Mischievous Words, Etched in Stone

A8 | Monday, December 27, 2004 The Bristol Press TTHHEE TTAATTTTOOOO [email protected] MAKING A PERMANENT IMPRESSION SINCE 1994 VOLUME 11 No. 10 Mischievous words, etched in stone By KATIE JORDAN death with the comet’s return. most noteworthy experiences. The Apparently it never caught on — ing to recordings of selections from The Tattoo One of the first things I encoun- walls behind the timeline are painted which isn’t surprising, because it some of Mark Twain’s short stories tered was a video shown in a dark lit- to resemble the various places he lived looks like it would be about as much and books. It took a few moments for my eyes tle room. As museum videos go, this and worked, including Hartford, the fun as memorizing the telephone And for the little kids who may not to adjust to the dimness as I stepped one is actually surprisingly interest- Mississippi River, and Nevada. book. be old enough to find Twain’s writings from the bright, sunny outside world ing. It tells the story of what Twain In front of the timeline are lit glass The Paige Compositor also resides as amusing as I do, there are some into a hallway so stark and bare that called his “vagabond’s existence,” and cases containing some very nifty gadg- in this room. It was a clever invention hands-on type of exhibits down low it might have resembled the entrance the experiences which would become ets and knickknacks — some people which Twain himself did not invent, enough for younger visitors to enjoy. to a cave more than the entrance to a central to some of America’s greatest might even call them “artifacts,” I sup- but suffered a similar fate to that of For example, they can lay a sheet of museum, if not for the gift shop to the writings later. pose — from Twain’s life. the historical dates memory device. paper on a raised picture of Twain’s right, the two benches, and the desk In another room around the corner There is a letter from Twain to his Unfortunately, Twain had invested all face and make a rubbing from the pic- where visitors check in. is a permanent exhibit about Twain’s wife, there are a few dishes and so on. his money in this invention — and lost ture. Many museums try to nab their vis- life. Then there’s an invention that Twain it all. Even if they can’t yet understand itors right away, either with showy dis- The circular room has a sort of created, some sort of game to help As if all that wasn’t enough, the slavery — one of Twain’s most serious plays to catch the eye from the first timeline all around the walls that people remember important historical center of this circular room has sever- themes — they can feel the weight of a instant, or with some pushy guide details his travels and some of his dates. al benches with apparatus for listen- chain and shackle in their hands. who pounces on you the moment you enter, eager to herd you along while talking a mile a minute. So for the first instant I was caught off guard by the quiet and emptiness of that first hallway. It actually echoed — or maybe that was just my imagination. But it was the sort of place that looked like it should echo, a dim corridor with cold stone walls and cold stone floors. It was a little eerie, actually. I kept expecting that pushy guide to jump out at me at any second and take me by surprise. It wasn’t just the fact that this was- n’t what I expected from a museum that bothered me. It was that I actually like Mark Twain. I’ve read some of his books and stories. I know a lot of his funniest quotes. I admire his good- natured humor and the warmth I found in his writing. So why should the museum dedi- cated to his life be so cold and dreary? But then I realized the walls were not completely bare when I caught sight of the first humorous Mark Twain quote engraved across the stones there. Suddenly, something clicked in my mind. Like the man himself, the museum has a gruff, no-nonsense exterior. But, like the mischievous twinkle in his eye, the humor and heart is there just below the surface. It’s imprinted for- ever on the walls throughout the museum. The place didn’t seem so cold after I realized that. In truth, the museum is a very fit- ting memorial for Mark Twain, in many ways. Even in building the structure itself, those behind its creation were true to what Twain would have wanted. The museum, which is actually quite spacious, was designed so that it appears small when viewed from outside. So it doesn’t appear as a huge eyesore intruding on the place Twain loved and called home for many years. The exhibits themselves are dedi- cated to the story of Twain’s life, from his birth as Samuel Clemens when Tattoo photo Halley’s Comet blazed overhead, to his A side view of The Mark Twain House in Hartford, Conn. Mark Twain’s house is an awesome crib By JOE KEO architecture. The brick walls are the museum’s restriction, I would have The Tattoo accompanied by intricate carpentry plopped down on it right that second. and earth-toned burgundy-red-brown It might sound like a boring old Imagine floating down a river on a paint. The roofs jut into the sky at house tour, but as I took the time to raft, living by the day, with adventures sharp angles. listen to the guide and observe the waiting beyond every bend. That, It was in this house where one man house carefully, it turned out to be a ladies and gentlemen, is what Mark helped changed American literature, pretty interesting experience. As the Twain was thinking when he wrote and I was about to step inside. tour continued, it only got better. the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Just outside the front entrance are The dining room was a trip. If I But the amazing part about it is masterfully carved birds and butter- were a vegan, I would have had a that he wrote it here, in Hartford, flies that remain suspended in flight heart attack over the leather-covered Connecticut. by wooden brackets. Two stain-glassed walls. But luckily for all the vegans out From afar, The Mark Twain House windows welcome visitors with a flo- there, it was mere textured wallpaper & Museum is an amazing example of ral image. painted to look like leather. It was Across the thresh- meant to give the room a wealthy and old is a dimly lit hall. luxurious touch. A metal stand by the The following room was the Twain doorway held old children’s schoolroom. What got me calling cards left by was a little painting on the wall. Twain’s guests from Viewing it up close, I saw two figures way back when. I felt resting their arms on a counter, but as sort of bad because I I walked away I saw a skull. Talk didn’t have a card -- I about creepy. I must say I scurried a Photo courtesy of The Mark Twain House & Museum really wanted to tad bit faster out of that room than I Inside the Mark Twain Museum Center leave one. did the others. High on the wall We finally went to the third floor Pauper. It’s just unbelievable that homes all over. Whether you’re an was what I thought where all the magic happened — that Mark Twain sat in that very room architecture buff who admires the was a mirror, but sur- is, Twain’s literary achievements. with a pen and paper, scribbling away house’s beauty, or a bookworm who prisingly, it was a My hands held onto the thick into American literature a new Realist enjoys the author’s skillfully written window looking mahogany rail as I ascended. At the movement that veered away from the stories, The Mark Twain House is a straight to the adja- top, the guide stopped and waited for accepted Romanticism of his time. great visit. cent room. the rest of my tour group to arrive. Walking away from my visit to Not convinced? I walked into the When everyone was gathered, we Twain’s house left me with a new- I’ll leave you with one of Twain’s next room and wow entered the billiard room, the place found respect for his contribution to many quotes: “There is no sadder — the walls looked where Twain spent his time writing. I American literature. thing than a young pessimist, except like a page out of a never thought of Twain as a billiard Twain’s work is read in schools and an old optimist.” Magic Eye book. man, but the first thing I saw was a Hand-painted and large pool table. stenciled geometrical Just to prove his love for the game, patterns decorated Twain had a painted reflection of the the entire room with pool table on the ceiling. Etched into Dropping in on Mark Twain a hint of silver shine. the windows, behind the area where Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain, lived at 351 My eyes were hurting he wrote, were a pair of pool sticks Farmington Ave., Hartford, Conn. with his family.

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