talked；　and　tasked　of　everything　in　the　heavens　and　on　the　earth；　and　the
  waters　under　the　earth。　　After　two　days　of　this　talk　I　would　come　away
  hollow；　realizing　myself　best　in　the　image　of　one　of　those　locust…shells
  which　you　find　sticking　to　the　bark　of　trees　at　the　end　of　summer。〃
  Sometimes　Clemens　told　the　story　of　his　early　life；　〃the　inexhaustible；
  the　fairy；　the　Arabian　Nights　story；　which　I　could　never　tire　of　even
  when　it　began　to　be　told　over　again。〃
  XCIV
  BEGINNING　〃TOM　SAWYER〃
  The　Clemens　household　went　to　Quarry　Farm　in　April；　leaving　the　new　house
  once　more　in　the　hands　of　the　architect　and　builders。　　It　was　costing　a
  vast　sum　of　money；　and　there　was　a　financial　stress　upon　land。　　Mrs。
  Clemens；　always　prudent；　became　a　little　uneasy　at　times；　though　without
  warrant　in　those　days；　for　her　business　statement　showed　that　her
  holdings　were　only　a　little　less　than　a　quarter　of　a　million　in　her　own
  right；　while　her　husband's　books　and　lectures　had　been　highly
  remunerative；　and　would　be　more　so。　　They　were　justified　in　living　in
  ample；　even　luxurious　comfort；　and　how　free　from　financial　worries　they
  could　have　lived　for　the　rest　of　their　days！
  Clemens；　realizing　his　happiness；　wrote　Dr。　Brown：
  Indeed　I　am　thankful　for　the　wifey　and　the　child；　and　if　there　is　one
  individual　creature　on　all　this　footstool　who　is　more　thoroughly　and
  uniformly　and；　unceasingly　happy　than　I　am　I　defy　the　world　to　produce
  him　and　prove　him。　　In　my　opinion　he　don't　exist。　　I　was　a　mighty　rough；
  coarse；　unpromising　subject　when　Livy　took　charge　of　me；　four　years　ago；
  and　I　may　still　be　to　the　rest　of　the　world；　but　not　to　her。　　She　has
  made　a　very　creditable　job　of　me。
  Truly　fortune　not　only　smiled；　but　laughed。　　Every　mail　brought　great
  bundles　of　letters　that　sang　his　praises。　　Robert　Watt；　who　had
  translated　his　books　into　Danish；　wrote　of　their　wide　popularity　among
  his　people。　　Madame　Blanc　（Th。　Bentzon）；　who　as　early　as　1872　had
  translated　The　Jumping　Frog　into　French；　and　published　it；　with　extended
  comment　on　the　author　and　his　work；　in　the　'Revue　des　deux　mondes'；　was
  said　to　be　preparing　a　review　of　'The　Gilded　Age'。　　All　the　world　seemed
  ready　to　do　him　honor。
  Of　course；　one　must　always　pay　the　price；　usually　a　vexatious　one。　　Bores
  stopped　him　on　the　street　to　repeat　ancient　and　witless　stories。
  Invented　anecdotes；　some　of　them　exasperating　ones；　went　the　rounds　of
  the　press。　　Impostors　in　distant　localities　personated　him；　or　claimed　to
  be　near　relatives；　and　obtained　favors；　sometimes　money；　in　his　name。
  Trivial　letters；　seeking　benefactions　of　every　kind；　took　the　savor　from
  his　daily　mail。　　Letters　from　literary　aspirants　were　so　numerous　that　he
  prepared　a　〃form〃　letter　of　reply：
  DEAR　SIR　OR　MADAM；Experience　has　not　taught　me　very　much；　still　it　has
  taught　me　that　it　is　not　wise　to　criticize　a　piece　of　literature；　except
  to　an　enemy　of　the　person　who　wrote　it；　then　if　you　praise　it　that　enemy
  admiresyou　for　your　honest　manliness；　and　if　you　dispraise　it　he
  admires　you　for　your　sound　judgment。
  Yours　truly；　　　　S。　　L。　　C。
  Even　Orion；　now　in　Keokuk　on　a　chicken　farm；　pursued　him　with　manuscripts
  and　proposals　of　schemes。　　Clemens　had　bought　this　farm　for　Orion；　who
  had　counted　on　large　and　quick　returns；　but　was　planning　new　enterprises
  before　the　first　eggs　were　hatched。　　Orion　Clemens　was　as　delightful　a
  character　as　was　ever　created　in　fiction；　but　he　must　have　been　a　trial
  now　and　then　to　Mark　Twain。　　We　may　gather　something　of　this　from　a
  letter　written　by　the　latter　to　his　mother　and　sister　at　this　period：
  I　can't　〃encourage〃　Orion。　　Nobody　can　do　that　conscientiously；　for
  the　reason　that　before　one's　letter　has　time　to　reach　him　he　is　off
  on　some　new　wild…goose　chase。　　Would　you　encourage　in　literature　a
  man　who　the　older　he　grows　the　worse　he　writes？
  I　cannot　encourage　him　to　try　the　ministry；　because　he　would　change
  his　religion　so　fast　that　he　would　have　to　keep　a　traveling　agent
  under　wages　to　go　ahead　of　him　to　engage　pulpits　and　board　for　him。
  I　cannot　conscientiously　encourage　him　to　do　anything　but　potter
  around　his　little　farm　and　put　in　his　odd　hours　contriving　new　and
  impossible　projects　at　the　rate　of　365　a　year　which　is　his　customary
  average。　　He　says　he　did　well　in　Hannibal！　　Now　there　is　a　man　who
  ought　to　be　entirely　satisfied　with　the　grandeurs；　emoluments；　and
  activities　of　a　hen　farm。
  If　you　ask　me　to　pity　Orion　I　can　do　that。　　I　can　do　it　every　day
  and　all　day　long。　　But　one　can't　〃encourage〃　quicksilver；　because
  the　instant　you　put　your　finger　on　it；　it　isn't　there。　　No；　I　am
  saying　too　much。　　He　does　stick　to　his　literary　and　legal
  aspirations；　and　he　naturally　would　elect　the　very　two　things　which
  he　is　wholly　and　preposterously　unfitted　for。　　If　I　ever　become
  able；　I　mean　to　put　Orion　on　a　regular　pension　without　revealing　the
  fact　that　it　is　a　pension。
  He　did　presently　allow　the　pension；　a　liberal　one；　which　continued
  until　neither　Orion　Clemens　nor　his　wife　had　further　earthly　need　of
  it。
  Mark　Twain　for　some　time　had　contemplated　one　of　the　books　that　will
  longest　preserve　his　memory；　'The　Adventures　of　Tom　Sawyer'。　　The　success
  of　'Roughing　It'　naturally　made　him　cast　about　for　other　autobiographical
  material；　and　he　remembered　those　days　along　the　river…front　in　Hannibal
  his　skylarking　with　Tom　Blankenship；　the　Bowen　boys；　John　Briggs；　and
  the　rest。　　He　had　recognized　these　things　as　materialinviting　material
  it　wasand　now　in　the　cool　luxury　of　Quarry　Farm　he　set　himself　to　spin
  the　fabric　of　youth。
  He　found　summer…time　always　his　best　period　for　literary　effort；　and　on　a
  hillside　just　by　the　old　quarry；　Mrs。　Crane　had　built　for　him　that　spring
  a　studya　little　room　of　windows；　somewhat　suggestive　of　a　pilot…house
  overlooking　the　long　sweep　of　grass　and　the　dreamlike　city　below。　　Vines
  were　planted　that　in　the　course　of　time　would　cover　and　embower　it；　there
  was　a　tiny　fireplace　for　chilly　days。　　To　Twichell；　of　his　new　retreat；
  Clemens　wrote：
  It　is　the　loveliest　study　you　ever　saw。　　It　is　octagonal；　with　a　peaked
  roof；　each　face　filled　with　a　spacious　window；　and　it　sits　perched　in
  complete　isolation　on　the　top　of　an　elevation　that　commands　leagues　of
  valley　and　city　and　retreating　ranges　of　distant　blue　hills。　　It　is　a
  cozy　nest　and　just　room　in　it　for　a　sofa；　table；　and　three　or　four
  chairs；　and　when　the　storms　sweep　down　the　remote　valley　and　the
  lightning　flashes　behind　the　hills　beyond；　and　the　rain　beats　upon　the
  roof　over　my　head；　imagine　the　luxury　of　it。
  He　worked　steadily　there　that　summer。　　He　would　go　up　mornings；　after
  breakfast；　remaining　until　nearly　dinner…time；　say　until　five　o'clock　or
  after；　for　it　was　not　his　habit　to　eat　luncheon。　　Other　members　of　the
  family　did　not　venture　near　the　place；　and　if　he　was　urgently　wanted　they
  blew　a　horn。　　Each　evening　he　brought　down　his　day's　performance　to　read
  to　the　assembled　family。　　He　felt　the　need　of　audience　and　approval。
  Usually　he　earned　the　latter；　but　not　always。　　Once；　when　for　a　day　he
  put　aside　other　matters　to　record　a　young　undertaker's　love…affair；　and
  brought　down　the　result　in　the　evening；　fairly　bubbling　with　the　joy　of
  it；　he　met　with　a　surprise。　　The　tale　was　a　ghastly　burlesque；　its　humor
  of　the　most　disheartening；　unsavory　sort。　　No　one　spoke　during　the
  reading；　nobody　laughed：　The　air　was　thick　with　disapproval。　　His　voice
  lagged　and　faltered　toward　the　end。　　When　he　finished　there　was　heavy
  silence。　　Mrs。　Clemens　was　the　only　one　who　could　speak：
  〃Youth；　let's　walk　a　little；〃　she　said。
  The　〃Undertaker's　Love　Story〃　is　still　among　the　manuscripts　of　that
  period；　but　it　is　unlikely　that　it　will　ever　see　the　light　of　print。
  ＇This　tale　bears　no　relation　to　〃　The　Undertaker's　Story〃　in　Sketches
  New　and　Old。＇
  The　Tom　Sawyer　tale　progressed　steadily　and　satisfactorily。　　Clemens
  wrote　Dr。　Brown：
  I　have　been　writing　fifty　pages　of　manuscript　a　day；　on　an　average；
  for　some　time　now；　on　a　book　（a　story）；　and　consequently　　have　been
  so　wrapped　up　in　it；　and　dead　to　everything　else；　that　I　have　fallen
  mighty　short　in　letter…writing。。。。
  On　hot　days　I　spread　the　study　wide　open；　anchor　my　papers　down　with
  brickbats；　and　write　in　the　midst　of　the　hurricane；　clothed　in　the
  same　thin　linen　we　make　shirts　of。
  He　incloses　some　photographs　in　this　letter。
  The　group　＇he　says＇　represents　the　vine…clad　carriageway　in　front　of
  the　farm…house。　　On　the　left　is　Megalopis　sitting　in　the　lap　of　her
  German　nurse…maid。　　I　am　sitting　behind　them。　　Mrs。　Crane　is　in　the
  center。　　Mr。　Crane　next　to　her。　　Then　Mrs。　Clemens　and　the　new　baby。
  Her　Irish　nurse　stands　at　her　back。　　Then　comes　the　table　waitress；
  a　young　negro　girl；　born　free。　　Next　to　her　is　Auntie　Cord　（a
  fragment　of　whose　history　I　have　just　sent　to　a　magazine）。　　She　is
  the　cook；　was　in　slavery　more　than　forty　years；　and　the　self…
  satisfied　wench；　the　last　of　the　group；　is　the　litt