Mark Twain's working notes and other matter related to the manuscripts in this volume are translated into type here as faithfully as possible. Although the author's holograph ampersand has been expanded, instances of misspelling and faulty punctuation have not been corrected. Cancellations are preserved and marked by angle brackets, thus ; editorial explanation is enclosed by square brackets, .
Orion Clemens's sketch of Jane Lampton Clemens is included in the appendix because Twain probably drew on it for background when writing his own biographical impressions of their mother. Also included in this section are the only surviving manuscript page of another dramatic version of “Tom Sawyer” and the play synopsis Twain submitted to the United States Copyright Office in February 1884.
Less than a week after Jane Clemens's death, Orion was approached with an offer to write a sketch of her life for publication in western newspapers (Orion to SLC, Keokuk, 1 November 1890, MTP). In a telegram which is now missing, Clemens suppressed the project. Reply- [begin page 381] ing to a letter which followed the “dispatch to halt,” Orion wrote from Keokuk on 13 November that he was “glad” Clemens had decided to write a “magazine article” about their mother (MTP). A six-page fragment of Orion's biographical sketch, presumably sent to his brother for approval early in November 1890, survives in MTP and is printed here: A single page of manuscript by Mark Twain, rehearsing the Clemens family history and probably written just prior to “Jane Lampton Clemens,” follows Orion's sketch.
Jane Clemens died at Keokuk, Iowa, at the residence of her son, Orion Clemens, October 27th, 1890. She was buried at Hannibal, Missouri, between her husband and her son Henry, who was killed in the explosion of the steamer Pennsylvania, near Memphis, Tennessee, in 1858.
She was born in Columbia, Kentucky, June 18, 1803. Her father was Benjamin Lampton. He was sociable, and a good singer.
On her mother's side was her grandfather, Col. Casey, who earned honorable mention in the printed history of Kentucky, as a leader of the defenders of the pioneers against the Indians. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of that state. His wife, Jane Casey, was a member of the Montgomery family, who also have received honorable mention in Kentucky history; and she herself shared in the perils of Indian warfare. Though a good Baptist she never could, while she lived, endure the presence of Indians, because by savages five of her relatives were killed.
During her girlhood Jane Lampton was noted for her vivacity and her beauty. To the last she retained her rosy cheeks and fine complexion. She took part in the custom in Kentucky and Tennessee, of going on horseback from house to house during the week from Christmas to New Year. To the music of one or two violins they danced all night, slept a little, ate breakfast, and danced all day at the next house. To the last Mrs. Clemens maintained dancing to be innocent and healthful. Even in the last year of her life she liked to show a company the beautiful step and graceful movement she had learned in her youth. Until within a very few years she was so straight she almost leaned backward. Her happy flow of spirits made her a popular favorite wherever she lived.
[begin page 382]Cyrus Walker was a young attorney, just married to a cousin of Mrs. Clemens, and was traveling on his circuit. He took his fees in cash or other articles of value as might suit the convenience of his clients. Once he was returning home with a silk dress pattern, when he heard uproarious laughter in his own house. On entering there was instant hush. After a good deal of examination and cross-examination he brought out the truth that Jane Lampton, then about 15 years of age, had been imitating his dancing. He wished to see himself as she saw him, but she refused till he offered the silk dress. She then showed him his own awkward dancing. It amused him, and she got the dress.
In 1823 she married John Marshall Clemens, and about 1825 they removed to Gainesborough, Tennessee. One day, while he was absent, practicing law on his circuit, a
YMy mother's maiden name was Jane Lampton; my maternal grandmother's maiden name was Margaret Casey; Margaret Casey's mother's maiden name was Montgomery.
MateMy paternal grandmother's maiden name was Pamelia Goggins.
The Lampton's are descended from the Lambtons (now Earls of Durham (see Burke's Peerage.)
The Clemenses are descended from Geoffrey Clement, one of the signers of the death warrant of Charles I. There have been no other prominent Clemenses, except Sherrard and Jere. Clemens, of Virginia.
In addition to the entries in Mark Twain's notebooks relating to “Tom Sawyer's Conspiracy,” five pages of working notes survive. I have divided these into three groups (A, B and C), according to types of paper. Notes numbered here Al and A2 are on cross-barred paper characteristic of the Weggis period. Both are written on the verso of pages discarded from the manuscript of “Hellfire Hotchkiss,” another novel begun at Weggis during the summer of 1897 and never finished. Group B (notes B1 and B2) is written on stationery of the Hotel Metropole in Vienna, where the Clemens family stayed from 29 September 1897 until late in the spring of 1898. The final working note, C1, is written on the Joynson Superfine paper used for pp. 115–232 of the manuscript.
| Old Miss Watson | Jim |
| Wid. Douglas | Cardiff Hill |
| Ben Rogers Briggs | Hanted House on |
| Joe Harper Bill Bowen | Crawfish branch |
| The King | in Catfish Hollow. |
| The Duke Bilge-bridgewater | Shiloh church Pres. |
| Hair lip | Old Ship of Zion |
| The Cave | Ed Stevens—(Jimmy Steel) |
| Aunt Polly | Bill Pitts (Jake Fitch) |
| Sid | Capt. Bowen (Capt. Harper) |
| Mary | Tom Nash (deaf and dumb) Jack Benton |
| Judge Thatcher Becky Thatcher. | old Benton (postmaster) |
| Genl. Gaines (new town drunkard) 60 | Mary Benton (wild) |
| Admiral Grimes | |
| Pete Koontz Kruger, German blacksmith | Keelboatman |
| Brick Buck Fisher (with Gaines. | |
| Col. Elgin (Elder) | |
| Col. Ayres Hare | |
| Sheriff Ben Hawkins (Haskin) and Capt. Militia | |
| Fire Marshal Sam Raymond (envied because said to be illegitimate) Rumford | |
| Tan Yard. Cold spring. Pork house Slaughter-house swamp and point Coon creek | |
| Steam ferry. | |
| Jackson's Island. Glaucus Point. | |
| Superstitions. | |
| Hookerville (Saverton) bluffs. | |
| undertaker, Jake Trumbull |
Measles Buck Fisher and Genl Haines.
Harvey Wilks
Miss Mary Jane
Oliver Benton, postmaster and undertaker and editor
[begin page 384]Orion (Plunkett) frantic editor
Duke (jour print)
King (mish., preacher etc.)
there is an irregular vertical line resembling a curly bracket to the right of the next three lines
Hair-lip (Joanna)
Susan
Miss Mary Jane (sand)
Justice of Peace (Claghorn)
Old Selmes (English)
Constable Jake (Flacker) detective.
Huck disguised as negro.
One-legged Higgins (Bradish's nigger)
Arrest the camp-meeting
Baxter, foreman
Abe Wallace the sexton
Mrs. Lawson, lawyer's wife
| Bat Bradish | |
| Hookerville (Saverton) | |
| Catfish Hollow | |
| Crawfish Creek Branch | |
| Hanted house | |
| Aunt Polly | |
| Sid—Mary | |
| Jimmy Finn( | |
| Genl. Gaines | |
| Widow Douglas | |
| Uncle Fletcher (Quarles) | |
| Capt. Harper (Bowen) | |
| Joe Harper Bill | |
| Jack Sam | Mrs. Lawson, lawyer's wife |
| Baxter, foreman of printg office, Mason, etc | |
| Paxton, deacon. | Claghorn, Justice peace |
| Christiandum | Capt. Haskins (Hawkins) |
| Slater's alley | Capt. Sam Rumford (Raymond) |
| Oliver Benton P.M. and undertaker | Judge Thatcher Becky Thatcher |
| Plunket the editor | |
| Jake Flacker, detective | |
| Col. Elder, Provo Marshal | |
| Pete Kruger, Germ blacksmith | |
| Abe Wallace, sexton |
Flacker takes clews.
King is broken leg, and hiding—fell over in the dark.
T. watches the place—rem it is half a mile away—stamps out or scrap page torn dusts over the first footprints. Sees Duke finishing dragging him to hanted house. Creeps there through high weeds of deserted garden, sees he has—too dark to see anything, but hears low voices and moans—“my leg's broken.”
Will watch the place every night and judges they will leave in a boat on a dark one—which they do, in a skiff and go to the cave, T. following silently in canoe.
Page cut off.
The strangers seen belong to Murrel's gang.
Their purpose is to murder and rob Bat, who keeps money in his lonely cabin. Tom overhears them before he slips off his disguise. He discovers himself—saves Bat—they carry him off to the cave.
Bat alarms town with news his nigger saved him but was carried off. Tom is missed. Great alarm.
But first, the reward-bill is postofficed and Tom goes to hanted house and Huck betrays his presence to Bat who captures him to get the $100 reward.
“But now you know it got to be serious—Providence changed the program.”
The King and the Duke come along selling Demosthenes's pebble. But King precedes, offering reward—it has been lost (not stolen).
Twenty-six pages of working notes and one notebook entry may be classified into five groups on the basis of their content and relationship [begin page 386] to the composition of the play, though the grouping is not the author's, but mine.
This group consists of three pages now in the Edward Doheny Library, St. John's Seminary, Camarillo, California. Al outlines some of the action summarized in paragraph 2 of the synopsis of the play which was entered in the copyright office, Washington, D.C., 21 July 1875 (see pp. 244–245): it must have been a continuation of a synopsis of an early act since Twain labeled it “2.” A2 outlines action to be included in Act IV and A3 that of Act V. After writing A3 the author may well have noticed that he was planning too long a play, since so far his outline had covered only about half of the events covered in the synopsis.
2
eye and can't—talks. Spelling, Geography etc. Nap. Cat. When row over, fragments dis says sch. is dismissed presently—will see their fathers. Discovers fragments. Tom catches it. Dismissed. Tom goes—will not look at Amy. Gracie comes breathless—has just remembered about cake. Amy flies to catch Tom. and can't. Curtain
Return of Joe—then Tom—then the Red-handed. All plans made. Curtain.
3d 4th Act.
Pirate talk and plans
Aunt Polly and
Near A.P.'s house. Amy and Gracie; wailing. Citizens talk. Tom's jacket found and given to A P Name date of funeral. and how dragged river. Various opinions.
Amy and Gracie wailing. Ben and others. Bid each other good-night. Miss Fletcher, perhaps.
Scene 2d—Aunt Polly's. Mrs. Harper, Sid and Mary. All in mourning. Tom steals in and eavesdrops. By and by exit Mrs. Harper, Sid and M. Old lady examines contents of sacred drawer. This is his jacket. or cap. Prays. (He done his level best.) Letter from Amy. Tom kisses [begin page 387] shoe watches her fall asleep. Talks about how he got there (3 strikes) Must hurry back before caught. Remembers letter—reads it. Kisses her shoe. Writes no Is going to write note—hears noise—drops pencil and (Exit). Finds hunk of molasses candy—rolls it up in letter.
5th Act.
Curtain discovers funeral well along. Three coffins. Make it a love-feast. Brethren asked to speak. 3 do. Preacher concludes. General burst of weeping. The boys crawl from under pews—preacher staring—everybody faces around—the ragged piratically dressed chaps come forward. General rejoicing. Everybody forgives. The 3 take back their compliments. Ain't anybody goin' to be glad Red's back? Yes, I will! Amy steals to Tom's side—Gracie to Joe's and as concourse breaks up they name the day. Curtain.
(Mem.—In planning, the boys are going to discard their caps for plumed paper ones—wear tin swords, turn their coats, get flashy sashes, false horse-pistols etc., and it is in this preposterous gear that they appear.)
Mark Twain made the notes classified here as Group B to indicate passages in the novel Tom Sawyer which might provide scenes for his dramatization, citing pages in the Toronto edition or an edition with the same pagination. The first three of these, in MTP, are on paper such as that used in the 1884 holograph of the play (Keystone Linen); and, like the text of the manuscript, they are in pencil. Originals of the last two have disappeared, but their partial texts (which have been used here) appeared on pp. 65 and 9, respectively, of A1911.
Previous reference to Hoss's death and body-snatchers. Inserted in the left margin at the top of the page.
In act 1 insert boy's fight. | Die village.
Tom's Gang formed and discussed.
learn to smoke in graveyard.
[begin page 388]Act 2.
Graveyard.—95
Bring dead cat and talk about it. The tragedy. Boys remain return and talk 104.
brass knob returned—113. i.e., p. 112
114
People accusing Muff in gravyard.
3d act been there 2 days
On the island. Put in Robin Hood.
2 of them pray.
The pirates wish they had a Bible—or may be they've got one.
152
Must come in.
bottom 1531
Tom returns and tells what he saw at home.
Graveyard—95. They go there Monday night.
Doodle-bug—88.
Robin Hood fight—89
School (go sit with girls—70.
The tick—(school)—77.
Tom's love scene—before school-blackboard. 71–78
71—Amy sees him with Becky—is huffy, and takes up with Alfred for spite.
(It can come in, all right, at school—and in a huff—has a hateful passage with Amy afterwards—saves Amy the whipping, which makes him fall in love with her again.
[begin page 389]
Dead cat—good.—64–9 (all good graveyard stuff.
Graveyard bright moonlight.
Add on 78 (Do you love rats?) after 712—before school takes in 76—the tick is in school. OVER On the back of this page is the matter of the note numbered C5.
199
School scene—spelling, reading, bzz—bzz—buzz of study. Classes reciting.
232—also 241
This in the graveyard or on island before murder—they've come to dig for treasure.
328
Wind up with it?3
89—Robin Hood—after cat and warts . . . 92—Sits down on a nettle after shooting his last arrow—close R H with that . . . Next, they discuss Tom Sawyers Gang—See “Huck Fin.”
Pirate. in place of R H—1354 . . . In cave, Tom and Huck not lost—got provisions—while girls eat tell 'em they know the way out. Then people come;
Like Group B, these notes are in pencil on Keystone Linen, the paper of the manuscript of the 1884 version of the play. C1 summarizes the [begin page 390] settings of all four acts; C2 sketches the action of each act. C3–C5 summarize Acts I through III. C6 and C7 evidently provide an early plan for Act IV; C8 through C10 evidently provide a later plan. All these except C4 are in MTP; C4 (partially quoted on p. 17 of A1911) is in the Yale University Library.
4th act in the cave—a surprise party for Tom and Huck.
Resume.
1
in front of house
2
in graveyard
3
in school house.
a. School scene: b. trial.
4
in cave.
1st
girl-talk.
whitewash. Tom flogs Temple.
12d.
Boys see Muff sneak back to get knife, while crowd there—arrested, (Injun Joe follows him to keep an eye on him and see that he don't peach,)—he is carried off to jail.
3d
Ends with (Tom's flogging ends one act.
One act to close with Tom's testimony in court and flight or manacling of Injun Joe. and Muff's gratitude.
[begin page 391]
Tom—Huck I can't stand it (struggling).
Huck—O, Tom don't ruin us!
(Hold court in school-house with black-boards around.)
1.
1. The girls. Jim.2. The old lady. and Mary. “You Tom!”
3. Tom and Temple. Fight.
Aunt P. Sid, Mary. Bring the whitewash.
Tom alone, whitewashing. Enter and exit Jim.
Sublets whitewashing to Ben Rogers.
Exit rogers very weary; enter another boy and takes contract. Wants orders; “Well, whitewash the trees and the barrel.” Tom, Huck and Joe Harper discuss a robber association. Another and another boy apply. Tom sends and borrows brushes of the neighbors—sends back to woodshed for more whitewash. Finally has a dozen boys at it, white washing sidewalks. Man drags practicable black calf across—whitewash the calf. Aunt Polly finds em whitewashing the house. Tableau. Curtain.
Potter and Dr.
” objects to job
quarrel
fight
Potter knocked down with Tom's shovl
Joe rushes in and stabs Dr.
Potter insensible
Joe will bury Dr in Tom's hole and will
make Potter think he is accessory
Finds treasure—goes and hide it.
—returns and finds P up.
No use to bury body, for Potter
thinks he did it.
When boys leave, they carry
their tools with them and will never tell.
[begin page 392]
Somewhere previously it is said
Joe lives in the cave.
Becky asks if Tom is going to the picknick and cave ? next week? to-morrow. Yes.
Enter Alfred and Amy—they flirt, Amy being angry to see Tom with Becky and he not having answered her note, though some days have gone by.
Amy sees Alfred ink Tom's book—resolves she will keep mum about it.
Exit all but Amy—looks at teacher's book—Tom slips in, to tell her if she has deeply wronged him by sending no cake and taking up with Alfred, and will always hate her and never forgive her—“I do love her best of all, but I know this is the way they do in the books”—sees her tear teacher's book. see 196–197.5
General school scene.
Tick. “I done it!” Solus. That warnt any slouch
1
34th Act.
Schoolhouse. (No, between that and Court—a front scene.)6
Huck and Tom. They Tom has learned that Joe lives in the cave. Been wanting f to find out where he uses, so they can get that money. Got to give it up, now—won't venture into the cave while he if that is the case. A single line drawn through the paragraph.
(That's the way they do in books).
(frequent.)
In cave, they talk of having learned that 2 weeks after Joe's escape his apparent body found in river. This is a new part of the cave. They have [begin page 393] provisions, and been in there 2 or 3 days. Are in bitter distress, for they have been lost for last 24 hours. Tom has one bit of crust left. Despondent. Find a hole—uncover it7—sound it with fish-line—no bottom. Can't escape that way. (Exit.)
Enter Amy and Becky. Famished, and worn out. 1 inch of candle. Embrace and get ready to die, but fall asleep—candle out. “The candles are gone!”
Enter Joe, with bag. Has seen distant flash
of candles—heard noises horrible joy—will kill the boys—begins to sneak on them9—will flee the cave. Sets down bag—goes skulking and listening. Tom and Huck shout—Joe darts away—they glimpse him just as he goes down hole. Coming back, find his money. Examine—it is all there. Now (Huck says it) no use—we're lost. Leave it where 'tis. Got to die here. Discover girls asleep.
Wake them—joy—gives 'em the crust. Encourages them—he'll get them out. “Aside—” written in the margin at this point.
Learns of the pic-nic. Two days? All right, then, cave been full of people ever since, searching, of course. Hear distant noises. Less go and see. (Exit.
Enter crowd. Affecting remarks of Aunt Polly, Widow Douglas, parents etc over the dead children—down some hole in the dark. (Exit to search)
(All kneel in silent prayer—children appear—'sh!—creep stealthily up and lay hands steal arms about necks—tableau and kisses.
“Somebody got to be glad to see Huck!”
Widow—I am—and he shall by be my son (Jones has told her, 10 minutes before when all given up for dead. (Money now exhibited.
(Back.) Crowd winding about with torches, pretty scene.
1
They catch bats—or try to. Huck Tom
Heard of Joe's death. —one short piece of candle.
[begin page 394]Huck and Tom—lost and hungry
Talk. “Good! here's plenty candles!”
Find hole—covered with paper boards.
Sound it with fish-line—can't get into lower story that way.
(They don't find candles Exit.
Amy and Becky.
Hungry and worn. “Candles gone!” They don't remember just where they left them. Talk about Tom and Temple. Despair. Cry. Pray. Go to sleep. (meaning to die, but overcome. Candle goes out.
Enter Joe.
Scared. Has heard noises. Will fly the cave. Will return in a year or two and settle with Tom and Huck. Hears distant voices—sees light—badly scared. Drops bag and flies.
Exit.
Enter Tom and Huck
Find bag. “No use, now—got to starve.” Tom says “No.” Examine—money all there. Discover girls asleep.
Wake them. Talk. We'll save you. Gives them his crust and some bats. You been here so People hunting them sure—“we'll be found—don't you wory. May be a week, cave is so big—but don't you worry.
Devilish face of Joe peers out—will hive those boys—steals behind boys. Girls see him and scream. Boys jump up and stand paralyzed. Then they jump for the rock and the dodging begins for life and death, the girls looking on. (Maybe Tom trips him.) “Now, Huck. They fly—Joe pursues, the girls scream. Boys lose their hats near the hole. Cross the bridge. Joes crashes through. Boys return and examine. They hear nothing—he is dead. Rejoin Call the girls, to hunt their way out. Exit.
Crowd come winding in. Huck? “Come here!”
They talk their despar. Jones reveals that it was Huck saved the Widow. A loiterer discovers the hats. Takes off his own reverently. In [begin page 395] reverent voice “Come here!” They gather and cry on each other, examining broken bridge. Then come down front and kneel silently.
Tom discovers them. 'Sh! Now do as I tell you. (then whispers the girls only.) All tip-toe down. Girls disappear and take their stations—Huck disappears. Ap's cowhide
O, you darling I'm so glad to get you back again! (Embrace). Cowhides him—embrace again and so on.
Mary and Ben Rogers go wandering back and discover the hats, with a scream.
Written in pencil on paper of the sort used in surviving pages of Groups B and C, these notes start with remarks on the casting of the play, then outline dialogue and action for use in Act IV as it was finally written. In the upper left corner of D1 the author wrote “S. L. Clemens Hotel Brunswick.” The hotel was one in which he frequently stopped when in New York.
1
Tom Sawyer
The principal girls in this play can as well be full grown; (and fat or lean) and merely dressed as children. The burlesque will do no harm.
Jim can be burlesqued also—a negro boy 6 feet high or 6 feet through.
It is only Huck and Tom that must not be burlesqued.
If Mr. Lewis and Miss Rehan would have had the parts of Tom and Huck, the rest no would be undifficult.
2
It's Becky's Temple's pic-nic, so of course Tom not invited. It goes Saturday morning, T and Huck go mid-night Friday. Tom knew of the [begin page 396] picnic, but cared nothing about it. He and H heard of Joe's death Friday evening evening, and left immediately. T Huck told A P nothing. She hopes it will turn out he was with the pic nic, notwithstanding the unlost ones say he wasn't.
(Discovers the boys—war-whoop.
Injun Joe with knife—chases them—they dodge round and round a big rock—keep up the hide and seek for some time—then Tom and Huck—”Now Huck!” makes a break toward the fatal passage, Joe following at full speed —Tom wheels and throws himself down—they jump the hole, Joe goes into it with a death-yell.
3
The boys go into cave with picknickers, but immediately desert, and are—all break up into parties, as usual. Amy and Becky are supposed to be with Tom—(but they got lost in a hide and whoop game.) and not missed from the 30 children—supposed to have gone home with the Harpers.
All 4 expected to be found dead together.
Hole covered with paper boards. Boys too light, but Joe breaks through.
(Cowhide—I wish I'd never used it.) Brought along to humiliate myself—I will bury it with him for a testimony against me.
Tom's hat found—mashed candle—“Well, you can depend upon it they were all together. They give up and go away to weep and pray.
4
Tom discovers the weeping crowd. “Look! Now 'sh! not a word—follow me.” They slip a- tip-toe down—creeping on hands and feet. Wait—and watch me (let me tell you each what to do—whispers—they disappear—and when I holler you come a!
Tip-toes down—lies down behind A P—stretches out—A P gradually notices it—reaches for it, picks it up, applies her glasses to the shoe—springs “You Tom!”—springs up.
He g O, you've got your Tom, but O, my poor lost Amy—
[begin page 397]Tom—Look behind you!
(Amy steps out with a candle.
O my poor lost Becky—
(She appears)
Look behind you!
5
Presently Huck appears meekly. Nobody notices.
Tom—Aunty, somebody's got to be glad to see Huck.
Widow goes for him.
Tom, I've spent over two dollars, hunting for your worthless carcase.
Tom—Allow me. ($5)
A.P. Bites it—rings it on the floor. Where'd you get so much money?
O never mind
(Money sack must be long enough to hold a corpse)
Sid—And I will buy him a some new clothes and some—
6
Tom. You will? You'll buy him some new clothes? You idiot, he's rich!
Sid.—Huck Finn rich! O, I like that!
T. Well I'll show you. (Going.) (Bringing back the sack.) Huck Finn's able to buy you and sell you, just as often as he wants to.—Yes, and I can do the same. (Emptying sack) Look at that, now!
A.P. What on earth? Tom, whose money is that?
7
T—Half of it's Hucks, half of it's mine.
A P Where did you ever get it?
T. It isn't a short story, but it's a good one. We'll tell you, when we get home.
H A.P. I Thought you went down that hole.
T. Somebody did.
A P. Who?
[begin page 398]T. Injun Joe!
A P How'd you know?
T We heard him smash through—right behind us.
8
A.P. Howd you come to be in front of him?
T. Why he was chasing us!
A P. My! (Pause) Poor cretur—so he's lost his life! I wouldn't had it happen for the world!
A Tom. (seriously) No, not now of course—but at the time we felt's though we could spare him.
A P. Shut your head! None of your impudence!
This entry in one of Mark Twain's notebooks (TS 17, p. 31), written shortly after 21 December 1883, closely resembles speeches by Aunt Polly and Tom in Acts III and IV, respectively.
I'll be bound you'd be mixed up in it, whatever it was!
'Sh! There they are! Lost, and sick and discouraged—pleading for help. Huck, what did I tell you—what did I tell you? Its the most miraculous extraordinary triumph I've ever achieved in my life—and yet I believed from the start I could do it. I've found this whole gang! Huc? (Pause)—(Impressively). Huck, we'll be heroes for this. It'll be in the papers—maybe in books. 'Sh! now do as I tell you—we'll work off a surprise on them.
A. P. Been trapsing around this hole 2 days and nights, most, hunting for you trash.
A
The only surviving page of another dramatic version of “Tom Sawyer” was numbered “2” by Mark Twain (MTP).
2
Act 1.
Scene 1.
A village cottage, with back door looking into garden. A closet and the ordinary furniture. Old lady of 50, cheaply and neatly dressed. Wears spectacles—knitting.
Aunt Winny. (the old lady)—Tom! (No answer.) Tom! (No answer.) What's gone with that boy, I wonder? You
The following synopsis was submitted to the U.S. Copyright Office on 1 February 1884 to secure copyright number “P 2377.” The portion which survives in the files of the office ends with the words “Amy pries,” part way into Act III, at which point the galley proof on which it was printed has been torn off. Since, except for some punctuation, this exactly corresponds to the same part of a summary in holograph in the MTP, I assume that the rest of it did. The present text reproduces the galley proof in the copyright office, with the missing portion supplied from the holograph.
TOM SAWYER.
A Play in 4 Acts
by
S. L. CLEMENS (MARK TWAIN).
synopsis.
Act I. Amy Lawrence and another girl. Love-token left. Jim gets it.
Aunt Polly and the fire-crackers.
The sorrowful lover: “Rats and worms are for the gay and happy.” The fight with the St. Louis boy. Aunt Polly ends it. Shirt-collar sewed with the wrong thread. Tom must work.
Ben Rogers buys a chance to whitewash a while. Tom makes preparation for the other boys; sends Jim to collect more whitewash and brushes. Huck Finn and the two armies arrive and buy chances to whitewash. (Interview between Potter, Robinson, and Injun Joe.) Re-enter the ar- [begin page 401] mies, properly equipped, and proceed to whitewash everything whitewashable in the neighborhood. Tom (aside—counting his gains) “I've broke the crowd.” Aunt Polly appears at the door: “Well, for the land's sake!” (Tableau—Curtain.)
Act II. A graveyard, by moonlight. Tom and Huck come, to dig for treasure. Hear voices, and jump out of their excavation and hide, Murder of the young doctor. Injun Joe unearths the boys' treasure, and carries it off. The boys agree to keep silent about the murder.
Act III. Country school-house. Alfred Temple inks Tom's book; discovered at it by Amy. Tom and Becky—courtship by apples and pictures. Engagement. The rupture. Amy pries into Dobbins's desk; breaks whisky bottle; Tom the only witness. School takes in. Tom magnanimously resolves to not tell on Amy. Teacher announces result of Muff's trial. Then, classes in ma arithmetic, declamation, spelling, etc. “Who inked your book?—Doesn't know; gets thrashed. “Who broke this bottle?—answer, Thomas Sawyer.” “I cannot tell a lie—it was Alfred Temple.” The said Alfred becomes whaled. Gratitude of Amy.
(Front Scene.) Huck plays mumbly-peg. Aunt Polly's pious mistake about it. Tom and Huck, conversation. “Well, good-bye to that money—we shan't ever find it.”
(Court-Room. The black cap put on. Sentence of death being pronounced upon Muff. “Wait!—I was there, and I saw the killing done.” Tom rapidly describes it; and closes with—“It was bright moonlight, and I saw the man as plain as I see him now—and there he stands!” Injun Joe plunges through the crowd and the window, and escapes. Aunt Polly: “Well, I'll be bound you'd be mixed up in it, whatever it was!” (Tableau—Curtain.)
Act IV. In the Cave. Tom and Huck. “No, we're not lost, either; because we know where we are: we're in the cave.” They conclude that the general public have started to hunt for them and got lost themselves. They will hunt for the gen- [begin page 402] eral public—and rescue them. Find a well, covered over with rotten boards. Jump over it. Sound it: “4,000 feet deep.” Exit.
Amy and Becky. Lost. Weary—fall asleep. Enter and exit Injun Joe. Re-enter Tom and Huck; discover the girls. “What are you doing here?—are you lost?” Starving—gives them a crust.
Enter Injun Joe with the money. Scream. Race for life. The boys jump the well, Injun Joe fares not likewise. Exit the boys and girls.
Enter the public, with torches. The hole found, and the boys' hats by it. “The children are dead!” A solemn time. Discovered by Tom, who puts up a dramatic surprise on ?these his aunt Polly, who sees his dramatic surprise, and goes him one better.
tableau. curtain.