of　his　own。　　His　natural　kindness　of　heart；　and　especially　his　love　for
  his　wife；　inclined　him　toward　the　teachings　and　customs　of　her　Christian
  faithunorthodox　but　sincere；　as　Christianity　in　the　Langdon　family　was
  likely　to　be。　　It　took　very　little　persuasion　on　his　wife's　part　to
  establish　family　prayers　in　their　home；　grace　before　meals；　and　the
  morning　reading　of　a　Bible　chapter。　　Joe　Goodman；　who　made　a　trip　East；
  and　visited　them　during　the　early　days　of　their　married　life；　was
  dumfounded　to　see　Mark　Twain　ask　a　blessing　and　join　in　family　worship。
  Just　how　long　these　forms　continued　cannot　be　known　to…day；　the　time　of
  their　abandonment　has　perished　from　the　recollection　of　any　one　now
  living。
  It　would　seem　to　have　been　the　Bible…reading　that　wrought　the　change。
  The　prayer　and　the　blessing　were　to　him　sincere　and　gracious；　but　as　the
  readings　continued　he　realized　that　he　had　never　before　considered　the
  Bible　from　a　doctrinal　point　of　view；　as　a　guide　to　spiritual　salvation。
  To　his　logical　reasoning　mind；　a　large　portion　of　it　seemed　absurd：　a
  mass　of　fables　and　traditions；　mere　mythology。　　From　such　material
  humanity　had　built　its　mightiest　edifice　of　hope；　the　doctrines　of　its
  faith。　　After　a　little　while　he　could　stand　it　no　longer。
  〃Livy；〃　he　said　one　day；　〃you　may　keep　this　up　if　you　want　to；　but　I　must
  ask　you　to　excuse　me　from　it。　　It　is　making　me　a　hypocrite。　　I　don't
  believe　in　this　Bible。　　It　contradicts　my　reason。　　I　can't　sit　here　and
  listen　to　it；　letting　you　believe　that　I　regard　it；　as　you　do；　in　the
  light　of　gospel；　the　word　of　God。〃
  He　was　moved　to　write　an　article　on　the　human　idea　of　God；　ancient　and
  modern。　　It　contained　these　paragraphs：
  The　difference　in　importance；　between　the　God　of　the　Bible　and　the
  God　of　the　present　day；　cannot　be　described；　it　can　only　be　vaguely
  and　inadequately　figured　to　the　mind　。　　。　　。　　。　　If　you　make　figures
  to　represent　the　earth　and　moon；　and　allow　a　space　of　one　inch
  between　them；　to　represent　the　four　hundred　thousand　miles　of
  distance　which　lies　between　the　two　bodies；　the　map　will　have　to　be
  eleven　miles　long　in　order　to　bring　in　the　nearest　fixed　star。
  ＇His　figures　were　far　too　small。　　A　map　drawn　on　the　scale　of
  400；000　miles　to　the　inch　would　need　to　be　1；100　miles　long　to　take
  in　both　the　earth　and　the　nearest　fixed　star。　　On　such　a　map　the
  earth　would　be　one…fiftieth　of　an　inch　in　diameterthe　size　of　a
  small　grain　of　sand。＇　　So　one　cannot　put　the　modern　heavens　on　a
  map；　nor　the　modern　God；　but　the　Bible　God　and　the　Bible　heavens　can
  be　set　down　on　a　slate　and　yet　not　be　discommoded　。　　。　　。　　。
  The　difference　between　that　universe　and　the　modern　one　revealed　by
  science　is　as　the　difference　between　a　dust…flecked　ray　in　a　barn
  and　the　sublime　arch　of　the　Milky　Way　in　the　skies。　　Its　God　was
  strictly　proportioned　to　its　dimensions。　　His　sole　solicitude　was
  about　a　handful　of　truculent　nomads。　　He　worried　and　fretted　over
  them　in　a　peculiarly　and　distractingly　human　way。　　One　day　he　coaxed
  and　petted　them　beyond　their　due；　the　next　he　harried　and　lashed
  them　beyond　their　deserts。　　He　sulked；　he　cursed；　he　raged；　he
  grieved；　according　to　his　mood　and　the　circumstances；　but　all　to　no
  purpose；　his　efforts　were　all　vain；　he　could　not　govern　them。　　When
  the　fury　was　on　him　he　was　blind　to　all　reasonhe　not　only
  slaughtered　the　offender；　but　even　his　harmless　little　children　and
  dumb　cattle。。。。
  To　trust　the　God　of　the　Bible　is　to　trust　an　irascible；　vindictive；
  fierce　and　ever　fickle　and　changeful　master；　to　trust　the　true　God
  is　to　trust　a　Being　who　has　uttered　no　promises；　but　whose
  beneficent；　exact；　and　changeless　ordering　of　the　machinery　of　his
  colossal　universe　is　proof　that　he　is　at　least　steadfast　to　his
  purposes；　whose　unwritten　laws；　so　far　as　they　affect　man；　being
  equal　and　impartial；　show　that　he　is　just　and　fair；　these　things；
  taken　together；　suggest　that　if　he　shall　ordain　us　to　live
  hereafter；　he　will　still　be　steadfast；　just；　and　fair　toward　us。　　We
  shall　not　need　to　require　anything　more。
  It　seems　mild　enough；　obvious；　even　orthodox；　nowso　far　have　we
  traveled　in　forty　years。　　But　such　a　declaration　then　would　have　shocked
  a　great　number　of　sincerely　devout　persons。　　His　wife　prevailed　upon　him
  not　to　print　it。　　She　respected　his　honestyeven　his　reasoning；　but　his
  doubts　were　a　long　grief　to　her；　nevertheless。　　In　time　she　saw　more
  clearly　with　his　vision；　but　this　was　long　after；　when　she　had　lived　more
  with　the　world；　had　become　more　familiar　with　its　larger　needs；　and　the
  proportions　of　created　things。
  They　did　not　mingle　much　or　long　with　the　social　life　of　Buffalo。　　They
  received　and　returned　calls；　attended　an　occasional　reception；　but
  neither　of　them　found　such　things　especially　attractive　in　those　days；　so
  they　remained　more　and　more　in　their　own　environment。　　There　is　an
  anecdote　which　seems　to　belong　here。
  One　Sunday　morning　Clemens　noticed　smoke　pouring　from　the　upper　window　of
  the　house　across　the　street。　　The　owner　and　his　wife；　comparatively
  newcomers；　were　seated　upon　the　veranda；　evidently　not　aware　of　impending
  danger。　　The　Clemens　household　thus　far　had　delayed　calling　on　them；　but
  Clemens　himself　now　stepped　briskly　across　the　street。　　Bowing　with
  leisurely　politeness；　he　said：
  〃My　name　is　Clemens；　we　ought　to　have　called　on　you　before；　and　I　beg
  your　pardon　for　intruding　now　in　this　informal　way；　but　your　house　is　on
  fire。〃
  Almost　the　only　intimate　friends　they　had　in　Buffalo　were　in　the　family
  of　David　Gray；　the　poet…editor　of　the　Courier。　　Gray　was　a　gentle；
  lovable　man。　　〃The　gentlest　spirit　and　the　loveliest　that　ever　went
  clothed　in　clay；　since　Sir　Galahad　laid　him　to　rest；〃　Mark　Twain　once
  said　of　him。　　Both　Gray　and　Clemens　were　friends　of　John　Hay；　and　their
  families　soon　became　intimate。　　Perhaps；　in　time；　the　Clemens　household
  would　have　found　other　as　good　friends　in　the　Buffalo　circles；　but　heavy
  clouds　that　had　lain　unseen　just　beyond　the　horizon　during　those　earlier
  months　of　marriage　rose　suddenly　into　view；　and　the　social　life；　whatever
  it　might　have　become；　was　no　longer　a　consideration。
  LXXIX
  THE　OLD　HUMAN　STORY
  Jervis　Langdon　was　never　able　to　accept　his　son…in…law's　invitation　to
  the　new　home。　　His　health　began　to　fail　that　spring；　and　at　the　end　of
  March；　with　his　physician　and　Mrs。　Langdon；　he　made　a　trip　to　the　South。
  In　a　letter　written　at　Richmond　he　said；　〃I　have　thrown　off　all　care；〃
  and　named　a　list　of　the　four　great　interests　in　which　he　was　involved。
  Under　〃number　5；〃　he　included　〃everything；〃　adding；　〃so　you　see　how　good
  I　am　to　follow　the　counsel　of　my　children。〃　　He　closed：　〃Samuel；　I　love
  your　wife　and　she　loves　me。　　I　think　it　is　only　fair　that　you　should　know
  it；　but　you　need　not　flare　up。　　I　loved　her　before　you　did；　and　she　loved
  me　before　she　did　you；　and　has　not　ceased　since。　　I　see　no　way　but　for
  you　to　make　the　most　of　it。〃　　He　was　already　a　very　ill　man；　and　this
  cheerful　letter　was　among　the　last　he　ever　wrote。
  He　was　absent　six　weeks　and　seemed　to　improve；　but　suffered　an　attack
  early　in　May；　in　June　his　condition　became　critical。　　Clemens　and　his
  wife　were　summoned　to　Elmira；　and　joined　in　the　nursing；　day　and　night。
  Clemens　surprised　every　one　by　his　ability　as　a　nurse。　　His　delicacy　and
  thoughtfulness　were　unfailing；　his　original　ways　of　doing　things　always
  amused　and　interested　the　patient。　　In　later　years　Mark　Twain　once　said：
  〃How　much　of　the　nursing　did　I　do？　　My　main　watch　was　from　midnight
  to　four　in　the　morning；　nearly　four　hours。　　My　other　watch　was　a
  midday　watch；　and　I　think　it　was　nearly　three　hours。　　The　two
  sisters　divided　the　remaining　seventeen　hours　of　the　twenty…four
  hours　between　them；　and　each　of　them　tried　generously　and
  persistently　to　swindle　the　other　out　of　a　part　of　her　watch。　　I
  went　to　bed　early　every　night；　and　tried　to　get　sleep　enough　by
  midnight　to　fit　me　for　my　work；　but　it　was　always　a　failure。　　I　went
  on　watch　sleepy　and　remained　miserable；　sleepy；　and　wretched；
  straight　along　through　the　four　hours。　　I　can　still　see　myself
  sitting　by　that　bed　in　the　melancholy　stillness　of　the　sweltering
  night；　mechanically　waving　a　palm…leaf　fan　over　the　drawn；　white
  face　of　the　patient。　　I　can　still　recall　my　noddings；　my　fleeting
  unconsciousness；　when　the　fan　would　come　to　a　standstill　in　my　hand；
  and　I　woke　up　with　a　start　and　a　hideous　shock。　　During　all　that
  dreary　time　I　began　to　watch　for　the　dawn　long　before　it　came。　　When
  the　first　faint　gray　showed　through　the　window…blinds　I　felt　as　no
  doubt　a　castaway　feels　when　the　dim　threads　of　the　looked…for　ship
  appear　against　the　sky。　　I　was　well　and　strong；　but　I　was　a　man；
  afflicted　with　a　man's　infirmitylack　of　endurance。〃
  He　always　dealt　with　himself　in　this　unsparing　way；　but　those　who　were
  about　him　then　have　left　a　different　story。
  It　was　all　without　avail。　　Mr。　L