The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1880-07-07
WHOLE NO. 169.
Mark TScatn's House and Work
Room.

Room.
Mark Twain is a resident Of Hartford,
Conn, where he owns a pretty house,
which q writer in the Boston Herald
thus describes: Ample grounds sur
round the large two-story brick house
with many sharp gables and irregular
projections, a most artistic architectural
composition. The brick is ofa brownish
hue, varied with figures and bands Of
light red and black. Broad verandas
flank two sides, widening out into q
large outdoor hall, it might be called,
near the conservatory. This airJ hall is
naturally favorite resort for the family
in the warm weather. Many Of the
rooms in the upper stories have delight
fully cosey balconies opening out Of
them. The grounds are finely shaded
with trees which, in places, thicken to a
forest-like density; and great beeches
and NAPLES cluster around and overtop
the house, giving the large windows
grateful screens of cool greenery. The
interior is arranged on a generous scale.
Opposite the entrance to the large hall,
with its handsome staircase and panel
ed ceiling, is the library, beautiful,
friendly looking room. Book shelves
cover the lower half OF the wall space.
Over the large fireplace, which is set in
a stately chimney-piece Of richly carved
wood, is brass plate with the inscrip-
tion in old English text: THE orna-
ment of house is the friends who fre-
quent it." Opposite the fireplace is the
deep recess of. bay-window, with a
easement through which one may step
down into the lawn. Among the pic
lures on the walls is Frank d. Millet's
excellent portrait of Mr.. Clemens,
painted about four years ago. One end
of the library opens into the large and
beautiful conservatory, and beyond this
is the varanda.
Mr.. Clemens does not use his library
for his study, this is in the billiard
room in the third story, where the
quietest kind of quiet surrounds him. 1t
is a long room, with sloping sides form
ed by the roof. It Is light and airy, and
has three balconies adjscent-two large
ones on either side AMI small one at
the end. One may step out into these
through regular doors, and is not oblig-
ed TO stoop and creep through cramped
window openings, humping the head
against the sliding sashes, which nearly
destroy all utility in so many balconies,
making them mere ornamental shams.
Here in this room Mr.. Clemens sits
writing at plain table, with the books
ne may wish to use for reference lying
scattered about him. He makes it an
invariable rule to do certain amount
of literary work every day, and his
working hours are made continuous by
his not taking any midday meal at all.
He is merciless toward his own produc-
tions. and often destroys whole days
labor as soon as it is written. He finds
the final result more satisfactory by TAX
ing this course and beginning again
than by trying to remodel what he con-
siders faulty manuscript. In this way
he often does a certain piece of work
over and over again. and at other times
the first draft is sufficient and requires
no revision. But, though an entire
days work may come to nought, he does
not regard the time as wasted, but
deems the nractice essential to discip-
line. He has destroyed hundreds Of
pages of manuscript in this way. He
has published scarcely a volume out of
whic,. at least two hundred manuscript
pages have not been culled and COM
m:tted to the waste-basket. From one
volume he weeded out five hundred
pages. He is an Industrious worker,
and during his recent European sojourn
he kept up his literary labors persist
emily.