EVE'S DIARY
By Mark Twain
Illustrated by Lester Ralph
Part I.
Eve's Diary
Translated from the Original
SATURDAY.—I am almost a whole day old, now. I arrived yesterday.That is as it seems to me. And it must be so, for if there wasa day-before-yesterday I was not there when it happened, or Ishould remember it. It could be, of course, that it did happen,and that I was not noticing. Very well; I will be very watchful now,and if any day-before-yesterdays happen I will make a note of it.It will be best to start right and not let the record get confused,for some instinct tells me that these details are going to beimportant to the historian some day. For I feel like an experiment,I feel exactly like an experiment; it would be impossible for a personto feel more like an experiment than I do, and so I am coming to feelconvinced that that is what I AM—an experiment; just an experiment,and nothing more.
Then if I am an experiment, am I the whole of it? No, I think not;I think the rest of it is part of it. I am the main part of it,but I think the rest of it has its share in the matter. Is myposition assured, or do I have to watch it and take care of it?The latter, perhaps. Some instinct tells me that eternal vigilanceis the price of supremacy. [That is a good phrase, I think, for oneso young.]
Everything looks better today than it did yesterday. In the rush offinishing up yesterday, the mountains were left in a ragged condition,and some of the plains were so cluttered with rubbish and remnantsthat the aspects were quite distressing. Noble and beautiful worksof art should not be subjected to haste; and this majestic new worldis indeed a most noble and beautiful work. And certainly marvelouslynear to being perfect, notwithstanding the shortness of the time.There are too many stars in some places and not enough in others,but that can be remedied presently, no doubt. The moon gotloose last night, and slid down and fell out of thescheme—a very great loss; it breaks my heart to think of it. There isn'tanother thing among the ornaments and decorations that is comparableto it for beauty and finish. It should have been fastened better.If we can only get it back again—