The Mysterious Stranger Manuscripts (Literature) (64 page)

TYPESCRIPT

BECAUSE Mark Twain's notes bear directly on the texts and branch
out in so many imaginative paths indirectly, the notes are translated
into type as faithfully as possible.

They have been grouped on the basis of physical characteristics,
comparisons with the manuscript, the matter treated within each set,
internal cohesion, and topical references. When Mark Twain numbered his pages, his numbers have been printed. In addition, I have
given a number to each manuscript leaf within a sequence.

No emendations have been made in Mark Twain's holograph notes.
His ampersand has been retained, except in the case of the notebook
entry. Single underlinings are presented as italics, double underlinings
are rendered in small capital letters. Cancellations are included and
marked by angle brackets, thus ( ); substitutions by vertical arrows,
thus tj, though context usually makes substitutions clear without the
arrows; added words or phrases, by carets, thus n A; additions at some
later date in pencil or ink different from the original by boldface, thus
Marie; and editorial explanation by square brackets, thus [ ]. Mark
Twain's alternate readings are separated by slashes, thus Fischer/Stein.
Doubtful readings are in square brackets, preceded by question marks.

St. Petersburg Fragment

Group A

These notes, on two sheets of Hotel Metropole stationery in black ink, were probably written just after Mark Twain's arrival in Vienna in 1897.'
The notes on p. A-2 eventually found expression in "Three Thousand Years Among the Microbes" (WWD, pp. 433-553).

A-1

I

C. F. Always comparing himself with God.

People discussed: An Atheist now Catholic Why? Catholic now Atheist. Why?

Crazy Fields lost wife, then child; because wife nursed sm. pox
patient who had no friend;

Tom Nash's n mother A took in a deserted child; it gave scarletfever death to 3 of her children & deaf[ness] to 2.

But don't look at merely the unhappy-consider the happy.
Answer: Happiness is merely a preparation (a trap); their turn is
coming; absolutely none escape.

The King? The young queen with her P Albert? Her turn will
come. None escape.

A-2

CRAZY

VANITY

No support like it. Flattery-to think you are doing or suffering
under the immediate notice of God & as a compliment to him & a
glory-well, it will enable a man to be comfortable with the pains &
rottennesses of 50 vile diseases upon him.