door of heaven stands open—OⒶhistorical collation, enter in and be atⒶemendation rest!”Ⓔexplanatory note [ A-a- men!Ⓐhistorical collation Glory, glory hallelujah!]Ⓐemendation
And so on.Ⓐhistorical collation You couldn’t make out what the preacher said, any moreⒶemendation Ⓐtextual note, on account of the shoutingⒶemendation and cryingⒶemendation. Folks got up, everywheres in the crowd, and worked their way, just by main strengthⒶemendation, to the mourners’Ⓐemendation bench, with the tears runningⒶemendation down their faces; andⒶemendation whenⒶalteration in the MS all the mourners had got up there to the front benches in a crowd, they sung,Ⓐemendation and shouted, and flung themselves down on the strawⒶemendation, just crazyⒶemendation and wild.Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation
Well, the first I knowed, the king got agoing; and you could hear him over everybody; and nextⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation he went a-charging up ontoⒶhistorical collation the platform andⒶemendation the preacherⒶemendation he begged himⒶemendation to speak to the people, and heⒶalteration in the MS done it. He toldⒶemendation them he was a pirate—been a pirate for thirty years, out in the Indian oceanⒶhistorical collation, and his crew was thinnedⒶalteration in the MS out considerable, last springⒶhistorical collation in a fight, and he was home,Ⓐhistorical collation now, to take out some fresh men,Ⓐhistorical collation and thanks to goodness he’d been robbed last nightⒶhistorical collation and put ashore off ofⒶemendation a steamboat without a cent, and heⒶemendation was glad of it, it was the blessedest thing that ever happened to him, because heⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation was a changed man now,Ⓐemendation and happy for the first time in his life; and, poorⒶhistorical collation as he was, he was goingⒶemendation to start right off and work his way back to the Indian oceanⒶhistorical collation and put in the rest of his life trying to turn the piratesⒶemendation into the true path; for he could do it better than anybody else, being acquainted with all the pirate crews in that ocean; and though it would take him a long time to get there,Ⓐhistorical collation without money, [begin page 173] he would getⒶemendation there,Ⓐhistorical collation anyway, and every time he convincedⒶemendation a pirate,Ⓐhistorical collation he would say to him, “Don’t you thank me, don’t you give meⒶemendation no credit,Ⓐhistorical collation it all belongs to them dear people in Pokeville camp meetingⒶhistorical collation, natural brothers and benefactors of the race—Ⓐemendationand that dear preacher there, the truest friend a pirate ever had!Ⓐemendation”
And then he busted into tears, and so did everybodyⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation. Then somebody sings outⒶhistorical collation “Take up a collection for himⒶemendation, take up a collection!Ⓐemendation” Well, a half a dozen made a jump to do it, but somebody sings out, “Let him pass the hat around!” Then everybody said it, the preacher,Ⓐhistorical collation too.
So theⒶemendation king went all through the crowd with his hat, swabbingⒶemendation his eyes, and blessing the people and praising them and thanking themⒶalteration in the MS for being so good to the poor pirates away off thereⒶemendation; and every little while the prettiestⒶalteration in the MS kind of girls, with the tears runningⒶemendation down their cheeks,Ⓐemendation would up and ask him would he let them kiss him, for to remember him by; and he always done itⒶemendation Ⓔexplanatory note; and someⒶalteration in the MS of them he hugged and kissed as many as five or six times—Ⓐhistorical collationand he was invited [begin page 174] to stay a week; and everybody wanted him to liveⒶalteration in the MS in their houses,Ⓐalteration in the MS and said they’d think it wasⒶemendation an honor; but he said as this was the last day of the camp meetingⒶhistorical collation he couldn’t do no good, and besides he was in a sweat to get to the Indian oceanⒶhistorical collation right off and go to work on theⒶemendation pirates.
When we got back to the raft and he come to count up, he found he had collected eighty-seven dollars and seventy-five cents. And thenⒶemendation he had fetched away a three-gallon jug of whisky, too, that he foundⒶemendation under a wagon when we was startingⒶalteration in the MS home through the woods. The king said, take it all around, it laid over any day he’d everⒶalteration in the MS put in in the missionarying line. He said it warn’t no use talking, heathens don’tⒶemendation amount to shucksⒶemendation, alongsideⒶemendation of pirates, to work a camp meetingⒶhistorical collation withⒺexplanatory note.
TheⒶemendation duke was thinking he’d been doingⒶemendation pretty well, till the king come to show up, but after that he didn’t think so so much. He had set up and printed off two little jobs for farmers,Ⓐhistorical collation in that printing officeⒶhistorical collation— horse-bills,Ⓐemendation—Ⓐalteration in the MSand took the money, four dollars. And he had got in tenⒶalteration in the MS dollarsⒶhistorical collation worth of advertisements for the paper, which he said he would put in for four dollars if they would pay in advance—so they done it. The price of the paper was two dollars a year,Ⓐalteration in the MS but he took in three subscriptions for halfⒶemendation a dollarⒶalteration in the MS apiece on condition of them paying himⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation in advance; they wereⒶemendation going to pay in cord-wood and onionsⒶemendation, as usualⒺexplanatory note, but he said he had just bought the concern and knocked down the price as lowⒶalteration in the MS as he could afford it, and was going to run it for cash. He set up a little piece of poetry, which he made, himself,Ⓐhistorical collation out of his own head,Ⓐhistorical collation—three verses—kind ofⒶemendation sweet and saddishⒶemendation—the name of it was, “Yes, Crush, Cold World, this Breaking HeartⒶhistorical collation”Ⓔexplanatory note—and he left that all set up and ready to print in the paperⒶhistorical collation and didn’t charge nothingⒶemendation for it. Well, he took in nine dollars and a half, and said he’d done a pretty square day’s work for it.
Then he showed us another little job he’dⒶemendation printed and hadn’t charged for, because it was for usⒶemendation. It had a picture of a runaway nigger, with a bundle on a stick, over his shoulderⒺexplanatory note, and “$200Ⓐalteration in the MS Reward Ⓐemendation” under it. The reading was all about Jim, and just described him to a dot. It said he run away from St. JacquesⒶhistorical collation plantation, forty mileⒶemendation below New Orleans, last winter, and likely went north, and whoever would catch him and send him back, heⒶemendation could have the reward and expenses.
[begin page 175]
“Now,” says the duke, “after to-night we can run in the daytime if we want to. Whenever we see anybody coming, we can tie Jim hand and foot with a ropeⒶhistorical collation and lay him in the wigwam and show this handbillⒶhistorical collation and say we captured him up the river, and were too poor to travel on a steamboatⒶemendation, so we got this little raft on credit from our friends and are going down to get the reward.Ⓐalteration in the MS Handcuffs and chains would look still better on Jim, but it wouldn’t go well with the story of usⒶemendation being so poor. Too much like jewelry. Ropes are the correct thing—we must preserve the unities, as we say on the boards.”
We all said the duke was prettyⒶalteration in the MS smart, and there couldn’t beⒶalteration in the MS no troubleⒶemendation about running daytimes. We judged we could make miles enough that night to get out of the reach of the pow-wowⒶalteration in the MS we reckonedⒶemendation the duke’s work in the printing officeⒶhistorical collation was going to make in that little town—then we could boom right along, if we wanted toⒶhistorical collation.
[begin page 176] We laidⒶalteration in the MS low and kept still, and never shoved out till nearly ten o’clock; then we slid by, pretty wide away from the town, and didn’t hoist our lantern till we was clear out of sight of it.
When Jim called me to take the watch at four in the morning, he says—Ⓐhistorical collation
“Huck, does you reck’nⒶemendation we gwyne to run acrost any mo’ kingsⒶalteration in the MS on dis trip?”
“No,” I saysⒶemendation, “I reckon not.”
“Well,” says heⒶemendation, “dat’s all right, den. I doan’Ⓐemendation mine one erⒶemendation two kings, but dat’s enough. Dis one’s powerful drunk, enⒶalteration in the MS de duke ain’Ⓐemendation much better.”
I found Jim had been trying to get him to talk French, so he could hear what it was like; but he said he had been in this country so long, and had so much trouble, he’d forgot it.Ⓐemendation
A follower of the Lamb,”—
—then the preacher lined- | out the next two:
“And shall I fear to own his cause,Or blush to speak his name?”
sung] followed in the MS by a passage that was revised and then deleted at a later stage. The superior numbers refer to Mark Twain’s revisions, which are listed following the passage: ‘it—roared it out, they did, in a most rousing way: [¶] “Am I a soldier of the cross, | A follower of the Lamb,”—1 [begin page 1056] [¶]—then the preacher lined- | out the next two: [¶] “And shall I fear to own his cause, | Or blush to speak his name?”2 [¶]—and so on.’ (emended).
1. “Am I . . . Lamb,”—] interlined above canceled ‘ “Shall I be carried to the skies, | On flowery beds of ease—” ’.
2. “And . . . name?”] squeezed in at the bottom of the page to replace canceled ‘ “Whilst others fight to win the prize, | And sail through bloody seas?” ’ at the top of the following page; ‘name?” ’ followed by a canceled dash.
groaning and] followed in the MS by a passage that was revised and then deleted at a later stage. The superior numbers refer to Mark Twain’s revisions, which are listed following the passage: ‘crying, and jumping up and hugging one another, and Amens was popping off everywheres. Every little while he would preach1 right at people that he saw was stirred up: [¶] “The sperrit’s a workin’ in you brother—don’t shake him off-ah—[¶] Now is the accepted time-ah! [A-a- men!] The devil’s holt is a weakenin’ on you, sister—shake him loose, shake him loose-ah! One more shake and the2 vict’ry’s won-ah!’ (emended; see emendations for full text of deleted passage).
1. preach] follows canceled ‘tal’.
2. the] interlined.
wild.] followed in the MS by a passage that was revised and then deleted at a later stage. The superior numbers refer to Mark Twain’s revisions, which are listed following the passage: ‘One fat nigger woman1 about forty, was the worst. The white mourners2 couldn’t fend her off, no way—fast as one would get loose, she’d tackle the next one, and3 smother him. 4 Next, down she went in the straw, along with the rest, and wallowed around, clawing dirt and shouting glory hallelujah same as they did.’ (emended).
1. woman] interlined above canceled ‘wench’.
2. mourners] follows canceled ‘mour’.
3. and] follows canceled ‘and most’.
4. him.] originally ‘him!’; the exclamation point canceled and the period added.
come to the mourners’ bench! . . . be at rest!”] At camp-meeting sites, the mourners’ bench (also known as the “altar,” the “anxious seat,” or the “glory pen”) was an area immediately in front of the preachers’ stand, separated from the congregation, “where sinners under conviction were brought to experience conversion” (Bruce, 71–73). It was the job of the camp-meeting “exhorters,” usually ordained ministers, to invite sinners “to enter the pen by reminding them of the prospects of hell and damnation awaiting those who failed to take the step” (Bruce, 75; McCurdy, 160, 172). Mark Twain’s preacher uses the conventional language of salvation, reminiscent of Joseph Hart’s popular hymn, “Come Ye Sinners” (1759):
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power. . . .
(Byers 1977)
[begin page 432] Frances Trollope, in her Domestic Manners of the Americans, a book very familiar to Clemens, described a minister urging sinners to “come to the anxious bench, and we will show you Jesus!” (1:108; Gribben 1980, 2:713–14). And Harriet Beecher Stowe recorded an exhorter’s fierce entreaty to “Come up, come up!” to the mourners’ bench, in her 1856 novel, Dred; A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp (1:316).
