CLEMENS Samuel Langhorne, dit Mark TWAIN (183... Lot n° 33

AUTOGRAPHIC MANUSCRIT, Huck & Tom; 3 pages in-8 in pencil (light browning to 1st page). First draft manuscript for a stage version of Tom Sawyer. [As early as July 13, 1875, Clemens asked his friend William Dean Howells to stage the still unpublished Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Howells refused, but even before receiving Howell's refusal, Twain registered the copyright. On July 21, he confirmed this by submitting his synopsis. Shortly thereafter, Twain completed the rest of the stage direction. In late 1875, or early 1876, the humorist approached Henry J. Byron, a British actor, theater director, and stage director, to collaborate on the adaptation of Tom Sawyer. The letter of request went astray and several months passed before Byron received it. Clemens has another agent in England, Moncure Conway, who approaches another playwright, Tom Taylor, who also refuses. Taylor's refusal makes another contact with Byron possible. There is no record, however, of any attempt at collaboration on Byron's part. Clemens then worked on other aborted adaptations, and completed the present version of Tom Sawyer. See Mark Twain's Hannibal, Huck and Tom, ed. Walter Blair (University of California Press, 1969). "Huck & Tom & one short piece of candle They catch hats - or try to Heard of Joe's death. Huck & Tom - lost & 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. Exit. Amy & Becky They don't find candles. Hungry & worn. "Candles gone!" They don't remember just where they left them. talk about Tom & Temple. Despair. Cry. Pray. Go to sleep. (meaning to die, but over come. Candle goes out. Enter Joe. Scared. Has heard noises. Will fly the cave. Will return in a year or two & settle with Tom & Huck. Hears distant voices - sees light - badly scared. Drops bag & flies. Exit. Enter Tom & Huck Find bag. "No use now - got to starve." Tom says "No." Examine - money all there. Discover girls asleep. Jones reveals that it was Huck [who] saved the widow. They talk their despair. A [lad] discovers the hats. Takes off his own reverently. In reverent voice "Come here!" They gather & cry on each other, arriving broken bridge. Then come down front & kneel silently. Tom discovers them. "Sh!" Now do as I tell you (then whispers the girls only.) All tip-toe down. Girls disappear & take their stations - Huck disappears. Ap's Cow hide. O, you darling I'm so glad to get you back again! (Embrace). Cow hides him - embrace again & so on. Mary & Ben Rogers go wandering back & discover the hats with a scream. Wake them. Talk. We'll save you. Gives them his crust & some hats People hunting them sure - "we'll be found - don't you worry. May be a week, care is so big - but don't you worry. Devilish face of Jose peeks out - will hire those boys - steals behind boys. Boys pump up o[r] stand paralyzed. Then they pump for the rock & the dodging begins for life & death, the girls looking over. (Maybe Tom trips him.) "Now, Huck. They fly Joe pursues, the girls scream. Boys lose their hats near the hole. Cross the bridge. Joe crashes through Boys return & examine. They hear nothing - he is dead. Call this girls to pump their way out. Exit. Crowd comes winding in. [Huck and Tom They catch hats, or try to. Have heard about Joe's death. Huck and Tom hungry. [...] Find paper-covered holes. Test them with fishing rods. Get into the underbelly of the story this way. They don't find any candles. Exit. - Amy and Becky. Tired and faded... Talk about Tom and Temple. Disappear. Cry. Pray. Go to bed (pretend to die, but overcome). The candle goes out. Joe enters. Frightened. Heard noises. Leaps to the basement. Will come back in a year or two and move in with Tom and Huck. Hears distant voices, sees lights, is like a scared baby. Packs his bag and flies away. Exits. - Tom and Huck enter. Finds a bag...discovers a girl sleeping. John reveals that it was Huck who saved the widow. They talk about their desperation. A kid. Discovers their hats. Takes off his and curtsies... They gather and weep over each other, as they reach the wrecked bridge. Then they go down before kneeling in silence. - Tom discovers them. "Shh!" Now as I told you (whispers to the girls only) looking at the tips of his feet. The girls disappear and take their seats. Huck disappears. O you cowhide darling I'm glad to have you back! (They kiss). The cowhide kisses him again, and again. - Mary and Ben Rogers go back to walk around and discover the hats and squeal. They wake them up. They argue. We're going to save you. They say.