purchase　was　decided　upon。　　His　lack　of　funds　prompted　a　new　plan　for　a
  lecture　tour　to　the　Pacific　coast；　this　time　with　D。　R。　Locke　（Nasby）；
  then　immensely　popular；　in　his　lecture　〃Cussed　Be　Canaan。〃
  Clemens　had　met　Nasby　on　the　circuit；　and　was　very　fond　of　him。　　The　two
  had　visited　Boston　together；　and　while　there　had　called　on　Doctor　Holmes；
  this　by　the　way。　　Nasby　was　fond　of　Clemens　too；　but　doubtful　about　the
  trip…doubtful　about　his　lecture：
  Your　proposition　takes　my　breath　away。　　If　I　had　my　new　lecture
  completed　I　wouldn't　hesitate　a　moment；　but　really　isn't　〃Cussed　Be
  Canaan〃　too　old？　　You　know　that　lemon；　our　African　brother；　juicy　as
  he　was　in　his　day；　has　been　squeezed　dry。　　Why　howl　about　his　wrongs
  after　said　wrongs　have　been　redressed？　　Why　screech　about　the
  〃damnable　spirit　of　Cahst〃　when　the　victim　thereof　sits　at　the　first
  table；　and　his　oppressor　mildly　takes；　in　hash；　what　he　leaves？　　You
  see；　friend　Twain；　the　Fifteenth　Amendment　busted　〃Cussed　Be
  Canaan。〃　　I　howled　feelingly　on　the　subject　while　it　was　a　living
  issue；　for　I　felt　all　that　I　said　and　a　great　deal　more；　but　now
  that　we　have　won　our　fight　why　dance　frantically　on　the　dead　corpse
  of　our　enemy？　　The　Reliable　Contraband　is　contraband　no　more；　but　a
  citizen　of　the　United　States；　and　I　speak　of　him　no　more。
  Give　me　a　week　to　think　of　your　proposition。　　If　I　can　jerk　a
  lecture　in　time　I　will　go　with　you。　　The　Lord　knows　I　would　like　to。
  ＇Nasby's　lecture；　〃Cussed　Be　Canaan；〃　opened；　〃We　are　all
  descended　from　grandfathers！〃　　He　had　a　powerful　voice；　and　always
  just　on　the　stroke　of　eight　he　rose　and　vigorously　delivered　this
  sentence。　　Once；　after　lecturing　an　entire　seasontwo　hundred　and
  twenty…five　nightshe　went　home　to　rest。　　That　evening　he　sat；
  musingly　drowsing　by　the　fire；　when　the　clock　struck　eight。　　Without
  a　moment's　thought　Nasby　sprang　to　his　feet　and　thundered　out；　〃We
  are　all　descended　from　grandfathers！〃＇
  Nasby　did　not　go；　and　Clemens's　enthusiasm　cooled　at　the　prospect　of
  setting　out　alone　on　that　long　tour。　　Furthermore；　Jervis　Langdon
  promptly　insisted　on　advancing　the　money　required　to　complete　the
  purchase　of　the　Express；　and　the　trade　was　closed。　＇Mr。　Langdon　is　just
  as　good　for　25；000　for　me；　and　has　already　advanced　half　of　it　in　cash。
  I　wrote　and　asked　whether　I　had　better　send　him　my　note；　or　a　due　bill；
  or　how　he　would　prefer　to　have　the　indebtedness　made　of　record；　and　he
  answered　every　other　topic　in　the　letter　pleasantly；　but　never　replied　to
  that　at　all。　　Still；　I　shall　give　my　note　into　a　hands　of　his　business
  agent　here；　and　pay　him　the　interest　as　it　falls　due。S。　L。　C。　to　his
  mother。＇
  The　Buffalo　Express　was　at　this　time　in　the　hands　of　three　menCol。
  George　F。　Selkirk；　J。　L。　Lamed；　and　Thomas　A。　Kennett。　　Colonel　Selkirk
  was　business　manager；　Lamed　was　political　editor。　　With　the　purchase　of
  Kennett's　share　Clemens　became　a　sort　of　general　and　contributing　editor；
  with　a　more　or　less　〃roving　commission〃his　hours　and　duties　not　very
  clearly　defined。　　It　was　believed　by　his　associates；　and　by　Clemens
  himself；　that　his　known　connection　with　the　paper　would　give　it　prestige
  and　circulation；　as　Nasby's　connection　had　popularized　the　Toledo　Blade。
  The　new　editor　entered　upon　his　duties　August　14　（1869）。　　The　members　of
  the　Buffalo　press　gave　him　a　dinner　that　evening；　and　after　the　manner　of
  newspaper　men　the　world　over；　were　handsomely　cordial　to　the　〃new　enemy
  in　their　midst。〃
  There　is　an　anecdote　which　relates　that　next　morning；　when　Mark　Twain
  arrived　in　the　Express　office　（it　was　then　at　14　Swan　Street）；　there
  happened　to　be　no　one　present　who　knew　him。　　A　young　man　rose　very
  bruskly　and　asked　if　there　was　any　one　he　would　like　to　see。　　It　is
  reported　that　he　replied；　with　gentle　deliberation：
  〃Well；　yes；　I　should　like　to　see　some　young　man　offer　the　new　editor　a
  chair。〃
  It　is　so　like　Mark　Twain　that　we　are　inclined　to　accept　it；　though　it
  seems　of　doubtful　circumstance。　　In　any　case　it　deserves　to　be　true。　　His
  〃Salutatory〃　（August　18th）　is　sufficiently　genuine：
  Being　a　stranger；　it　would　be　immodest　for　me　to　suddenly　and
  violently　assume　the　associate　editorship　of　the　Buffalo　Express
  without　a　single　word　of　comfort　or　encouragement　to　the　unoffending
  patrons　of　the　paper；　who　are　about　to　be　exposed　to　constant
  attacks　of　my　wisdom　and　learning。　　But　the　word　shall　be　as　brief
  as　possible。　　I　only　want　to　assure　parties　having　a　friendly
  interest　in　the　prosperity　of　the　journal　that　I　am　not　going　to
  hurt　the　paper　deliberately　and　intentionally　at　any　time。　　I　am　not
  going　to　introduce　any　startling　reforms；　nor　in　any　way　attempt　to
  make　trouble。。。。　　I　shall　not　make　use　of　slang　and　vulgarity　upon
  any　occasion　or　under　any　circumstances；　and　shall　never　use
  profanity　except　when　discussing　house　rent　and　taxes。　　Indeed；　upon
  a　second　thought；　I　shall　not　use　it　even　then；　for　it　is
  unchristian；　inelegant；　and　degrading；　though；　to　speak　truly；　I　do
  not　see　how　house　rent　and　taxes　are　going　to　be　discussed　worth　a
  cent　without　it。　　I　shall　not　often　meddle　with　politics；　because　we
  have　a　political　Editor　who　is　already　excellent　and　only　needs　to
  serve　a　term　or　two　in　the　penitentiary　to　be　perfect。　　I　shall　not
  write　any　poetry　unless　I　conceive　a　spite　against　the　subscribers。
  Such　is　my　platform。　　I　do　not　see　any　use　in　it；　but　custom　is　law
  and　must　be　obeyed。
  John　Harrison　Mills；　who　was　connected　with　the　Express　in　those　days；
  has　written：
  I　cannot　remember　that　there　was　any　delay　in　getting　down　to　his
  work。　　I　think　within　five　minutes　the　new　editor　had　assumed　the
  easy　look　of　one　entirely　at　home；　pencil　in　hand　and　a　clutch　of
  paper　before　him；　with　an　air　of　preoccupation；　as　of　one　intent　on
  a　task　delayed。　　It　was　impossible　to　be　conscious　of　the　man
  sitting　there；　and　not　feel　his　identity　with　all　that　he　had
  enjoyed；　and　the　reminiscence　of　it　he　that　seemed　to　radiate；　for
  the　personality　was　so　absolutely　in　accord　with　all　the　record　of
  himself　and　his　work。　　I　cannot　say　he　seemed　to　be　that　vague　thing
  they　call　a　type　in　race　or　blood；　though　the　word；　if　used　in　his
  case　for　temperament；　would　decidedly　mean　what　they　used　to　call
  the　〃sanguine。〃
  I　thought　that；　pictorially；　the　noble　costume　of　the　Albanian　would
  have　well　become　him。　　Or　he　might　have　been　a　Goth；　and　worn　the
  horned　bull…pate　helmet　of　Alaric's　warriors；　or　stood　at　the　prow
  of　one　of　the　swift　craft　of　the　Vikings。　　His　eyes；　which　have　been
  variously　described；　were；　it　seemed　to　me；　of　an　indescribable
  depth　of　the　bluish　moss…agate；　with　a　capacity　of　pupil　dilation
  that　in　certain　lights　had　the　effect　of　a　deep　black。。。。
  Mr。　Mills　adds　that　in　dress　he　was　now　〃well　groomed；〃　and　that
  consequently　they　were　obliged　to　revise　their　notions　as　to　the　careless
  negligee　which　gossip　had　reported。　　＇From　unpublished　Reminiscences
  kindly　lent　to　the　author　by　Mr。　Mills＇
  LXXIII
  THE　FIRST　MEETING　WITH　HOWELLS
  Clemens'　first　period　of　editorial　work　was　a　brief　one；　though　he　made
  frequent　contributions　to　the　paper：　sketches；　squibs；　travel…notes；　and
  experiences；　usually　humorous　in　character。　　His　wedding…day　had　been　set
  for　early　in　the　year；　and　it　was　necessary　to　accumulate　a　bank　account
  for　that　occasion。　　Before　October　he　was　out　on　the　lecture　circuit；
  billed　now　for　the　first　time　for　New　England；　nervous　and　apprehensive
  in　consequence；　though　with　good　hope。　　To　Pamela　he　wrote
  （November　9th）：
  To…morrow　night　I　appear　for　the　first　time　before　a　Boston　audience
  4；000　criticsand　on　the　success　of　this　matter　depends　my　future
  success　in　New　England。　　But　I　am　not　distressed。　　Nasby　is　in　the　same
  boat。　　Tonight　decides　the　fate　of　his　brand…new　lecture。　　He　has　just
  left　my　roombeen　reading　his　lecture　to　mewas　greatly　depressed。　　I
  have　convinced　him　that　he　has　little　to　fear。
  Whatever　alarm　Mark　Twain　may　have　felt　was　not　warranted。　　His　success
  with　the　New　England　public　was　immediate　and　complete。　　He　made　his
  headquarters　in　Boston；　at　Redpath's　office；　where　there　was　pretty　sure
  to　be　a　congenial　company；　of　which　he　was　presently　the　center。
  It　was　during　one　of　these　Boston　sojourns　that　he　first　met　William　Dean
  Howells；　his　future　friend　and　literary　counselor。　　Howells　was　assistant
  editor　of　the　Atlantic　at　this　time；　James　T。　Fields；　its　editor。
  Clemens　had　been　gratified　by　the　Atlantic　review；　and　had　called　to
  express　his　thanks　for　it。　　He　sat　talking　to　Fields；　when　Howells
  entered　the　editorial　rooms；　and　on　being　presented　to　the　author　of　the
  review；　delivered　his　appreciation　in　the　form　of　a　story；　sufficiently
  appropriate；　but　not　qualified　for　the　larger　types。　　＇He　said：　〃When　I
  read　that　review　of　yours；　I　felt　like　the　woman　who　was　so　glad　her　baby
  had　come　white。〃＇
  His　manner；　hi