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。　Langdon　rallied；　and　early　in　July　there
  was　hope　for　his　recovery。　　He　failed　again；　and　on　the　afternoon　of　the
  6th　of　August　he　died。　　To　Mrs。　Clemens；　delicate　and　greatly　worn　with
  the　anxiety　and　strain　of　watching；　the　blow　was　a　crushing　one。　　It　was
  the　beginning　of　a　series　of　disasters　which　would　mark　the　entire
  remaining　period　of　their　Buffalo　residence。
  There　had　been　a　partial　plan　for　spending　the　summer　in　England；　and　a
  more　definite　one　for　joining　the　Twichells　in　the　Adirondacks。　　Both　of
  these　projects　were　now　abandoned。　　Mrs。　Clemens　concluded　that　she　would
  be　better　at　home　than　anywhere　else；　and　invited　an　old　school　friend；　a
  Miss　Emma　Nye；　to　visit　her。
  But　the　shadow　of　death　had　not　been　lifted　from　the　Clemens　household。
  Miss　Nye　presently　fell　ill　with　typhoid　fever。　　There　followed　another
  long　period　of　anxiety　and　nursing；　ending　with　the　death　of　the　visitor
  in　the　new　home；　September　29th。　　The　young　wife　was　now　in　very　delicate
  health；　genuinely　ill；　in　fact。　　The　happy　home　had　become　a　place　of
  sorrow…of　troubled　nights　and　days。　　Another　friend　came　to　cheer　them；
  and　on　this　friend's　departure　Mrs。　Clemens　drove　to　the　railway　station。
  It　was　a　hurried　trip　over　rough　streets　to　catch　the　train。　　She　was
  prostrated　on　her　return；　and　a　little　later；　November　7；　1870；　her　first
  child；　Langdon；　was　prematurely　born。　　A　dangerous　illness　followed；　and
  complete　recovery　was　long　delayed。　　But　on　the　l2th　the　crisis　seemed
  passed；　and　the　new　father　wrote　a　playful　letter　to　the　Twichells；　as
  coming　from　the　late　arrival：
  DEAR　UNCLE　AND　AUNT；I　came　into　the　world　on　the　7th　inst。；　and
  consequently　am　about　five　days　old　now。　　I　have　had　wretched　health
  ever　since　I　made　my　appearance　。　　。　　。　　I　am　not　corpulent；　nor　am
  I　robust　in　any　way。　　At　birth　I　only　weighed　four　and　one…half
  pounds　with　my　clothes　onand　the　clothes　were　the　chief　feature　of
  the　weight；　too；　I　am　obliged　to　confess；　but　I　am　doing　finely；　all
  things　considered　。　　。　　。　　。　　My　little　mother　is　very　bright　and
  cheery；　and　I　guess　she　is　pretty　happy；　but　I　don't　know　what
  about。　　She　laughs　a　great　deal；　notwithstanding　she　is　sick　abed。
  P。　S。Father　says　I　had　better　write　because　you　will　be　more
  interested　in　me；　just　now；　than　in　the　rest　of　the　family。
  A　week　later　Clemens；　as　himself；　wrote：
  Livy　is　up　and　the　prince　keeps　her　busy　and　anxious　these　latter
  days　and　nights；　but　I　am　a　bachelor　up…stairs　and　don't　have　to
  jump　up　and　get　the　soothing　sirup；　though　I　would　as　soon　do　it　as
  not；　I　assure　you。　　（Livy　will　be　certain　to　read　this　letter。）
  Tell　Harmony　that　I　do　hold　the　baby；　and　do　it　pretty　handily　too；
  though　with　occasional　apprehensions　that　his　loose　head　will　fall
  off。　　I　don't　have　to　quiet　him；　he　hardly　ever　utters　a　cry。　　He　is
  always　thinking　about　something。　　He　is　a　patient；　good　little　baby。
  Further　along　he　refers　to　one　of　his　reforms：
  Smoke？　　I　always　smoke　from　three　till　five　on　Sunday　afternoons；
  and　in　New　York；　the　other　day；　I　smoked　a　week；　day　and　night。　　But
  when　Livy　is　well　I　smoke　only　those　two　hours　on　Sunday。　　I'm　boss
  of　the　habit　now；　and　shall　never　let　it　boss　me　any　more。
  Originally　I　quit　solely　on　Livy's　account　（not　that　I　believed
  there　was　the　faintest　reason　in　the　matter；　but　just　as　I　would
  deprive　myself　of　sugar　in　my　coffee　if　she　wished　it；　or　quit
  wearing　socks　if　she　thought　them　immoral）；　and　I　stick　to　it　yet　on
  Livy's　account；　and　shall　always　continue　to　do　so　without　a　pang。
  But　somehow　it　seems　a　pity　that　you　quit；　for　Mrs。　T。　didn't　mind
  it；　if　I　remember　rightly。　　Ah；　it　is　turning　one's　back　upon　a
  kindly　Providence　to　spurn　away　from　us　the　good　creature　he　sent　to
  make　the　breath　of　life　a　luxury　as　well　as　a　necessity；　enjoyable
  as　well　as　useful。　　To　go　quit　smoking；　when　there　ain't　any
  sufficient　excuse　for　it！why；　my　old　boy；　when　they　used　to　tell
  me　I　would　shorten　my　life　ten　years　by　smoking；　they　little　knew
  the　devotee　they　were　wasting　their　puerile　words　upon；　they　little
  knew　how　trivial　and　valueless　I　would　regard　a　decade　that　had　no
  smoking　in　it！　　But　I　won't　persuade　you；　TwichellI　won't　until　I
  see　you　againbut　then　we'll　smoke　for　a　week　together；　and　then
  shut　off　again。
  LXXX
  LITERARY　PROJECTS
  The　success　of　the　Innocents　naturally　made　a　thrifty　publisher　like
  Bliss　anxious　for　a　second　experiment。　　He　had　begun　early　in　the　year　to
  talk　about　another　book；　but　nothing　had　come　of　it　beyond　a　project　or
  two；　more　or　less　hazy　and　unpursued。　　Clemens　at　one　time　developed　a
  plan　for　a　Noah's　Ark　book；　which　was　to　detail　the　cruise　of　the　Ark　in
  diaries　kept　by　various　members　of　it…Shem；　Ham；　and　the　others。　　He
  really　wrote　some　of　it　at　the　time；　and　it　was　an　idea　he　never　entirely
  lost　track　of。　　All　along　among　his　manuscripts　appear　fragments　from
  those　ancient　voyagers。　　One　of　the　earlier　entries　will　show　the　style
  and　purpose　of　the　undertaking。　　It　is　from　Shem's　record：
  Friday：　Papa's　birthday。　　He　is　600　years　old。　　We　celebrated　it　in
  a　big；　black　tent。　　Principal　men　of　the　tribe　present。　　Afterward
  they　were　shown　over　the　ark；　which　was　looking　desolate　and　empty
  and　dreary　on　account　of　a　misunderstanding　with　the　workmen　about
  wages。　　Methuselah　was　as　free　with　his　criticisms　as　usual；　and　as
  voluble　and　familiar；　which　I　and　my　brothers　do　not　like；　for　we
  are　past　our　one　hundredth　year　and　married。　　He　still　calls　me
  Shemmy；　just　as　he　did　when　I　was　a　child　of　sixty。　　I　am　still　but
  a　youth；　it　is　true；　but　youth　has　its　feelings；　and　I　do　not　like
  this　。　　。　　。　　。
  Saturday：　Keeping　the　Sabbath。
  Sunday：　Papa　has　yielded　the　advance　and　everybody　is　hard　at　work。
  The　shipyard　is　so　crowded　that　the　men　hinder　each　other；　everybody
  hurrying　or　being　hurried；　the　rush　and　confusion　and　shouting　and
  wrangling　are　astonishing　to　our　family；　who　have　always　been　used
  to　a　quiet；　country　life。
  It　was　from　this　germ　that　in　a　later　day　grew　the　diaries　of　Adam　and
  Eve；　though　nothing　very　satisfactory　ever　came　of　this　preliminary
  attempt。　　The　author　had　faith　in　it；　however。　　To　Bliss　he　wrote：
  I　mean　to　take　plenty　of　time　and　pains　with　the　Noah's　Ark　book；
  maybe　it　will　be　several　years　before　it　is　all　written；　but　it　will
  be　a　perfect　lightning　striker　when　it　is　done。
  You　can　have　the　first　say　（that　is　plain　enough）　on　that　or　any
  other　book　I　may　prepare　for　the　press；　as　long　as　you　deal　in　a
  fair；　open；　and　honorable　way　with　me。　　I　do　not　think　you　will　ever
  find　me　doing　otherwise　with　you。　　I　can　get　a　book　ready　for　you
  any　time　you　want　it；　but　you　can't　want　one　before　this　time　next
  year；　so　I　have　plenty　of　time。
  Bliss　was　only　temporarily　appeased。　　He　realized　that　to　get　a　book
  ready　by　the　time　he　wanted　it…a　book　of　sufficient　size　and　importance
  to　maintain　the　pace　set　by　the　Innocents　meant　rather　more　immediate
  action　than　his　author　seemed　to　contemplate。　　Futhermore；　he　knew　that
  other　publishers　were　besieging　the　author　of　the　Innocents；　a
  disquieting　thought。　　In　early　July；　when　Mr。　Langdon's　condition　had
  temporarily　improved；　Bliss　had　come　to　Elmira　and　proposed　a　book　which
  should　relate　the　author's　travels　and　experiences　in　the　Far　West。　　It
  was　an　inviting　subject；　and　Clemens；　by　this　time　more　attracted　by　the
  idea　of　authorship　and　its　rewards；　readily　enough　agreed　to　undertake
  the　volume。　　He　had　been　offered　half　profits；　and　suggested　that　the　new
  contract　be　arranged　upon　these　terms。　Bliss；　figuring　on　a　sale　of
  100；000　copies；　proposed　seven　and　one…half　per　cent。　royalty　as　an
  equivalent；　and　the　contract　was　so　arranged。　　In　after…years；　when　the
  cost　of　manufacture　and　paper　had　become　greatly　reduced；　Clemens；　with
  but　a　confused　notion　of　business　details；　believed　he　had　been　misled　by
  Bliss　in　this　contract；　and　was　bitter　and　resentful　accordingly。　　The
  figures　remain；　however；　to　show　that　Bliss　dealt　fairly。　　Seven　and　one…
  half　per　cent。　　of　a　subscription　book　did　represent　half　profits　up　to
  100；000　copies　when　the　contract　was　drawn；　but　it　required　ten　years　to
  sell　that　quantity；　and　in　that　time　conditions　had　changed。　　Bliss　could
  hardly　foresee　that　these　things　would　be　so；　and　as　he　was　dead　when　the
  book　touched　the　100；000　mark　he　could　not　explain　or　readjust　matters；
  whatever　might　have　been　his　inclination。
  Clemens　was　pleased　enough　with　the　contract　when　it　was　made。　　To　Orion
  he　wrote　July　15　（1870）：
  Per　contract　I　must　have　another　six…hundred…page　book　ready　for　my
  publisher　January　1st；　and　I　only　began　it　to…day。　　The　subject　of
  it　is　a　secret；　because　I　may　possibly