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！IfindasperadvertisementwhichIsentyouthattheywon”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；“andinthatlongflightofbirdsacrossalakeinthesubduedflushofsunsetorsunrise——fornomancanevertelltotherfromwhichinapicture，exceptithasthefilmymorningmistbreathingitselfupfromthewater。Andthereissuchagraveanalyticalprofundityinthefacesof“TheConnoisseurs；“andsuchpathosinthepictureofthefawnsucklingitsdeadmother，onasnowywaste，withonlythebloodinthefootprintstohintthatsheisnotasleep。
Andthewayhemakesanimalsabsolutefleshandblood——insomuchthatiftheroomweredarkenedeversolittleandamotionlesslivinganimalplacedbesideapaintedone，nomancouldtellwhichwaswhich。
Iinterruptedmyselfhere，todropalinetoShirleyBrooksandsuggestacartoonforPunch。Itwasthis。InoneoftheAcademysalonsinthesuitewherethesepicturesare，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”salewhichanyAmericanbookhaseverachievedunlessoneexceptsthecheapereditionsofUncleTom”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”sjustwherewedriveintogotoournewhousewillsellfor$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，onabookastoryandconsequentlyhavebeensowrappedupinitandsodeadtoanythingelse，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-bookIthink
butIhavebackeddownfromlettingitbeknownasminejustatpresent——forIcan”tstandbeingunderdiscussiononaplayandascrap-bookatthesametime！
Ishallbeawaytwodays，andthenreturntotakeourtribetoNewYork，whereweshallremainfivedaysbuyingfurnitureforthenewhouse，andthengotoHartfordandsettlesolidlydownforthewinter。AfterallthatfallowtimeIoughttobeabletogotoworkagainonthebook。
WeshallreachHartfordaboutthemiddleofSeptember，Ijudge。
Wehavespentthepastfourmonthsuphereontopofabreezyhill，sixhundredfeethigh，somefewmilesfromElmira，N。Y。，andoverlookingthattown；Elmiraismywife”sbirthplaceandthatofSusieandthenewbaby。Thislittlesummerhouseonthehill-topnamedQuarryFarmbecausethere”saquarryonit，belongstomywife”ssister，Mrs。Crane。
Aphotographercameuptheotherdayandwantedtomakesomeviews，andIshallsendyoutheresultperthismail。
Mystudyisasnuglittleoctagonalden，withacoal-grate，6bigwindows，onelittleone，andawidedoorwaythelatteropeninguponthedistanttown。OnhotdaysIspreadthestudywideopen，anchormypapersdownwithbrickbatsandwriteinthemidstofthehurricanes，clothedinthesamethinlinenwemakeshirtsof。Thestudyisnearlyonthepeakofthehill；itisrightinfrontofthelittleperpendicularwallofrockleftwheretheyusedtoquarrystones。Onthepeakofthehillisanoldarborroofedwithbarkandcoveredwiththevineyoucallthe“AmericanCreeper“——itsgreenisalmostbloodiedwithred。TheStudyis30yardsbelowtheoldarborand200yardsabovethedwelling-house-itisremotefromallnoises……
Nowisn”tthewholethingpleasantlysituated？
Inthepictureofmeinthestudyyouglimpsethroughtheleft-handwindowthelittlerockbluffthatrisesbehindthepond，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-
andIhaddifficultywiththisnegrotalkbecauseanegrosometimesrarelysays“goin“andsometimes“gwyne，“andtheymakejustsuchdiscrepanciesinotherwords——andwhenyoucometoreproducethemonpapertheylookasifthevariationresultedfromthewriter”scarelessness。ButIwanttoworkattheproofsandgetthedialectasnearlyrightaspossible。
Weareinpartofthenewhouse。Goodnessknowswhenwe”llgetintherestofit——fullofworkmenyet。
Iworkedamonthatmyplay，andlauncheditinNewYorklastWednesday。
Ibelieveitwillgo。Thenewspapershavebeencomplimentary。Itissimplyasettingfortheonecharacter，Col。Sellers——asaplayIguessitwillnotbearacriticalassaultinforce。
TheWarnersareascharmingasever。Theygoshortlytothedevilforayear——whichisbutapoeticalwayofsayingtheyaregoingtoafflictthemselveswiththeunsurpassable——badwordoftravelforaspell。
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-boatinggloryandgrandeurasIsawthemduring5yearsfromthepilothouse。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。HisgranddaughtertheeldestisbutlatelywarnedtotheyoungestoftheGrandDukes，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，andcoveralltheOldTimestheMississippidangthatword，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；foritistheonlyaudiencethatIsitdownbeforeinperfectserenityforthesimplereasonthatitdoesn”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，MARK。
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。chapterinmyeldest”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，andyetthepartialitiesofProvidencedoseemtometobeslatheredaroundasonemaysaywithoutthatgravityandattentiontodetailwhichtherealimportanceofthematterwouldseemtosuggest。
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，IdonotcomplainthoughatthesametimeIdoswearthatIamnotcontent。Howevertheawfulrespectabilityofthemagazinemakesup。
IhavecutyourarticlesaboutSanMarcooutofaNewYorkpaperJoeTwichellsawitandbroughtithometomewithloudadmiration，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。