Marriages　are　what　the　parties　to　them　alone　really　know　them　to　be；
  but　from　the　outside　I　should　say　that　this　marriage　was　one　of　the
  most　perfect。
  XCVII
  THE　WALK　TO　BOSTON
  The　new　home　became　more　beautiful　to　them　as　things　found　their　places；
  as　the　year　deepened；　and　the　wonder　of　autumn　foliage　lit　up　their
  landscape。　　Sitting　on　one　of　the　little　upper　balconies　Mrs。　Clemens
  wrote：
  The　atmosphere　is　very　hazy；　and　it　makes　the　autumn　tints　even　more
  soft　and　beautiful　than　usual。　　Mr。　Twichell　came　for　Mr。　Clemens　to
  go　walking　with　him；　they　returned　at　dinner…time；　heavily　laden
  with　autumn　leaves。
  And　as　usual　Clemens；　finding　the　letter　unfinished；　took　up　the　story。
  Twichell　came　up　here　with　me　to　luncheon　after　services；　and　I　went
  back　home　with　him　and　took　Susy　along　in　her　little　carriage。　　We
  have　just　got　home　again；　middle　of　afternoon；　and　Livy　has　gone　to
  rest　and　left　the　west　balcony　to　me。　　There　is　a　shining　and　most
  marvelous　miracle　of　cloud…effects　mirrored　in　the　brook；　a　picture
  which　began　with　perfection；　and　has　momently　surpassed　it　ever
  since；　until　at　last　it　is　almost　unendurably　beautiful。。。。
  There　is　a　cloud…picture　in　the　stream　now　whose　hues　are　as
  manifold　as　those　in　an　opal　and　as　delicate　as　the　tintings　of　a
  sea…shell。　　But　now　a　muskrat　is　swimming　through　it　and
  obliterating　it　with　the　turmoil　of　wavelets　he　casts　abroad　from
  his　shoulders。
  The　customary　Sunday　assemblage　of　strangers　is　gathered　together　in
  the　grounds　discussing　the　house。
  Twichell　and　Clemens　took　a　good　many　walks　these　days；　long　walks；　for
  Twichell　was　an　athlete　and　Clemens　had　not　then　outgrown　the　Nevada
  habit　of　pedestrian　wandering。　　Talcott's　Tower；　a　wooden　structure　about
  five　miles　from　Hartford；　was　one　of　their　favorite　objective　points；　and
  often　they　walked　out　and　back；　talking　so　continuously；　and　so　absorbed
  in　the　themes　of　their　discussions；　that　time　and　distance　slipped　away
  almost　unnoticed。　　How　many　things　they　talked　of　in　those　long　walks！
  They　discussed　philosophies　and　religions　and　creeds；　and　all　the　range
  of　human　possibility　and　shortcoming；　and　all　the　phases　of　literature
  and　history　and　politics。　　Unorthodox　discussions　they　were；
  illuminating；　marvelously　enchanting；　and　vanished　now　forever。
  Sometimes　they　took　the　train　as　far　as　Bloomfield；　a　little　station　on
  the　way；　and　walked　the　rest　of　the　distance；　or　they　took　the　train　from
  Bloomfield　home。　　It　seems　a　strange　association；　perhaps；　the　fellowship
  of　that　violent　dissenter　with　that　fervent　soul　dedicated　to　church　and
  creed；　but　the　root　of　their　friendship　lay　in　the　frankness　with　which
  each　man　delivered　his　dogmas　and　respected　those　of　his　companion。
  It　was　during　one　of　their　walks　to　the　tower　that　they　planned　a　far
  more　extraordinary　undertakingnothing　less；　in　fact；　than　a　walk　from
  Hartford　to　Boston。　　This　was　early　in　November。　　They　did　not　delay　the
  matter；　for　the　weather　was　getting　too　uncertain。
  Clemens　wrote　Redpath：
  DEAR　REDPATH；　Rev。　J。　H。　Twichell　and　I　expect　to　start　at　8　o'clock
  Thursday　morning　to　walk　to　Boston　in　twenty　four　hoursor　more。　　We
  shall　telegraph　Young's　Hotel　for　rooms　Saturday　night；　in　order　to　allow
  for　a　low　average　of　pedestrianism。
  It　was　half　past　eight　on　Thursday　morning；　November　12；　1874；　that　they
  left　Twichell's　house　in　a　carriage；　drove　to　the　East　Hartford　bridge；
  and　there　took　to　the　road；　Twichell　carrying　a　little　bag　and　Clemens　a
  basket　of　lunch。
  The　papers　had　got　hold　of　it　by　this　time；　and　were　watching　the　result。
  They　did　well　enough　that　first　day；　following　the　old　Boston　stage　road；
  arriving　at　Westford　about　seven　o'clock　in　the　evening；　twenty…eight
  miles　from　the　starting…point。　　There　was　no　real　hotel　at　Westford；　only
  a　sort　of　tavern；　but　it　afforded　the　luxury　of　rest。　　〃Also；〃　says
  Twichell；　in　a　memoranda　of　the　trip；　〃a　sublimely　profane　hostler　whom
  you　couldn't　jostle　with　any　sort　of　mild　remark　without　bringing　down
  upon　yourself　a　perfect　avalanche　of　oaths。〃
  This　was　a　joy　to　Clemens；　who　sat　behind　the　stove；　rubbing　his　lame
  knees　and　fairly　reveling　in　Twichell's　discomfiture　in　his　efforts　to
  divert　the　hostler's　blasphemy。　　There　was　also　a　mellow　inebriate　there
  who　recommended　kerosene　for　Clemens's　lameness；　and　offered　as　testimony
  the　fact　that　he　himself　had　frequently　used　it　for　stiffness　in　his
  joints　after　lying　out　all　night　in　cold　weather；　drunk：　altogether　it
  was　a　notable　evening。
  Westford　was　about　as　far　as　they　continued　the　journey　afoot。　　Clemens
  was　exceedingly　lame　next　morning；　and　had　had　a　rather　bad　night；　but　he
  swore　and　limped　along　six　miles　farther；　to　North　Ashford；　then　gave　it
  up。　　They　drove　from　North　Ashford　to　the　railway；　where　Clemens
  telegraphed　Redpath　and　Howells　of　their　approach。　　To　Redpath：
  We　have　made　thirty…five　miles　in　less　than　five　days。　　This
  demonstrates　that　the　thing　can　be　done。　　Shall　now　finish　by　rail。
  Did　you　have　any　bets　on　us？
  To　Howells：
  Arrive　by　rail　at　seven　o'clock；　the　first　of　a　series　of　grand
  annual　pedestrian　tours　from　Hartford　to　Boston　to　be　performed　by
  us。　　The　next　will　take　place　next　year。
  Redpath　read　his　despatch　to　a　lecture　audience；　with　effect。　　Howells
  made　immediate　preparation　for　receiving　two　way…worn；　hungry　men。　　He
  telegraphed　to　Young's　Hotel：　〃You　and　Twichell　come　right　up　to　37
  Concord　Avenue；　Cambridge；　near　observatory。　　Party　waiting　for　you。〃
  They　got　to　Howells's　about　nine　o'clock；　and　the　refreshments　were
  waiting。　　Miss　Longfellow　was　there；　Rose　Hawthorne；　John　Fiske；　Larkin
  G。　Mead；　the　sculptor；　and　others　of　their　kind。　　Howells　tells　in　his
  book　how　Clemens；　with　Twichell；　〃suddenly　stormed　in；〃　and　immediately
  began　to　eat　and　drink：
  I　can　see　him　now　as　he　stood　up　in　the　midst　of　our　friends；　with
  his　head　thrown　back；　and　in　his　hand　a　dish　of　those　escalloped
  oysters　without　which　no　party　in　Cambridge　was　really　a　party；
  exulting　in　the　tale　of　his　adventure；　which　had　abounded　in　the
  most　original　characters　and　amusing　incidents　at　every　mile　of
  their　progress。
  Clemens　gave　a　dinner；　next　night；　to　Howells；　Aldrich；　Osgood；　and　the
  rest。　　The　papers　were　full　of　jokes　concerning　the　Boston　expedition；
  some　even　had　illustrations；　and　it　was　all　amusing　enough　at　the　time。
  Next　morning；　sitting　in　the　writing…room　of　Young's　Hotel；　he　wrote　a
  curious　letter　to　Mrs。　Clemens；　though　intended　as　much　for　Howells　and
  Aldrich　as　for　her。　　It　was　dated　sixty…one　years　ahead；　and　was　a　sort
  of　Looking　Backwards；　though　that　notable　book　had　not　yet　been　written。
  It　presupposed　a　monarchy　in　which　the　name　of　Boston　has　been　changed　to
  〃Limerick；〃　and　Hartford　to　〃Dublin。〃　　In　it；　Twichell　has　become　the
  〃Archbishop　of　Dublin；〃　Howells　〃Duke　of　Cambridge；〃　Aldrich　〃Marquis　of
  Ponkapog；〃　Clemens　the　〃Earl　of　Hartford。〃　　It　was　too　whimsical　and
  delightful　a　fancy　to　be　forgotten。　＇This　remarkable　and　amusing
  document　will　be　found　under　Appendix　M；　at　the　end　of　last　volume。＇
  A　long　time　afterward；　thirty…four　year；　he　came　across　this　letter。　　He
  said：
  〃It　seems　curious　now　that　I　should　have　been　dreaming　dreams　of　a　future
  monarchy　and　never　suspect　that　the　monarchy　was　already　present　and　the
  Republic　a　thing　of　the　past。〃
  What　he　meant；　was　the　political　succession　that　had　fostered　those
  commercial　trusts　which；　in　turn；　had　established　party　dominion。
  To　Howells；　on　his　return；　Clemens　wrote　his　acknowledgments；　and　added：
  Mrs。　Clemens　gets　upon　the　verge　of　swearing；　and　goes　tearing
  around　in　an　unseemly　fury　when　I　enlarge　upon　the　delightful　time
  we　had　in　Boston；　and　she　not　there　to　have　her　share。　　I　have　tried
  hard　to　reproduce　Mrs。　Howells　to　her；　and　have　probably　not　made　a
  shining　success　of　it。
  XCVIII
  〃OLD　TIMES　ON　THE　MISSISSIPPI〃
  Howells　had　been　urging　Clemens　to　do　something　more　for　the　Atlantic；
  specifically　something　for　the　January　number。　　Clemens　cudgeled　his
  brains；　but　finally　declared　he　must　give　it　up：
  Mrs。　Clemens　has　diligently　persecuted　me　day　by　day　with　urgings　to
  go　to　work　and　do　that　something；　but　it's　no　use。　　I　find　I　can't。
  We　are　in　such　a　state　of　worry　and　endless　confusion　that　my　head
  won't　go。
  Two　hours　later　he　sent　another　hasty　line：
  I　take　back　the　remark　that　I　can't　write　for　the　January　number；
  for　Twichell　and　I　have　had　a　long　walk　in　the　woods；　and　I　got　to
  telling　him　about　old　Mississippi　days　of　steam…boating　glory　and
  grandeur　as　I　saw　them　（during　four　years）　from　the　pilot…house。　　He
  said；　〃What　a　virgin　subject　to　hurl　into　a　magazine！〃　I　hadn't
  thought　of　that　before。　　Would　you　like　a　series　of　papers　to　run
  through　three　months　or　six　or　nineor　about　four　months；　say？
  Howells　welcomed　this　offer　as　an　echo　of　his　own　thought。　　He　had　come
  from　a　piloting　family　himself；　and