T155

第6章

Thecontinuousexcitementpresentlytoldonher。InJulyallfurtherengagementswerecanceled，andClemenstookhislittlefamilytoScotland，forquietandrest。TheybrokethejourneyatYork，anditwastherethatMarkTwainwrotetheonlyletterremainingfromthistime。

PartofalettertoMrs。JervisLangdon，ofElmira，N。Y。：

Forthepresentweshallremaininthisqueeroldwalledtown，withitscrooked，narrowlanes，thattellusoftheirolddaythatknewnowheeledvehicles；itsplaster-and-timberdwellings，withupperstoriesfaroverhangingthestreet，andthusmarkingtheirdate，saythreehundredyearsago；thestatelycitywalls，thecastellatedgates，theivy-grown，foliage-sheltered，mostnobleandpicturesqueruinofSt。Mary”sAbbey，suggestingtheirdate，sayfivehundredyearsago，intheheartofCrusadingtimesandthegloryofEnglishchivalryandromance；thevastCathedralofYork，withitsworncarvingsandquaintlypicturedwindows，preachingofstillremoterdays；theoutlandishnamesofstreetsandcourtsandbywaysthatstandasarecordandamemorial，allthesecenturies，ofDanishdominionhereinstillearliertimes；thehinthereandthereofKingArthurandhisknightsandtheirbloodyfightswithSaxonoppressorsroundaboutthisoldcitymorethanthirteenhundredyearsgoneby；and，lastofall，themelancholyoldstonecoffinsandsculpturedinscriptions，avenerablearchandahoarytowerofstonethatstillremainandarekissedbythesunandcaressedbytheshadowseveryday，justasthesunandtheshadowshavekissedandcaressedthemeverylaggingdaysincetheRomanEmperor”ssoldiersplacedthemhereinthetimeswhenJesustheSonofMarywalkedthestreetsofNazarethayouth，withnomorenameorfamethantheYorkshireboywhoisloiteringdownthisstreetthismoment。

TheirdestinationwasEdinburgh，wheretheyremainedamonth。Mrs。

Clemens”shealthgavewayontheirarrivalthere，andherhusband，knowingthenameofnootherphysicianintheplace，lookedupDr。

JohnBrown，authorofRabandHisFriends，andfoundinhimnotonlyaskilfulpractitioner，butalovablecompanion，towhomtheyallbecamedeeplyattached。LittleSusy，nowseventeenmonthsold，becamehisspecialfavorite。HenamedherMegalops，becauseofhergreateyes。

Mrs。ClemensregainedherstrengthandtheyreturnedtoLondon。

Clemens，stillurgedtolecture，finallyagreedwithGeorgeDolbytoaweek”sengagement，andaddedapromisethataftertakinghiswifeanddaughterbacktoAmericahewouldreturnimmediatelyforamoreextendedcourse。DolbyannouncedhimtoappearattheQueen”sConcertRooms，HanoverSquare，fortheweekofOctober13-18，hislecturetobetheoldSandwichIslandstalkthatsevenyearsbeforehadbroughthimhisfirstsuccess。Thegreathall，thelargestinLondon，wasthrongedateachappearance，andthepapersdeclaredthatMarkTwainhadnomorethan“whettedthepublicappetite“forhishumor。Threedayslater，October，1873，Clemens，withhislittleparty，sailedforhome。Half-wayacrosstheoceanhewrotethefriendtheyhadleftinScotland：

ToDr。JohnBrown，inEdinburgh：

MID-ATLANTIC，Oct。30，1873。

OURDEARFRIENDTHEDOCTOR，——Wehaveplowedalongwayoverthesea，andthere”stwenty-twohundredmilesofrestlesswaterbetweenus，now，besidestherailwaystretch。Andyetyouaresopresentwithus，soclosetousthataspanandawhisperwouldbridgethedistance。

Thefirstthreedayswerestormy，andwife，child，maid，andMissSpauldingwereallsea-sick25hoursoutofthe24，andIwassorryI

everstarted。However，ithasbeensmooth，andbalmy，andsunnyandaltogetherlovelyforadayortwonow，andatnightthereisabroadluminoushighwaystretchingovertheseatothemoon，overwhichthespiritsoftheseaaretravelingupanddownallthroughthesecretnightandhavingagenuinegoodtime，Imakenodoubt。

Todaytheydiscovereda“collie“onboard！Ifind(asperadvertisementwhichIsentyou)thattheywon”tcarrydogsintheseshipsatanyprice。

Thisonehasbeenconcealeduptothistime。NowhisownerhastopayL10orheavehimoverboard。Fortunatelythedoggieisaperformingdoggieandthemoneywillbepaid。Soafterallitwasjustaswellyoudidn”tintrustyourcollietous。

Apoorlittlechilddiedatmidnightandwasburiedatdawnthismorning——sheetedandshotted，andsunkinthemiddleofthelonelyoceaninwaterthreethousandfathomsdeep。Pitythepoormother。

Withourlove。

S。L。CLEMENS。

MarkTwainwasbackinLondon，lecturingagainattheQueen”sConcertRooms，afterbarelyamonth”sabsence。CharlesWarrenStoddard，whomhehadknowninCalifornia，sharedhisapartmentattheLangham，andactedashissecretary——averynecessaryoffice，forhewasbesiegedbycallersandbombardedwithletters。

HeremainedinLondontwomonths，lecturingsteadilyatHanoverSquaretofullhouses。Itisunlikelythatthereisanyotherplatformrecordtomatchit。Oneletterofthisperiodhasbeenpreserved。ItiswrittentoTwichell，neartheendofhisengagement。

ToRev。J。H。Twichell，inHartford：

LONDON，Jan。51874。

MYDEAROLDJOE，——IknewyouwouldbelikelytograduateintoanassifIcameaway；andsoyouhave——ifyouhavestoppedsmoking。However，I

haveastrongfaiththatitisnottoolate，yet，andthatthejudiciouslymanagedinfluenceofabadexamplewillfetchyoubackagain。

Iwishyouhadwrittenmesomenews——Livytellsmepreciouslittle。Shemainlywritestohurrymehomeandtotellmehowmuchsherespectsme：

butshe”sgenerallyprettyslowonnews。Ihadaletterfromheralongwithyours，today，butshedidn”ttellmethebookisout。However，it”sallright。Ihopetobehome20daysfromtoday，andthenI”llseeher，andthatwillmakeupforawholeyear”sdearthofnews。Iamrightdowngratefulthatsheislookingstrongand“lovelierthanever。”IonlywishIcouldseeherlookherlevelbest，once——Ithinkitwouldbeavision。

IhavejustspentagoodpartofthisdaybrowsingthroughtheRoyalAcademyExhibitionofLandseer”spaintings。Theyfillfourorfivegreatsalons，andmustnumberagoodmanyhundreds。Thisistheonlyopportunityevertoseethem，becausethefinestofthembelongtothequeenandshekeepstheminherprivateapartments。Ah，they”rewonderfullybeautiful！Therearesuchrichmoonlightsanddusksin“TheChallenge“and“TheCombat；“andinthatlongflightofbirdsacrossalakeinthesubduedflushofsunset(orsunrise——fornomancanevertelltotherfromwhichinapicture，exceptithasthefilmymorningmistbreathingitselfupfromthewater)。Andthereissuchagraveanalyticalprofundityinthefacesof“TheConnoisseurs；“andsuchpathosinthepictureofthefawnsucklingitsdeadmother，onasnowywaste，withonlythebloodinthefootprintstohintthatsheisnotasleep。

Andthewayhemakesanimalsabsolutefleshandblood——insomuchthatiftheroomweredarkenedeversolittleandamotionlesslivinganimalplacedbesideapaintedone，nomancouldtellwhichwaswhich。

Iinterruptedmyselfhere，todropalinetoShirleyBrooksandsuggestacartoonforPunch。Itwasthis。InoneoftheAcademysalons(inthesuitewherethesepicturesare)，afinebustofLandseerstandsonapedestalinthecentreoftheroom。IsuggestthatsomeofLandseer”sbestknownanimalsberepresentedashavingcomedownoutoftheirframesinthemoonlightandgroupedthemselvesaboutthebustinmourningattitudes。

Well，oldman，IampowerfulgladtohearfromyouandshallbepowerfulgladtoseeyouandHarmony。IamnotgoingtotheprovincesbecauseI

cannotgethallsthatarelargeenough。IalwaysfeltcrampedinHanoverSquareRooms，butIfindthateverybodyherespeakswithaweandrespectofthatprodigiousplace，andwonderthatIcouldfillitsolong。

Iamhopingtobebackin20days，butIhavesomuchtogohometoandenjoywithajubilantjoy，thatitseemshardlypossiblethatitcanevercometopassinsouncertainaworldasthis。

Ihavereadthenovel——[TheGildedAge，publishedduringhisabsence，December，1873。]——here，andIlikeit。Ihavemadenoinquiriesaboutit，though。Myinterestinabookceaseswiththeprintingofit。

Withaworldoflove，SAML。

XIII。

LETTERS1874。HARTFORDANDELMIRA。ANEWSTUDY。BEGINNING“TOM

SAWYER。”THESELLERSPLAY。

NaturallyRedpathwouldnotgivehimanypeacenow。HisLondonsuccessmustnotbewasted。Atfirsthisvictimrefusedpoint-blank，andwithgreatbrevity。Buthewasoverborneandpersuaded，andmadeoccasionalappearances，wiringatlastthisfinaldefiantword：

TelegramtoJamesRedpath，inBoston：

HARTFORD，March3，1874。

JAMESREDPATH，——Whydon”tyoucongratulateme？

IneverexpecttostandonalectureplatformagainafterThursdaynight。

MARK。

ThathewasgladtobehomeagainwemaygatherfromalettersentatthistimetoDoctorBrown，ofEdinburgh。

ToDr。JohnBrown，inEdinburgh：

FARMINGTONAVENUE，HARTFORD

Feby。28，1874。

MYDEARFRIEND，——WearealldelightedwithyourcommendationsoftheGildedAge-andthemoresobecausesomeofournewspapershavesetforththeopinionthatWarnerreallywrotethebookandIonlyaddedmynametothetitlepageinordertogiveitalargersale。Iwrotethefirstelevenchapters，everyword。andeveryline。Ialsowrotechapters24，25，27，28，30，32，33，34，36，37，21，42，43，45，51，52。53，57，59，60，61，62，andportionsof35，49and56。SoIwrote32ofthe63

chaptersentirelyandpartof3othersbeside。

Thefearfulfinancialpanichitthebookheavily，forwepublisheditinthemidstofit。Butneverthelessinthe8weeksthathavenowelapsedsincethedaywepublished，wehavesold40，000copies；whichgivesL3，000royaltytobedividedbetweentheauthors。Thisisreallythelargesttwo-months”salewhichanyAmericanbookhaseverachieved(unlessoneexceptsthecheapereditionsofUncleTom”sCabin)。Theaveragepriceofourbookis16shillingsacopy——UncleTomwas2

shillingsacopy。Butforthepanicoursalewouldhavebeendoubled，Iverilybelieve。Idonotbelievethesalewillultimatelygoover100，000copies。

Ishippedtoyou，fromLiverpool，Barley”sIllustrationsofJudd”s“Margaret“(thewaiterattheAdelphiHotelagreeingtoshipitsecurelyperparceldelivery，)andIdohopeitdidnotmiscarry，forweinAmericathinkadealofBarley”s——[FelixOctaviusCarrbarley，1822-1888，illustratoroftheworksofIrving，Cooper，etc。ProbablythemostdistinguishedAmericanillustratorofhistime。]——work。Ishippedthenovel(“Margaret“)toyoufromhereaweekago。

IndeedIamthankfulforthewifeandthechild——andifthereisoneindividualcreatureonallthisfootstoolwhoismorethoroughlyanduniformlyandunceasinglyhappythanIamIdefytheworldtoproducehimandprovehim。Inmyopinion，hedoesn”texist。Iwasamightyrough，coarse，unpromisingsubjectwhenLivytookchargeofme4yearsago，andImaystillbe，totherestoftheworld，butnottoher。Shehasmadeaverycreditablejobofme。

SuccesstotheMarkTwainClub！-andthenovelshibbolethoftheWhistle。

Ofcourseanymemberrisingtospeakwouldberequiredtoprefacehisremarkwithakeenrespectfulwhistleatthechair-thechairrecognizingthespeakerwithanansweringshriek，andthenasthespeechproceededitsgravityandforcewouldbeemphasizedanditsimpressivenessaugmentedbythecontinualinterjectionofwhistlesinplaceofpunctuation-pauses；andtheapplauseoftheaudiencewouldbemanifestedinthesameway……

They”vegonetoluncheon，andImustfollow。Withstronglovefromusboth。

Yourfriend，SAML。L。CLEMENS。

ThesewerethedayswhentheHowellsandClemensfamiliesbeganvisitingbackandforthbetweenBostonandHartford，andsometimesAldrichcame，thoughlessfrequently，andthegatheringsatthehomesofWarnerandClemenswerefullofnever-to-be-forgottenhappiness。OfonesuchvisitHowellswrote：

“Inthegood-fellowshipofthatcordialneighborhoodwehadtwosuchdaysastheagingsunnolongershinesoninhisround。Therewasconstantrunninginandoutoffriendlyhouses，wherethelivelyhostsandguestscalledoneanotherbytheirchristiannamesornicknames，andnosuchvainceremonyasknockingorringingatdoors。Clemenswasthenbuildingthestatelymansioninwhichhesatisfiedhisloveofmagnificenceasifithadbeenanothersealskincoat，andhewasatthecrestoftheprosperitywhichenabledhimtohumoreverywhimorextravagance。”

ItwasthedelightofsuchavisitthatkeptClemensconstantlyurgingitsrepetition。Onecannotbutfeelthegenuineaffectionoftheseletters。

ToW，。D。Howells，inBoston：

Mch。1，1876。

MYDEARHOWELLS，——Nowyouwillfindusthemostreasonablepeopleintheworld。WehadthoughtofprecipitatinguponyouGeorgeWarnerandwifeoneday；Twichellandhisjewelofawifeanotherday，andChas。Perkinsandwifeanother。Onlythose——simplymembersofourfamily，theyare。

ButI”llclosethedooragainstthemall——whichwill“fix“allofthelotexceptTwichell，whowillnomorehesitatetoclimbinatthebackwindowthannothing。

Andyoushallgotobedwhenyouplease，getupwhenyouplease，talkwhenyouplease，readwhenyouplease。Mrs。HowellsmayevengotoNewYorkSaturdayifshefeelsthatshemust，butifsomegentle，unannoyingcoaxingcanbeguileherintoputtingthatoffafewdays，weshallbemorethanglad，forIdowishsheandMrs。Clemenscouldhaveagoodsquarechancetogetacquaintedwitheachother。Butfirstandlastandallthetime，wewantyoutofeeluntrammeledandwhollyfreefromrestraint，here。

Thedatesuits——alldatessuit。

YrseverMARK。

ToW。D。Howells，inBoston：

FARMINGTONAVENUE，HARTFORD，Mch。20，1876。

DEARHOWELLS，——YouorAldrichorbothofyoumustcometoHartfordtolive。Mr。Hall，wholivesinthehousenexttoMrs。Stowe”s(justwherewedriveintogotoournewhouse)willsellfor$16，000or$17，000。

Thelotis85feetfrontand150deep——longtimeandeasypaymentsonthepurchase？YoucandoyourworkjustaswellhereasinCambridge，can”tyou？Come，willoneofyouboysbuythathouse？Nowsayyes。

Mrs。Clemensisaninvalidyet，butisgettingalongprettyfairly。

Wesendbestregards。

MARK。

AprilfoundtheClemensfamilyinElmira。Mrs。Clemenswasnotover-strong，andthecaresofhouse-buildingweremany。Theywentearly，therefore，remainingattheLangdonhomeinthecityuntilQuarryFarmshouldfeelatouchofwarmersun，ClemenswrotethenewstoDoctorBrown。

ToDr。JohnBrown，inEdinburgh：

ELMIRA，N。Y。，April27，”86。

DEARDOCTOR，——ThistownisintheinterioroftheStateofNewYork——

andwasmywife”sbirth-place。Weareheretospendthewholesummer。

Althoughitissonearsummer，wehadagreatsnow-stormyesterday，andonethedaybefore。Thisisratherbreakinginuponourplans，asitmaykeepusdownhereinthevalleyatriflelongerthanwedesired。Itgetsfearfullyhothereinthesummer，sowespendoursummersontopofahill6or700feethigh，abouttwoorthreemilesfromhere——itnevergetshotupthere。

Mrs。Clemensisprettystrong，andsoisthe“littlewifie“barringadesperatecoldintheheadthechildgrowsingraceandbeautymarvellously。Iwishthenationsoftheearthwouldcombineinababyshowandgiveusachancetocompete。Imusttrytofindoneofherlatestphotographstoencloseinthis。AndthisremindsmethatMrs。

Clemenskeepsurgingmetoaskyouforyourphotographandlastnightshesaid，“andbesuretoaskhimforaphotographofhissister，andJock-

butsayMasterJock——donotbeheadlessandforgetthatcourtesy；heisJockinourmemoriesandourtalk，buthehasarighttohistitlewhenabodyuseshisnameinaletter。”NowIhavegotitallin——Ican”thavemadeanymistakethistime。MissClaraSpauldinglookedin，amoment，yesterdaymorning，asbrightandgoodasever。ShewouldliketolayherloveatyourfeetifsheknewIwaswriting——aswouldalsofiftyfriendsofourswhomyouhaveneverseen，andwhosehomageisasferventasifthecoldandcloudsanddarknessofamightyseadidnotliebetweentheirheartsandyou。PooroldRabhadnotmany“friends“atfirst，butifallhisfriendsoftodaycouldgathertohisgravefromthefourcornersoftheearthwhataprocessiontherewouldbe！AndRab”sfriendsareyourfriends。

Iamgoingtoworkwhenwegetonthehill-tillthenI”vegottoliefallow，albeitagainstmywill。Wejoininlovetoyouandyours。

Yourfriendever，SAML。L。CLEMENS。

P。S。Iencloseaspecimenofvillainy。Amanpretendstobemybrotherandmylectureagent——gathersagreataudiencetogetherinacitymorethanathousandmilesfromhere，andthenpocketsthemoneyandelopes，leavingtheaudiencetowaitfortheimaginarylecturer！Iamafterhimwiththelaw。

ItwasahistoricsummerattheFarm。AnewbabyarrivedinJune；anewstudywasbuiltforMarkTwainbyMrs。Crane，onthehillsideneartheoldquarry；anewbookwasbeguninit——TheAdventuresofTomSawyer——andaplay，thefirstthatMarkTwainhadreallyattempted，wascompleted——thedramatizationofTheGildedAge。

AnearlywordwenttoHartfordofconditionsattheFarm。

ToRev。andMrs。Twichell，inHartford：

ELMIRA，June11，1874。

MYDEAROLDJOEANDHARMONY，——ThebabyishereandisthegreatAmericanGiantess——weighing73/4pounds。Wehadtowaitagoodlongtimeforher，butshewasfullcompensationwhenshedidcome。

TheModocwasdelightedwithit，andgaveitherdollatonce。ThereisnothingselfishabouttheModoc。Sheisfascinatedwiththenewbaby。

TheModocripsandtearsaroundoutdoors，mostofthetime，andconsequentlyisashardasapineknotandasbrownasanIndian。Sheisbosomfriendtoalltheducks，chickens，turkeysandguineahensontheplace。Yesterdayasshemarchedalongthewindingpaththatleadsupthehillthroughtheredcloverbedstothesummer-house，therewasalongprocessionofthesefowlsstringingcontentedlyafterher，ledbyastatelyroosterwhocanlookovertheModoc”shead。ThedevotionofthesevassalshasbeenpurchasedwithdailylargessofIndianmeal，andsotheModoc，attendedbyherbodyguard，movesinstatewherevershegoes。

SusieCranehasbuiltthelovelieststudyforme，youeversaw。Itisoctagonal，withapeakedroof，eachoctagonfilledwithaspaciouswindow，anditsitsperchedincompleteisolationontopofanelevationthatcommandsleaguesofvalleyandcityandretreatingrangesofdistantbluehills。Itisacosynest，withjustroominitforasofaandatableandthreeorfourchairs——andwhenthestormssweepdowntheremotevalleyandthelightningflashesabovethehillsbeyond，andtherainbeatsupontheroofovermyhead，imaginetheluxuryofit！Itstands500feetabovethevalleyand2？milesfromit。

Howeveronemustnotwriteallday。Wesendcontinentsoflovetoyouandyours。

AffectionatelyMARK。

WehavementionedbeforethatClemenshadsettledhismotherandsisteratFredonia，NewYork，andwhenMrs。Clemenswasinconditiontotravelheconcludedtopaythemavisit。

Itprovedanunfortunatejourney；thehotweatherwashardonMrs。

Clemens，andharderstill，perhaps，onMarkTwain”stemper。Atanyperiodofhislifeaboreexasperatedhim，andintheseearlierdayshewasfarmorelikelytoexplodethaninhismellowerage。Remorsealwaysfollowed——thepricehepaidwasalwayscostly。Wecannotknownowwhowastheunfortunatethatinvitedthestorm，butinthenextletterwegettheechoesofitandrealizesomethingofitsdamage。

ToMrs。JaneClemensandMrs。Moffett，inFredonia：

ELMIRA，Aug。15。

MXDEARMOTHERANDSISTER，——IcameawayfromFredoniaashamedofmyself；——

almosttoomuchhumiliatedtoholdupmyheadandsaygood-bye。ForI

begantocomprehendhowmuchharmmyconductmightdoyousociallyinyourvillage。Iwouldhavegonetothatdetestableoyster-brainedboreandapologizedformyinexcusablerudenesstohim，butthatIwassatisfiedhewasoftoosmallacalibretoknowhowtoreceiveanapologywithmagnanimity。

PamelaappalledmebysayingpeoplehadhintedthattheywishedtovisitLivywhenshecame，butthatshehadgiventhemnoencouragement。

Ifearedthatthosepeoplewouldmerelycomprehendthattheircourtesieswerenotwanted，andyetnotknowexactlywhytheywerenotwanted。

Icameawayfeelingthatinreturnforyourconstantandtirelesseffortstosecureourbodilycomfortandmakeourvisitenjoyable，Ihadbaselyrepaidyoubymakingyousadandsore-heartedandleavingyouso。Andthenaturalresulthasfallentomelikewise——foraguiltyconsciencehasharassedmeeversince，andIhavenothadoneshortquarterofanhourofpeacetothismoment。

YouspokeofMiddletown。Whynotgothereandlive？Mr。CranesaysitisonlyaboutahundredmilesthissideofNewYorkontheErieroad。

Thefactthatoneortwoofyoumightprefertolivesomewhereelseisnotavalidobjection——thereareno4peoplewhowouldallchoosethesameplace——soitwillbevaintowaitforthedaywhenyourtastesshallbeaunit。IseriouslyfearthatourvisithasdamagedyouinFredonia，andsoIwishyouwereoutofit。

Thebabyisfatandstrong，andSusiethesame。Susiewascharmedwiththedonkeyandthedoll。

YsaffectionatelySAML。

P。S——DEARMAANDPAMELA——IammainlygrievedbecauseIhavebeenrudetoamanwhohasbeenkindtoyou——andifyoueverfeeladesiretoapologizetohimforme，youmaybesurethatIwillendorsetheapology，nomatterhowstrongitmaybe。Iwenttohisbanktoapologizetohim，butmyconvictionwasstrongthathewasnotmanenoughtoknowhowtotakeanapologyandsoIdidnotmakeit。

WilliamDeanHowellswasinthosedayswritingthosevividlyrealistic，indeedphotographicstorieswhichfixedhisplaceamongAmericanmenofletters。Hehadalreadywritten”TheirWeddingJourney”and”AChanceAcquaintance”when”AForegoneConclusion”

appeared。Forthereasonthathisownworkwassodifferent，andperhapsbecauseofhisfondnessfortheauthor，ClemensalwaysgreatlyadmiredthebooksofHowells。Howells”sexactobservationandhisgiftforhumandetailseemedmarveloustoMarkTwain，whowithabiggerbrushwasinclinedtorecordthelargerratherthantheminuteaspectsoflife。ThesincerityofhisappreciationofHowells，however，neednotbequestioned，nor，forthatmatter，hisdetestationofScott。

ToW。D。Howells，inBoston：

ELMIRA，Aug。22，1874。

DEARHOWELLS，——Ihavejustfinishedreadingthe”ForegoneConclusion”toMrs。Clemensandwethinkyouhaveevenoutdoneyourself。Ishouldthinkthatthismustbethedaintiest，truest，mostadmirableworkmanshipthatwaseverputonastory。ThecreaturesofGoddonotactouttheirnaturesmoreunerringlythanyoursdo。Ifyourgenuinestoriescandie，IwonderbywhatrightoldWalterScott”sartificialitiesshallcontinuetolive。

IbroughtMrs。Clemensbackfromhertripinadreadfullybroken-downcondition——sobythedoctor”sordersweunpackedthetrunkssorrowfullytolieidlehereanothermonthinsteadofgoingatoncetoHartfordandproceedingtofurnishthenewhousewhichisnowfinished。Wehatetohaveitgolongerdesolateandtenantless，butcannothelpit。

Byandby，ifthemadamgetsstrongagain，wearehopingtohavetheGraysthere，andyouandtheAldrichhouseholds，andOsgood，downtoengageinanorgywiththem。

YsEverMARK

HowellswaseditoroftheAtlanticbythistime，andhadbeenurgingClemenstowritesomethingsuitableforthatmagazine。Hehaddonenothing，however，untilthissummeratQuarryFarm。There，onenightinthemoonlight，Mrs。Crane”scoloredcook，whohadbeenaslave，wasinducedtotellhimherstory。ItwasexactlythestorytoappealtoMarkTwain，andthekindofthinghecouldwrite。Hesetitdownnextmorning，asnearlyinherownwordsandmanneraspossible，withoutdepartingtoofarfromliteraryrequirements。

HedecidedtosendthistoHowells。Hedidnotregarditveryhighly，buthewouldtakethechance。Anearlierofferingtothemagazinehadbeenreturned。Hesentthe“TrueStory，“withabriefnote：

ToW。D。Howells，inBoston：

ELMIRA，Sept。2，”74。

MYDEARHOWELLS，……Ienclosealsoa“TrueStory“whichhasnohumorinit。Youcanpayaslightlyasyouchooseforthat，ifyouwantit，foritisratheroutofmyline。Ihavenotalteredtheoldcoloredwoman”sstoryexcepttobeginatthebeginning，insteadofthemiddle，asshedid——andtraveledbothways……

YrsEverMARK。

ButHowellswasdelightedwithit。Hereferredtoits“realestkindofblacktalk，“andinanotherplaceadded，“Thislittlestorydelightsmemoreandmore。Iwishyouhadaboutfortyofthem。”

Alongwiththe“TrueStory“MarkTwainhadsentthe“FableforGoodOldBoysandGirls“；butthisHowellsreturned，not，ashesaid，becausehedidn”tlikeit，butbecausetheAtlanticonmattersofreligionwasjustinthat“GoodLord，GoodDevilconditionwhenalittlefablelikeyourswouldn”tleaveitasinglePresbyterian，Baptist，Unitarian，Episcopalian，Methodist，orMilleritepayingsubscriber，whileallthedeadheadswouldsticktoitandabuseitinthedenominationalnewspapers！“

ButtheshorterMS。hadbeenonlyabriefdiversion。MarkTwainwasbowlingalongatabookandaplay。ThebookwasTomSawyer，asalreadymentioned，andtheplayadramatizationfromTheGildedAge。

ClemenshadallalongintendedtodramatizethestoryofColonelSellers，andwasonedaythunderstrucktoreceivewordfromCaliforniathataSanFranciscodramatisthadappropriatedhischaracterinaplaywrittenforJohnT。Raymond。Clemenshadtakenoutdramaticcopyrightonthebook，andimmediatelystoppedtheperformancebytelegraph。Acorrespondencebetweentheauthorandthedramatistfollowed，leadingtoafriendlyarrangementbywhichthelatteragreedtodisposeofhisversiontoMarkTwain。AgooddealofdiscussionfromtimetotimehavingarisenovertheauthorshipoftheSellersplay，aspresentedbyRaymond，certainamongthelettersthatfollowmaybefoundofspecialinterest。

MeanwhilewefindClemenswritingtoDr。JohnBrown，ofEdinburgh，onthesemattersandeventsingeneral。ThebookMS。，whichhementionsashavingputaside，wasnottouchedagainfornearlyayear。

ToDr。JohnBrown，inEdinburgh：

QUARRYFARM，NEARELMIRA，N。Y。

Sept。4，1874。

DEARFRIEND，——Ihavebeenwritingfiftypagesofmanuscriptaday，onanaverage，forsometimenow，onabook(astory)andconsequentlyhavebeensowrappedupinitandsodeadtoanythingelse，thatIhavefallenmightyshortinletter-writing。ButnightbeforelastIdiscoveredthatthatday”schapterwasafailure，inconception，moraltruthtonature，andexecution——enoughblemishtoimpairtheexcellenceofalmostanychapter——andsoImustburnuptheday”sworkanddoitalloveragain。

ItwasplainthatIhadworkedmyselfout，pumpedmyselfdry。SoI

knockedoff，andwenttoplayingbilliardsforachange。Ihaven”thadanideaorafancyfortwodays，now——anexcellenttimetowritetofriendswhohaveplentyofideasandfanciesoftheirown，andsowillprefertheofferingsoftheheartbeforethoseofthehead。Dayafterto-morrowIgotoaneighboringcitytoseeafive-act-dramaofminebroughtout，andsuggestamendmentsinit，andwouldaboutassoonspendanightintheSpanishInquisitionassitthereandbetorturedwithalltheadversecriticismsIcancontrivetoimaginetheaudienceisindulgingin。Butwhethertheplaybesuccessfulornot，IhopeIshallneverfeelobligedtoseeitperformedasecondtime。Myinterestinmyworkdiesasuddenandviolentdeathwhentheworkisdone。

Ihaveinventedandpatentedaprettygoodsortofscrap-book(Ithink)

butIhavebackeddownfromlettingitbeknownasminejustatpresent——forIcan”tstandbeingunderdiscussiononaplayandascrap-bookatthesametime！

Ishallbeawaytwodays，andthenreturntotakeourtribetoNewYork，whereweshallremainfivedaysbuyingfurnitureforthenewhouse，andthengotoHartfordandsettlesolidlydownforthewinter。AfterallthatfallowtimeIoughttobeabletogotoworkagainonthebook。

WeshallreachHartfordaboutthemiddleofSeptember，Ijudge。

Wehavespentthepastfourmonthsuphereontopofabreezyhill，sixhundredfeethigh，somefewmilesfromElmira，N。Y。，andoverlookingthattown；(Elmiraismywife”sbirthplaceandthatofSusieandthenewbaby)。Thislittlesummerhouseonthehill-top(namedQuarryFarmbecausethere”saquarryonit，)belongstomywife”ssister，Mrs。Crane。

Aphotographercameuptheotherdayandwantedtomakesomeviews，andIshallsendyoutheresultperthismail。

Mystudyisasnuglittleoctagonalden，withacoal-grate，6bigwindows，onelittleone，andawidedoorway(thelatteropeninguponthedistanttown。)OnhotdaysIspreadthestudywideopen，anchormypapersdownwithbrickbatsandwriteinthemidstofthehurricanes，clothedinthesamethinlinenwemakeshirtsof。Thestudyisnearlyonthepeakofthehill；itisrightinfrontofthelittleperpendicularwallofrockleftwheretheyusedtoquarrystones。Onthepeakofthehillisanoldarborroofedwithbarkandcoveredwiththevineyoucallthe“AmericanCreeper“——itsgreenisalmostbloodiedwithred。TheStudyis30yardsbelowtheoldarborand200yardsabovethedwelling-house-itisremotefromallnoises……

Nowisn”tthewholethingpleasantlysituated？

Inthepictureofmeinthestudyyouglimpse(throughtheleft-handwindow)thelittlerockbluffthatrisesbehindthepond，andthebasesofthelittletreesontopofit。Thesmallsquarewindowisoverthefireplace；thechimneydividestomakeroomforit。Withoutthestereoscopeitlookslikeaframedpicture。AllthestudywindowshaveVenetianblinds；theylongagowentoutoffashioninAmericabuttheyhavenotbeenreplacedwithanythinghalfasgoodyet。

Thestudyisbuiltontopofatumbledrock-heapthathasmorning-gloriesclimbingaboutitandastonestairwayleadingdownthroughanddividingit。

Therenow——ifyouhavenottimetoreadallthis，turnitoverto“Jock“

anddraginthejudgetohelp。

Mrs。ClemensmustputinalatepictureofSusie——apicturewhichshemaintainsisgood，butwhichIthinkisslanderonthechild。

WerevisittheRutlandStreethomemanyatimeinfancy，forweholdeveryindividualinitinhappyandgratefulmemory。

Goodbye，Yourfriend，SAML。L。CLEMENS。

P。S——IgavetheP。O。Departmentablastinthepapersaboutsendingmisdirectedlettersofminebacktothewritersforreshipment，andgotablastinreturn，throughaNewYorkdaily，fromtheNewYorkpostmaster。

ButInoticethatmisdirectedlettersfindme，now，withoutanyunnecessaryfoolingaround。

ThenewhouseinHartfordwasnowreadytobeoccupied，andinalettertoHowells，writtenalittlemorethanafortnightaftertheforegoing，wefindthemlocatedin“part“ofit。ButwhatseemsmoreinterestingisthatparagraphoftheletterwhichspeaksofclosefriendlyrelationsstillexistingwiththeWarners，inthatitrefutesareportcurrentatthistimethattherewasabreakbetweenClemensandWarnerovertherightsintheSellersplay。Therewas，infact，nosuchrupture。Warner，realizingthathehadnohandinthecharacterofSellers，andnoshareintheworkofdramatization，generouslyyieldedallclaimtoanypartofthereturns。

ToW。D。Howells，inBoston：

FARMINGTONAVENUE，HARTFORD，Sept。20，1876。

MYDEARHOWELLS，——Allright，myboy，sendproofsheetshere。Iamenddialectstuffbytalkingandtalkingandtalkingittillitsoundsright-

andIhaddifficultywiththisnegrotalkbecauseanegrosometimes(rarely)says“goin“andsometimes“gwyne，“andtheymakejustsuchdiscrepanciesinotherwords——andwhenyoucometoreproducethemonpapertheylookasifthevariationresultedfromthewriter”scarelessness。ButIwanttoworkattheproofsandgetthedialectasnearlyrightaspossible。

Weareinpartofthenewhouse。Goodnessknowswhenwe”llgetintherestofit——fullofworkmenyet。

Iworkedamonthatmyplay，andlauncheditinNewYorklastWednesday。

Ibelieveitwillgo。Thenewspapershavebeencomplimentary。Itissimplyasettingfortheonecharacter，Col。Sellers——asaplayIguessitwillnotbearacriticalassaultinforce。

TheWarnersareascharmingasever。Theygoshortlytothedevilforayear——(whichisbutapoeticalwayofsayingtheyaregoingtoafflictthemselveswiththeunsurpassable——(badword)oftravelforaspell。)

Ibelievetheymeantogoandseeyou，first-sotheymeantostartfromheaventotheotherplace；notfromearth。Howisthat？

Ithinkthatisnoslouchofacompliment——kindofadimreligiouslightaboutit。Ienjoythatsortofthing。

YrseverMARK。

Raymond，inalettertotheSun，statedthatnot“oneline“oftheCaliforniadramatizationhadbeenusedbyMarkTwain，“exceptthatwhichwastakenbodilyfromTheGildedAge。”Clemenshimself，inastatementthathewrotefortheHartfordPost，butsuppressed，probablyattherequestofhiswife，gaveafullhistoryoftheplay”sorigin，amatterofslightinterestto-day。

Sellersonthestageprovedagreatsuccess。Theplayhadnospecialmeritasaliterarycomposition，butthecharacterofSellersdelightedthepublic，andbothauthorandactorwererichlyrepaidfortheirentertainment。

XIV。

LETTERS1874。MISSISSIPPICHAPTERS。VISITSTOBOSTON。

AJOKEONALDRICH

“Couldn”tyousendmesomesuchstoryasthatcoloredoneforourJanuarynumber——thatis，withinamonth？“wroteHowells，attheendofSeptember，andduringtheweekfollowingMarkTwainstruggledhardtocomply，butwithoutresult。Whenthemonthwasnearlyuphewrote：

ToW。D。Howells，inBoston：

HARTFORD，Oct。2？1874。

MYDEARHOWELLS，——Ihavedelayedthuslong，hopingImightdosomethingfortheJanuarynumberandMrs。Clemenshasdiligentlypersecutedmedaybydaywithurgingstogotoworkanddothatsomething，butit”snouse——IfindIcan”t。Weareinsuchastateofwearyandendlessconfusionthatmyheadwon”tgo。SoIgiveitup……

Yrsever，MARK。

Buttwohourslater，whenhehadreturnedfromoneofthelongwalkswhichheandTwichellsofrequentlytooktogether，hetoldadifferentstory。

Later，P。M。HOME，24th”74。

MYDEARHOWELLS，——ItakebacktheremarkthatIcan”twritefortheJan。

number。ForTwichellandIhavehadalongwalkinthewoodsandIgottotellinghimaboutoldMississippidaysofsteam-boatinggloryandgrandeurasIsawthem(during5years)fromthepilothouse。Hesaid“Whatavirginsubjecttohurlintoamagazine！“Ihadn”tthoughtofthatbefore。Wouldyoulikeaseriesofpaperstorunthrough3monthsor6

or9？——orabout4months，say？

Yrsever，MARK。

Howellshimselfhadcomefromafamilyofpilots，andrejoicedintheidea。AfewdayslaterMarkTwainforwardedthefirstinstalmentofthenewseries——thosewonderfulchaptersthatbegin，now，withchapterfourintheMississippibook。Apparentlyhewasnotwithoutdoubtconcerningthemanuscript，andaccompanieditwithabriefline。

ToW。D。Howells，inBoston：

DEARHOWELLS，——Cutit，scarifyit，rejectithandleitwithentirefreedom。

Yrsever，MARK。

ButHowellshadnodoubtsastothequalityofthenewfind。Hedeclaredthatthe“piece“abouttheMississippiwascapital，thatitalmostmadethewaterintheirice-pitcherturnmuddyashereadit。

“Thesketchofthelow-livedlittletownwassogoodthatIcouldhavewishedthattherewasmoreofit。Iwantthesketches，ifyoucanmakethem，everymonth。”

The“low-livedlittletown“wasHannibal，andthereadercanturntothevividdescriptionofitinthechapteralreadymentioned。

InthesameletterHowellsreferstoa“letterfromLimerick，“whichhedeclaresheshallkeepuntilhehasshownitaround——especiallytoAldrichandOsgood。

The“letterfromLimerick“hastodowithaspecialepisode。

MentionhasjustbeenmadeofMarkTwain”swalkwithTwichell。

Frequentlytheirwalkswereextendedtramps，andonceinadaringmomentoneortheotherofthemproposedtowalktoBoston。ThetimewasNovember，andthebracingairmadethepropositionseemattractive。Theywereoffonemorningearly，Twichellcarryingalittlebag，andClemensabasketofluncheon。Afewdaysbefore，ClemenshadwrittenRedpaththattheRev。J。H。Twichellandheexpectedtostartateighto”clockThursdaymorning“towalktoBostonintwenty-fourhours——ormore。WeshalltelegraphYoung”sHotelforroomsSaturdaynight，inordertoallowforalowaverageofpedestrianism。”

TheydidnotgetquitetoBoston。Infact，theygotonlyalittlefartherthanthetwenty-eightmilestheymadethefirstday。

Clemenscouldhardlywalknextmorning，buttheymanagedtogettoNorthAshford，wheretheytookacarriageforthenearestrailwaystation。TheretheytelegraphedtoRedpathandHowellsthattheywouldbeinBostonthatevening。Howells，ofcourse，hadagoodsupperandgoodcompanyawaitingthemathishome，andthepedestriansspenttwohappydaysvisitingandrecountingtheiradventures。

Itwasonemorning，athishotel，thatMarkTwainwrotetheLimerickletter。ItwasaddressedtoMrs。Clemens，butwasreallyintendedforHowellsandTwichellandtheotherswhomitmentions。Itwasanamusingfancy，ratherthanaletter，butitdeservesplacehere。

ToMrs。Clemens——intendedforHowells，Aldrich，etc。

BOSTON，Nov。16，1935。[1874]

DEARLIVY，YouobserveIstillcallthisbelovedoldplacebythenameithadwhenIwasyoung。Limerick！Itisenoughtomakeabodysick。

Thegentlemen-in-waitingstaretoseemesitheretelegraphingthislettertoyou，andnodoubttheyaresmilingintheirsleeves。Butletthem！Theslowoldfashionsaregoodenoughforme，thankGod，andI

willnoneother。WhenIseeoneofthesemodernfoolssitabsorbed，holdingtheendofatelegraphwireinhishand，andreflectthatathousandmilesawaythereisanotherfoolhitchedtotheotherendofit，itmakesmefranticwithrage；andthenamImoreimplacablyfixedandresolvedthanever，tocontinuetakingtwentyminutestotelegraphyouwhatIcommunicateintensendsbythenewwayifIwouldsodebasemyself。AndwhenIseeawholesilent，solemndrawing-roomfullofidiotssittingwiththeirhandsoneachother”sforeheads“communing，“I

tugthewhitehairsfrommyheadandcursetillmyasthmabringsmetheblessedreliefofsuffocation。Inourolddaysuchagatheringtalkedpuredriveland“rot，“mostly，butbetterthat，athousandtimes，thanthesedrearyconversationalfuneralsthatoppressourspiritsinthismadgeneration。

ItissixtyyearssinceIwasherebefore。Iwalkedhither，then，withmypreciousoldfriend。Itseemsincredible，now，thatwediditintwodays，butsuchismyrecollection。Inolongermentionthatwewalkedbackinasingleday，itmakesmesofurioustoseedoubtinthefaceofthehearer。Menweremeninthoseoldtimes。Thinkofoneofthepuerileorganismsinthiseffeminateageattemptingsuchafeat。

Myair-shipwasdelayedbyacollisionwithafellowfromChinaloadedwiththeusualcargoofjabbering，copper-coloredmissionaries，andsoI

wasnearlyanhouronmyjourney。ButbythegoodnessofGodthirteenofthemissionarieswerecrippledandseveralkilled，soIwascontenttolosethetime。Ilovetolosetime，anyway，becauseitbringssoothingreminiscencesofthecreepingrailroaddaysofold，nowlosttousforever。

Ourgamewasneatlyplayed，andsuccessfully——Noneexpectedus，ofcourse。YoushouldhaveseentheguardsattheducalpalacestarewhenIsaid，“AnnouncehisgracetheArchbishopofDublinandtheRt。Hon。

theEarlofHartford。”Arrivedwithin，wewerealleyestoseetheDukeofCambridgeandhisDuchess，wonderingifwemightremembertheirfaces，andtheyours。Inamoment，theycametotteringin；he，bentandwitheredandbald；shebloomingwithwholesomeoldage。Hepeeredthroughhisglassesamoment，thenscreechedinareedyvoice：“Cometomyarms！Awaywithtitles——I”llknowyebynonamesbutTwainandTwichell！Thenfellheonournecksandjammedhistrumpetinhisear，thewhichwefilledwithshoutingstothiseffect：“Godblessyou，oldHowellswhatisleftofyou！“

Wetalkedlatethatnight——noneofyoursilentidiot“communings“forus——oftheoldentime。WerolledastreamofancientanecdotesoverourtonguesanddranktillthelordArchbishopgrewsomellowinthemellowpastthatDublinceasedtobeDublintohimandresumeditssweeterforgottennameofNewYork。Intruthhealmostgotbackintohisancientreligion，too，goodJesuit，ashehasalwaysbeensinceO”MulligantheFirstestablishedthatfaithintheEmpire。

Andwecanvassedeverybody。BaileyAldrich，MarquisofPonkapog，camein，gotnoblydrunk，andtoldusallabouthowpoorOsgoodlosthisearldomandwashangedforconspiringagainstthesecondEmperor——buthedidn”tmentionhownearhehimselfcametobeinghanged，too，forengaginginthesameenterprise。Hewasaschaffyashewassixtyyearsago，too，andsworetheArchbishopandIneverwalkedtoBoston——buttherewasneveradaythatPonkapogwouldn”tlie，sobeitbythegraceofGodhegottheopportunity。

TheLordHighAdmiralcamein，ahalegentlemancloseuponseventyandbronzedbythesunsandstormsofmanyclimesandscarredwiththewoundsgotinmanybattles，andItoldhimhowIhadseenhimsitinahighchairandeatfruitandcakesandanswertothenameofJohnny。Hisgranddaughter(theeldest)isbutlatelywarnedtotheyoungestoftheGrandDukes，andsowhoknowsbutadaymaycomewhenthebloodoftheHowells”smayreignintheland？Imustnotforgettosay，whileIthinkofit，thatyournewfalseteetharedone，mydear，andyourwig。Keepyourheadwellbundledwithashawltillthelattercomes，andsocheatyourpersecutingneuralgiasandrheumatisms。Wouldyoubelieveit？——theDuchessofCambridgeisdeaferthanyou——deaferthanherhusband。Theycallhertobreakfastwithasalvoofartillery；andusuallywhenitthundersshelooksupexpectantlyandsays“comein……”

Themonumenttotheauthorof“GloversonandHisSilentpartners“isfinished。Itisthestateliestandthecostliestevererectedtothememoryofanyman。Thisnobleclassichasnowbeentranslatedintoallthelanguagesoftheearthandisadoredbyallnationsandknowntoallcreatures。YetIhaveconversedasfamiliarlywiththeauthorofitasI

dowithmyowngreat-grandchildren。

IwishyoucouldseeoldCambridgeandPonkapog。Ilovethemasdearlyasever，butprivately，mydear，theyarenotmuchimprovementonidiots。

Itismelancholytohearthemjabberoverthesamepointlessanecdotesthreeandfourtimesofanevening，forgettingthattheyhadjabberedthemoverthreeorfourtimestheeveningbefore。Ponkapogstillwritespoetry，buttheold-timefirehasmostlygoneoutofit。Perhapshisbesteffortoflateyearsisthis：

“Osoul，soul，soulofmine：

Soul，soul，soulofthine！

Thysoul，mysoul，twosoulsentwine，Andsingthylaudsincrystalwine！“

Thishegoesaboutrepeatingtoeverybody，dailyandnightly，insomuchthatheisbecomeasoreafflictiontoallthatknowhim。

ButImustdesist。Therearedraftshere，everywhereandmygoutissomethingfrightful。Myleftfoothathresemblancetoasnuff-bladder。

Godbewithyou。

HARTFORD。

ThesetoLadyHartford，intheearldomofHartford，intheupperportionofthecityofDublin。

OnemayimaginethejoyofHowellsandtheothersinthisludicrousextravaganza，whichcouldhavebeenwrittenbynoonebutMarkTwain。Itwillhardlytakerankasprophecy，thoughcertainlytrueforecastinitisnotwhollylacking。

Clemenswasnowprettywellsatisfiedwithhispilotingstory，buthebegantohavedoubtsastoitstitle，“OldTimesontheMississippi。”Itseemedtocommithimtotoolargeanundertaking。

ToW。D。Howells，inBoston：

Dec。3，1874。

MYDEARHOWELLS，——Letuschangetheheadingto“PilotingontheMissintheOldTimes“——orto“SteamboatingontheM。inOldTimes“——orto“PersonalOldTimesontheMiss。”——WecouldchangeitforFeb。ifnowtoolateforJan——Isuggestitbecausethepresentheadingistoopretentious，toobroadandgeneral。ItseemstocommandmetodeliveraSecondBookofRevelationtotheworld，andcoveralltheOldTimestheMississippi(dangthatword，itisworsethan“type“or“Egypt“)eversaw——whereashereIhavefinishedArticleNo。IIIandamabouttostartonNo。4。andyetIhavespokenofnothingbutofPilotingasasciencesofar；andIdoubtifIevergetbeyondthatportionofmysubject。

AndIdon”tcareto。AnymugginscanwriteaboutOldTimesontheMiss。

of500differentkinds，butIamtheonlymanalivethatcanscribbleaboutthepilotingofthatday——andnomaneverhastriedtoscribbleaboutityet。Itsnewnesspleasesmeallthetime——anditisabouttheonlynewsubjectIknowof。IfIweretowritefiftyarticlestheywouldallbeaboutpilotsandpiloting——thereforelet”sgetthewordPilotingintotheheading。There”sasortoffreshnessaboutthat，too。

Ysever，MARK。

ButHowellsthoughtthetitlesatisfactory，andindeeditwasthebestthatcouldhavebeenselectedfortheseries。Hewroteeveryfewdaysofhisdelightinthepapers，andcautionedtheauthornottomakeanattempttopleaseany“supposedAtlanticaudience，“

adding，“Yarnitoffintomysympatheticear。”Clemensreplied：

ToW。D。Howells，inBoston：

H”t”f”d。Dec。8，1874。

MYDEARHOWELLS，——Itisn”ttheAtlanticaudiencethatdistressesme；foritistheonlyaudiencethatIsitdownbeforeinperfectserenity(forthesimplereasonthatitdoesn”trequirea“humorist“topainthimselfstripedandstandonhisheadeveryfifteenminutes。)Thetroublewas，thatIwasonlybenton“workingupanatmosphere“andthatistomeamostfidgetyandirksomething，sometimes。Iavoidit，usually，butinthiscaseitwasabsolutelynecessary，elseeveryreaderwouldbeapplyingtheatmosphereofhisownorseaexperiences，andthatshirtwouldn”tfit，youknow。

IcouldhavesentthisArticleIIaweekago，ormore，butIcouldn”tbringmyselftothedrudgeryofrevisingandcorrectingit。Ihavebeenatthattediouswork3hours，now，andbyGeorgebutIamgladitisover。

Say——Iamaspromptasaclock，ifIonlyknowthedayathingiswanted——otherwiseIamanaturalprocrastinaturalist。TellmewhatdayanddateyouwantNos。3and4，andIwilltackleandrevisethemandthey”llbetheretotheminute。

IcouldwindupwithNo。4。，buttherearesomethingsmorewhichIampowerfullymovedtowrite。Whichisnaturalenough，sinceIamapersonwhowouldquitauthorizinginaminutetogotopiloting，ifthemadamwouldstandit。Iwouldrathersinkasteamboatthaneat，anytime。

Mywifewasafraidtowriteyou——soIsaidwithsimplicity，“Iwillgiveyouthelanguage——andideas。”ThroughtheinfinitegraceofGodtherehasnotbeensuchanotherinsurrectioninthefamilybeforeasfollowedthis。However，theletterwaswritten，andpromptly，too——whereas，heretoforeshehasremainedafraidtodosuchthings。

WithkindregardstoMrs。Howells，Yrsever，MARK。

The“OldTimes“papersappearedeachmonthintheAtlanticuntilJuly，1875，andtakerankto-daywithMarkTwain”sbestwork。Whenthefirstnumberappeared，JohnHaywrote：“Itisperfect；nomorenorless。Idon”tseehowyoudoit。”WhichwasreportedtoHowells，whosaid：“WhatbusinesshasHay，Ishouldliketoknow，praisingafavoriteofmine？It”sinterfering。”

Thesewerethedayswhenthetypewriterwasnew。ClemensandTwichell，duringtheirstayinBoston，hadseenthemarvelinoperation，andClemenshadbeenunabletoresistowningone。Itwasfarfrombeingtheperfectmachineofto-day；theletterswereallcapitals，andonewasneverquitecertain，evenofthose。MarkTwain，however，beganwithenthusiasmandpractisedfaithfully。Onthedayofitsarrivalhewrotetwolettersthathavesurvived，thefirsttohisbrother，theothertoHowells。

TypewrittenlettertoW。D。Howells，inBoston：

HARTFORD，Dec。9，1874。

MYDEARHOWELLS，——IwanttoaddashortparagraphtoarticleNo。1，whentheproofcomes。Merelyalineortwo，however。

Idon”tknowwhetherIamgoingtomakethistypewritingmachinegoornto：thatlastwordwasintendedforn-not；butIguessIshallmakesomesortofasuccssofitbeforeIrunitverylong。Iamsothick-fingeredthatImissthekeys。

Youneedn”taswerthis；Iamonlypracticingtogetthree；anotherslip-

upthere；onlypractici？ngtogetthehangofthething。InoticeImissfire&getinagoodmanyunnecessarylettersandpunctuationmarks。

Iamsimplyusingyouforatargettobangat。Blamemycatsbutthisthingrequiresgeniusinordertoworkitjustright。

Yoursever，(M)ARK。

KnowingMarkTwain，Howellswrote：“Whenyougettiredofthemachinesendittome。”Clemensnaturallydidgettiredofthemachine；itwasruininghismorals，hesaid。HepresentlyofferedittoHowells，whobythistimehesitated，buteventuallyyieldedandacceptedit。Ifhewasblastedbyitsinfluencethefacthasnotbeenrecorded。

OneofthefamousAtlanticdinnerscamealonginDecember。“Don”tyoudaretorefusethatinvitation，“wroteHowells，“tomeetEmerson，Aldrich，andallthoseboysattheParkerHouse，atsixo”clock，Tuesday，December15th。Come！“

Clemenshadnodesiretorefuse；hesentwordthathewouldcome，andfolloweditwithacharacteristicline。

ToW。D。Howells，inBoston：

HARTFORD，Sunday。

MYDEARHOWELLS，——IwantyoutoaskMrs。HowellstoletyoustayallnightattheParkerHouseandtellliesandhaveanimprovingtime，andtakebreakfastwithmeinthemorning。Iwillhaveagoodroomforyou，andafire。Can”tyoutellheritalwaysmakesyousicktogohomelateatnight，orsomethinglikethat？ThatsortofthingrousesMrs。

Clemens”ssympathies，easily；theonlytroubleistokeepthemup。

TwichellandItalkedtill2or3inthemorning，thenightwesuppedatyourhouseanditrestoredhishealth，onaccountofhisbeingdroopingforsometimeandmadehimmuchmorerobusterthanwhathewasbefore。

WillMrs。Howellsletyou？

Yrsever，S。L。C。

Aldrichhadissuedthatyearavolumeofpoems，andhepresentedClemenswithacopyofitduringthisBostonvisit。Theletterofappreciationwhichfollowscontainsalsoreferencetoanamusingincident；butweshallcometothatpresently。

ToT。B。Aldrich，inPonkapog，Mass。

FARMINGTONAVENUE，HARTFORD。

Dec。18，1874。

MYDEARALDRICH，——Ireadthe“ClothofGold“through，comingdowninthecars，anditisjustlightningpoetry——athingwhichitgravelsmetosaybecausemyowneffortsinthatlinehaveremainedsopersistentlyunrecognized，inconsequenceoftheenvyandjealousyofthisgeneration。

“BabyBell“alwaysseemedperfection，before，butnowthatIhavechildrenithasgotevenbeyondthat。AboutthehourthatIwasreadingitinthecars，TwichellwasreadingitathomeandforthwithfelluponmewithaburstofenthusiasmaboutitwhenIsawhim。Thiswaspleasant，becausehehaslongbeenaloverofit。

“Thos。BaileyAldrichresponded“etc。，“inoneofthebrightestspeechesoftheevening。”

ThatiswhattheTribunecorrespondentsays。Andthatiswhateverybodythathearditsaid。Therefore，youkeepstill。Don”teverbesounwiseastogoontryingtounconvincethosepeople。

I”vebeenskatingaroundtheplacealldaywithsomegirls，withMrs。

Clemensinthewindowtodotheapplause。Therewouldbeapoweroffuninskatingifyoucoulddoitwithsomebodyelse”smuscles——Thereareabouttwentyboysboomingbythehouse，now，anditismightygoodtolookat。

I”mkeepingyouinmind，yousee，inthematterofphotographs。IhaveacoupletoencloseinthisletterandIwantyoutosayyougotthem，andthenIshallknowIhavebeenagoodtruthfulchild。

IamgoingtosendmoreasIferretthemout，abouttheplace——AndI

won”tforgetthatyouarea“subscriber。”

ThewifeandIuniteinwarmregardstoyouandMrs。Aldrich。

Yrsever，S。L。CLEMENS。

AletterbearingthesamedateastheabovewentbacktoHowells，wefind，inreferencetostillanotherincident，whichperhapsshouldcomefirst。

MarkTwainuptothistimehadworntheblack“string“necktieoftheWest——adecorationwhichdisturbedMrs。Clemens，andinvitedremarksfromhisfriends。Hehadpersistedinit，however，uptothedateoftheAtlanticdinner，whenHowellsandAldrichdecidedthatsomethingmustbedoneaboutit。

ToW。D。Howells，inBoston：

HARTFORD，Dec。18，1874。

MYDEARHOWELLS，——IleftNo。3，(Miss。chapter)inmyeldest”sreach，anditmayhavegonetothepostmananditlikewisemayhavegoneintothefire。IconfesstoadreadthatthelatteristhecaseandthatthatstackofMSwillhavetobewrittenoveragain。Ifso，OforthereturnofthelamentedHerod！

YouandAldrichhavemadeonewomandeeplyandsincerelygrateful——Mrs。

Clemens。Formonths——Imayevensayyears——shehadshownunaccountableanimositytowardmyneck-tie，evengettingupinthenighttotakeitwiththetongsandblackguardit——sometimesalsogoingsofarastothreatenit。

WhenIsaidyouandAldrichhadgivenmetwonewneck-ties，andthattheywereinapaperinmyovercoatpocket，shewasinafeverofhappinessuntilshefoundIwasgoingtoframethem；thenallthevenominhernaturegathereditselftogether，——insomuchthatI，beingneartoadoor，wentwithout，perceivingdanger。

NowIwearoneofthenewneck-ties，nothingbeingsacredinMrs。

Clemens”seyesthatcanbepervertedtoagaudthatshallmakethepersonofherhusbandmorealluringthanitwasaforetime。

JoTwichellwasthedelightedestoldboyIeversaw，whenhereadthewordsyouhadwritteninthatbook。HeandIwenttotheConcertoftheYalestudentslastnightandhadagoodtime。

Mrs。ClemensdreadsourgoingtoNewOrleans，butItellhershe”llhavetogiveherconsentthistime。

Withkindestregardsuntoyeboth。

Yrsever，S。L。CLEMENS。

ThereferencetoNewOrleansattheendofthislettergrewnaturallyoutoftheenthusiasmarousedbytheMississippipapers。

ThemoreClemenswroteabouttheriverthemorehewishedtorevisititandtakeHowellswithhim。Howellswaswillingenoughtogoandtheyeventuallyarrangedtotaketheirwivesontheexcursion。Thisseemedallverywellandpossible，solongasthetimewassetforsomedateinthefuturestillunfixed。ButHowellswasabusyeditor，anditwasmuchmoreeasyforhimtopromisegood-naturedlythantoagreeonadefinitetimeofdeparture。Heexplainedatlengthwhyhecouldnotmakethejourney，andadded：“Forgivemehavingledyouontofixatime；Ineverthoughtitwouldcometothat；Isupposedyouwoulddie，orsomething。IamreallymoresorryandashamedthanIcanmakeitappear。”Sothebeautifulplanwasputaside，thoughitwasnotentirelyabandonedforalongtime。

WenowcometotheincidentmentionedinMarkTwain”slettertoAldrich，ofDecemberthe18th。IthaditsbeginningattheAtlanticdinner，whereAldrichhadabusedClemensforneversendinghimanyphotographsofhimself。Itwassuggestedbyoneortheotherthathisnamebeputdownasa“regularsubscriber“forallMarkTwainphotographsasthey“cameout。”Clemensreturnedhomeandhuntedupfifty-twodifferentspecimens，puteachintoanenvelope，andbeganmailingthemtohim，oneeachmorning。WhenafewofthemhadarrivedAldrichwrote，protesting。

“Thepolice，“hesaid，“haveawayofswoopingdownonthatkindofpublication。Theotherdaytheygobbledupanentireeditionof”TheLifeinNewYork。”“

WhereuponClemensbundleduptheremainingcollection——forty-fiveenvelopesofphotographsandprints-andmailedthemtogether。

Aldrichwrote，now，violentlydeclaringtheperpetratoroftheoutragetobeknowntothepolice；thatasprawlingyellowfigureagainstagreenbackgroundhadbeenrecognizedasanadmirablelikenessofMarkTwain，aliasthejumpingFrog，awell-knownCaliforniandesperado，formerlythechiefofHenryPlummer”sbandofroadagentsinMontana。Theletterwassigned，“T。Bayleigh，ChiefofPolice。”Onthebackoftheenvelope“T。Bayleigh“hadalsowrittenthatitwas“nouseforthepersontosendanymoreletters，asthepost-officeatthatpointwastobeblownup。Forty-eighthogs-headofnitroglycerinehadbeensyrupticiouslyintroducedintothecellarofthebuilding，andmorewasexpected。R。W。E。H。W。L。

O。W。H。，andotherconspiratorsinmaskshavebeenseenflittingaboutthetownforsomedayspast。ThegreatestexcitementcombinedwiththemostintensequietnessreignsatPonkapog。”

XV。

LETTERSFROMHARTFORD，1875。MUCHCORRESPONDENCEWITHHOWELLS

OrionClemenshadkepthisjobwithBlissonlyashorttime。Hismentalmake-upwassuchthatitwasdifficultforhimtoholdanypositionlong。

Hemeanttodowell，buthewasunfortunateinhisefforts。Hisideaswereseldompractical，hisnaturewasyieldingandfickle。HehadreturnedtoKeokukpresently，andbeingconvincedtherewasafortuneinchickens，hadprevaileduponhisbrothertopurchaseforhimalittlefarmnotfarfromthetown。ButthechickenbusinesswasnotlivelyandOrionkeptthemailhotwithmanuscriptsandpropositionsofeverysort，whichhewantedhisbrothertotakeunderadvisement。

Certainly，toMarkTwainOrionClemenswasatrial。Thelettersofthelattershowthatscarcelyoneofthembutcontainstheoutlineofsomerainbow-chasingscheme，fullofwildoptimism，andthecertaintythatsomewherejustaheadliesthepotofgold。Only，nowandthen，thereisaletterofabjecthumiliationandcompletesurrender，whensomegoldenvision，someiridescentsoap-bubble，hadvanishedathistouch。Suchdepressiondidnotlast；bysunrisehewasreadywithanewdream，newenthusiasm，andwithanewletterinvitinghis“brotherSam”s“interestandinvestment。Yet，hisfearofincurringhisbrother”sdispleasurewaspitiful，regardlessofthefactthatheconstantlyemployedtheverymeanstoinsurethatresult。AtonetimeClemensmadehimsignaswornagreementthathewouldnotsuggestanyplanorschemeofinvestmentfortheperiodoftwelvemonths。Orionmusthavekeptthisagreement。Hewouldhavegonetothestakebeforehewouldhaveviolatedanoath，butthestakewouldhaveprobablybeennogreaterpunishmentthanhissufferingsthatyear。

Onthewhole，SamuelClemenswassurprisinglypatientandconsideratewithOrion，andtherewasneveratimethathewasnotwillingtohelp。

Yettherewereboundtobemomentsofexasperation；andonce，whenhismother，orsister，hadwritten，suggestingthatheencouragehisbrother”sefforts，hefeltmovedtowriteatconsiderablefreedom。

ToMrs。JaneClemensandMrs。Moffett，inFredonia，N。Y。：

HARTFORD，Sunday，1875。

MYDEARMOTHERANDSISTER，——ISawGov。NewelltodayandhesaidhewasstillmovinginthematterofSammy”sappointment——[AsaWestPointcadet。]——andwouldsticktoittillhegotaresultofapositivenatureonewayortheother，butthusfarhedidnotknowwhethertoexpectsuccessordefeat。

Ma，wheneveryouneedmoneyIhopeyouwon”tbebackwardaboutsayingso——youcanalwayshaveit。Westintourselvesinsomeways，butwehavenodesiretostintyou。Andwedon”tintendto，either。

Ican”t“encourage“Orion。Nobodycandothat，conscientiously，forthereasonthatbeforeone”sletterhastimetoreachhimheisoffonsomenewwild-goosechase。Wouldyouencourageinliteratureamanwho，theolderhegrowstheworsehewrites？WouldyouencourageOrionintheglaringinsanityofstudyinglaw？Ifhewerepackedandcrammedfulloflaw，itwouldbeworthlesslumbertohim，forhisissuchacapriciousandill-regulatedmindthathewouldapplytheprinciplesofthelawwithnomorejudgmentthanachildoftenyears。IknowwhatIamsaying。

IlaidoneoftheplainestandsimplestoflegalquestionsbeforeOriononce，andthehelplessandhopelessmesshemadeofitwasabsolutelyastonishing。NothingaggravatesmesomuchastohaveOrionmentionlaworliteraturetome。

Well，Icannotencouragehimtotrytheministry，becausehewouldchangehisreligionsofastthathewouldhavetokeepatravelingagentunderwagestogoaheadofhimtoengagepulpitsandboardforhim。

Icannotconscientiouslyencouragehimtodoanythingbutpotteraroundhislittlefarmandputinhisoddhourscontrivingnewandimpossibleprojectsattherateof365ayear——whichishiscustomaryaverage。

HesayshedidwellinHannibal！Nowthereisamanwhooughttobeentirelysatisfiedwiththegrandeurs，emolumentsandactivitiesofahenfarm——

IfyouaskmetopityOrion，Icandothat。Icandoiteverydayandalldaylong。Butonecan”t“encourage“quick-silver，becausetheinstantyouputyourfingeronititisn”tthere。No，Iamsayingtoomuch——hedoessticktohisliteraryandlegalaspirations；andhenaturallywouldselecttheverytwothingswhichheiswhollyandpreposterouslyunfittedfor。IfIeverbecomeable，ImeantoputOriononaregularpensionwithoutrevealingthefactthatitisapension。

Thatisbestforhim。Lethimconsideritaperiodicalloan，andpayinterestoutoftheprincipal。Withinayear”stimehewouldbelookinguponhimselfasabenefactorofmine，inthewayoffurnishingmeagoodpermanentinvestmentformoney，andthatwouldmakehimhappyandsatisfiedwithhimself。IfhehadmoneyhewouldsharewithmeinamomentandIhavenodispositiontobestingywithhim。

AfflySAM。

Livysendslove。

TheNewOrleansplanwasnotwhollydeadatthistime。HowellswroteneartheendofJanuarythatthematterwasstillbeingdebated，nowandthen，butwasfarfrombeingdecidedupon。HehopedtogosomewherewithMrs。HowellsforabrieftimeinMarch，hesaid。Clemens，inhaste，replied：

ToW。D。Howells，inBoston：

HARTFORD，Jan。26，1875。

MYDEARHOWELLS，——WhenMrs。Clemensreadyourlettershesaid：“Well，then，wherevertheygo，inMarch，thedirectionwillbesouthwardandsotheymustgiveusavisitontheway。”Idonotknowwhatsortofcontrolyoumaybeunder，butwhenmywifespeaksaspositivelyasthat，Iamnotinthehabitoftalkingbackandgettingintotrouble。SituatedasIam，Iwouldnotbeabletounderstand，now，howyoucouldpassbythistownwithoutfeelingthatyouwererunningawantonriskanddoingadaredevilthing。IconsideritsettledthatyouaretocomeinMarch，andIwouldbesincerelysorrytolearnthatyouandMrs。Howellsfeeldifferentlyaboutit。

Thepilotingmaterialhasbeenuncoveringitselfbydegrees，untilithasexposedsuchahugehoardtomyviewthatawholebookwillberequiredtocontainitifIuseit。SoIhaveagreedtowritethebookforBliss——

[Thebookideawaslatergivenupforthetimebeing。]——Iwon”tbeabletorunthearticlesintheAtlanticlaterthantheSeptembernumber，forthereasonthatasubscriptionbookissuedinthefallhasamuchlargersalethanifissuedatanyotherseasonoftheyear。ItisfunnywhenIreflectthatwhenIoriginallywroteyouandproposedtodofrom6

to9articlesforthemagazine，thevaguethoughtinmymindwasthat6

mightexhaustthematerialand9wouldbeprettysuretodoit。Orratheritseemstomethatthatwasmythought——can”ttellatthisdistance。Butintruth9chaptersdon”tnowseemtomorethanopenupthesubjectfairlyandstarttheyarntowagging。

Ihavebeensicka-bedseveraldays，forthefirsttimein21years。

Howlittleconfirmedinvalidsappreciatetheiradvantages。IwasabletoreadtheEnglisheditionoftheGrevilleMemoirsthroughwithoutinterruption，takemymealsinbed，neglectallbusinesswithoutapang，andsmoke18cigarsaday。Itrynottolookbackuponthese21yearswithafeelingofresentment，andyetthepartialitiesofProvidencedoseemtometobeslatheredaround(asonemaysay)withoutthatgravityandattentiontodetailwhichtherealimportanceofthematterwouldseemtosuggest。

YrseverMARK。

TheNewOrleansideacontinuedtohaunttheletters。ThethoughtofdriftingdowntheMississippisoattractedbothClemensandHowells，thattheytalkedofitwhentheymet，andwroteofitwhentheywereseparated。Howells，besetbyuncertainties，playfullytriedtoputtheresponsibilityuponhiswife。Oncehewrote：“Shesaysinthenoblestway，”Well，gotoNewOrleans，ifyouwanttosomuch”(youknowthetone)。IsupposeitwilldoifIletyouknowaboutthemiddleofFebruary？“

Buttheyhadtogiveitupintheend。Howellswrotethathehadbeenundertheweather，andonhalfworkthewholewinter。Hedidnotfeelthathehadearnedhissalary，hesaid，orthathewaswarrantedintakingathreeweeks”pleasuretrip。Clemensofferedtopayalltheexpensesofthetrip，butonlyindefinitepostponementfollowed。ItwouldbesevenyearsmorebeforeMarkTwainwouldreturntotheriver，andthennotwithHowells。

InaformerchaptermentionhasbeenmadeofCharlesWarrenStoddard，whomMarkTwainhadknowninhisCaliforniadays。HewasfondofStoddard，whowasafacileandpleasingwriterofpoemsanddescriptivearticles。DuringtheperiodthathehadbeenactingasMarkTwain”ssecretaryinLondon，hehadtakenpleasureincollectingforhimthenewsreportsofthecelebratedTichbornClaimantcase，thenintheEnglishcourts。Clemensthoughtoffoundingastoryonit，anddid，infact，usetheidea，though”TheAmericanClaimant”whichhewroteyearslater，hadlittleornoconnectionwiththeTichbornepisode。

ToC。W。Stoddard：

HARTFORD，Feb。1，1875。

DEARCHARLEY，——AllrightabouttheTichbornscrapbooks；sendthemalongwhenconvenient。ImeantohavetheBeecher-Tiltontrialscrap-bookasacompanion……

Iamwritingaseriesof7-pagearticlesfortheAtlanticat$20apage；

butastheydonotpayanybodyelseasmuchasthat，Idonotcomplain(thoughatthesametimeIdoswearthatIamnotcontent。)Howevertheawfulrespectabilityofthemagazinemakesup。

IhavecutyourarticlesaboutSanMarcooutofaNewYorkpaper(JoeTwichellsawitandbroughtithometomewithloudadmiration，)andsentittoHowells。Itistoobadtofoolawaysuchgoodliteratureinaperishabledailyjournal。

DorememberuskindlytoLadyHardyandallthatrarefamily——mywifeandIsooftenhavepleasanttalksaboutthem。

Everyourfriend，SAML。L。CLEMENS。

ThepricereceivedbyMarkTwainfortheMississippipapers，asquotedinthisletter，furnishesuswitharealizingsenseoftheimprovementintheliterarymarket，withtheadventofafloodofcheapmagazinesandtheSundaynewspaper。TheAtlanticpageprobablycontainedaboutathousandwords，whichwouldmakehispriceaverage，say，twocentsperword。Thirtyyearslater，whenhisfamewasnotmuchmoreextended，hispayforthesamematterwouldhavebeenfifteentimesasgreat，thatistosay，attherateofthirtycentsperword。ButinthatearlytimetherewerenoSundaymagazines——noliterarymagazinesatallexcepttheAtlantic，andHarpers，andafewfashionperiodicals。Probablytherewerenews-stands，butitishardtoimaginewhattheymusthavelookedlikewithoutthegaypictorialcover-femininitythatto-daypleasesandelevatesthepublicandmakesauthorandartistaffluent。

Clemensworkedsteadilyontheriverchapters，andHowellswasalwayspraisinghimandurginghimtogoon。AttheendofJanuaryhewrote：“You”redoingthescienceofpilotingsplendidly。Everyword”sinteresting。Anddon”tyoudroptheseries”tilyou”vegoteverybitofanecdoteandreminiscenceintoit。”

ToW。D。Howells，inBoston：

HARTFORD，Feb。10，1875。