Howells　welcomed　this　offer　as　an　echo　of　his　own　thought。　　He　had　come
  from　a　piloting　family　himself；　and　knew　the　interest　that　Mark　Twain
  could　put　into　such　a　series。
  Acting　promptly　under　the　new　inspiration；　Clemens　forthwith　sent　the
  first　chapter　of　that　monumental；　that　absolutely　unique；　series　of
  papers　on　Mississippi　River　life；　which　to…day　constitutes　one　of　his
  chief　claims　to　immortality。
  His　first　number　was　in　the　nature　of　an　experiment。　　Perhaps；　after　all；
  the　idea　would　not　suit　the　Atlantic　readers。
  〃Cut　it；　scarify　it；　reject　it；　handle　it　with　entire　freedom；〃　he　wrote；
  and　awaited　the　result。
  The　〃result〃　was　that　Howells　expressed　his　delight：
  The　piece　about　the　Mississippi　is　capital。　　It　almost　made　the
  water　in　our　ice…pitcher　muddy　as　I　read　it。　　I　don't　think　I　shall
  meddle　much　with　it；　even　in　the　way　of　suggestion。　　The　sketch　of
  the　low…lived　little　town　was　so　good　that　I　could　have　wished　there
  was　more　of　it。　　I　want　the　sketches；　if　you　can　make　them；　every
  month。
  Mark　Twain　was　now　really　interested　in　this　new　literary　venture。　　He
  was　fairly　saturated　with　memories。　　He　was　writing　on　the　theme　that　lay
  nearest　to　his　heart。　　Within　ten　days　he　reported　that　he　had　finished
  three　of　the　papers；　and　had　begun　the　fourth。
  And　yet　I　have　spoken　of　nothing　but　piloting　as　a　science　so　far；　and　I
  doubt　if　I　ever　get　beyond　that　portion　of　my　subject。　　And　I　don't　care
  to。　　Any　Muggins　can　write　about　old　days　on　the　Mississippi　of　five
  hundred　different　kinds；　but　I　am　the　only　man　alive　that　can　scribble
  about　the　piloting　of　that　day；　and　no　man　has　ever　tried　to　scribble
  about　it　yet。　　Its　newness　pleases　me　all　the　time；　and　it　is　about　the
  only　new　subject　I　know　of。
  He　became　so　enthusiastic　presently　that　he　wanted　to　take　Howells　with
  him　on　a　trip　down　the　Mississippi；　with　their　wives　for　company；　to　go
  over　the　old　ground　again　and　obtain　added　material　enough　for　a　book。
  Howells　was　willing　enoughagreed　to　go；　in　factbut　found　it　hard　to
  get　away。　　He　began　to　temporize　and　finally　backed　out。　　Clemens　tried
  to　inveigle　Osgood　into　the　trip；　but　without　success；　also　John　Hay；　but
  Hay　had　a　new　baby　at　his　house　just　then〃three　days　old；　and　with　a
  voice　beyond　price；〃　he　said；　offering　it　as　an　excuse　for　non…
  acceptance。　　So　the　plan　for　revisiting　the　river　and　the　conclusion　of
  the　book　were　held　in　abeyance　for　nearly　seven　years。
  Those　early　piloting　chapters；　as　they　appeared　in　the　Atlantic；
  constituted　Mark　Twain's　best　literary　exhibit　up　to　that　time。　　In　some
  respects　they　are　his　best　literature　of　any　time。　　As　pictures　of　an
  intensely　interesting　phase　of　life；　they　are　so　convincing；　so　real；　and
  at　the　same　time　of　such　extraordinary　charm　and　interest；　that　if　the
  English　language　should　survive　a　thousand　years；　or　ten　times　as　long；
  they　would　be　as　fresh　and　vivid　at　the　end　of　that　period　as　the　day
  they　were　penned。　　In　them　the　atmosphere　of；　the　river　and　its
  environmentits　pictures；　its　thousand　aspects　of　lifeare　reproduced
  with　what　is　no　less　than　literary　necromancy。　　Not　only　does　he　make　you
  smell　the　river　you　can　fairly　hear　it　breathe。　　On　the　appearance　of　the
  first　number　John　Hay　wrote：
  〃It　is　perfect；　no　more　nor　less。　　I　don't　see　how　you　do　it；〃　and　added；
  〃you　know　what　my　opinion　is　of　time　not　spent　with　you。〃
  Howells　wrote：
  You　are　doing　the　science　of　piloting　splendidly。　　Every　word
  interesting；　and　don't　you　drop　the　series　till　you've　got　every　bit
  of　anecdote　and　reminiscence　into　it。
  He　let　Clemens　write　the　articles　to　suit　himself。　　Once　he　said：
  If　I　might　put　in　my　jaw　at　this　point　I　should　say；　stick　to　actual
  fact　and　character　in　the　thing　and　give　things　in　detail。　　All　that
  belongs　to　the　old　river　life　is　novel；　and　is　now　mostly
  historical。　　Don't　write　at　any　supposed　Atlantic　audience；　but　yarn
  it　off　as　if　into　my　sympathetic　ear。
  Clemens　replied　that　he　had　no　dread　of　the　Atlantic　audience；　he
  declared　it　was　the　only　audience　that　did　not　require　a　humorist　to
  〃paint　himself　striped　and　stand　on　his　head　to　amuse　it。〃
  The　〃Old　Times〃　papers　ran　through　seven　numbers　of　the　Atlantic。　　They
  were　reprinted　everywhere　by　the　newspapers；　who　in　that　day　had　little
  respect　for　magazine　copyrights；　and　were　promptly　pirated　in　book　form
  in　Canada。　　They　added　vastly　to　Mark　Twain's　literary　capital；　though
  Howells　informs　us　that　the　Atlantic　circulation　did　not　thrive
  proportionately；　for　the　reason　that　the　newspapers　gave　the　articles　to
  their　readers　from　advanced　sheets　of　the　magazine；　even　before　the
  latter　could　be　placed　on　sale。　　It　so　happened　that　in　the　January
  Atlantic；　which　contained　the　first　of　the　Mississippi　papers；　there
  appeared　Robert　Dale　Owen's　article　on　〃Spiritualism；〃　which　brought　such
  humility　both　to　author　and　publisher　because　of　the　exposure　of　the
  medium　Katie　King；　which　came　along　while　the　magazine　was　in　press。
  Clemens　has　written　this　marginal　note　on　the　opening　page　of　the　copy　at
  Quarry　Farm：
  While　this　number　of　the　Atlantic　was　being　printed　the　Katie　King
  manifestations　were　discovered　to　be　the　cheapest；　wretchedest　shams　and
  frauds；　and　were　exposed　in　the　newspapers。　　The　awful　humiliation　of　it
  unseated　Robert　Dale　Owen's　reason；　and　he　died　in　the　madhouse。
  XCIX
  A　TYPEWRITER；　AND　A　JOKE　ON　ALDRICH
  It　was　during　the　trip　to　Boston　with　Twichell　that　Mark　Twain　saw　for
  the　first　time　what　was　thena　brand…new　invention；　a　typewriter；　or　it
  may　have　been　during　a　subsequent　visit；　a　week　or　two　later。　　At　all
  events；　he　had　the　machine　and　was　practising　on　it　December　9；　1874；　for
  he　wrote　two　letters　on　it　that　day；　one　to　Howells　and　the　other　to
  Orion　Clemens。　　In　the　latter　he　says：
  I　am　trying　to　get　the　hang　of　this　new…fangled　writing…machine；　but
  am　not　making　a　shining　success　of　it。　　However；　this　is　the　first
  attempt　I　ever　have　made；　and　yet　I　perceive　that　I　shall　soon
  easily　acquire　a　fine　facility　in　its　use。　　I　saw　the　thing　in
  Boston　the　other　day　and　was　greatly　taken　with　it。
  He　goes　on　to　explain　the　new　wonder；　and　on　the　whole　his　first　attempt
  is　a　very　creditable　performance。　　With　his　usual　enthusiasm　over　an
  innovation；　he　believes　it　is　going　to　be　a　great　help　to　him；　and
  proclaims　its　advantages。
  This　is　the　letter　to　Howells；　with　the　errors　preserved：
  You　needn't　answer　this；　I　am　only　practicing　to　get　three；　anothe
  slip…up　there；　only　practici？ng　ti　get　the　hang　of　the　thing。　　I
  notice　I　miss　fire　&　get　in　a　good　many　unnecessary　letters　&
  punctuation　marks。　　I　am　simply　using　you　for　a　target　to　bang　at。
  Blame　my　cats；　but　this　thing　requires　genius　in　order　to　work　it
  just　right。
  In　an　article　written　long　after　he　tells　how　he　was　with　Nasby　when　he
  first　saw　the　machine　in　Boston　through　a　window；　and　how　they　went　in　to
  see　it　perform。　　In　the　same　article　he　states　that　he　was　the　first
  person　in　the　world　to　apply　the　type…machine　to　literature；　and　that　he
  thinks　the　story　of　Tom　Sawyer　was　the　first　type…copied　manuscript。
  ＇Tom　Sawyer　was　not　then　complete；　and　had　been　laid　aside。　　The　first
  type…copied　manuscript　was　probably　early　chapters　of　the　Mississippi
  story；　two　discarded　typewritten　pages　of　which　still…　exist＇
  The　new　enthusiasm　ran　its　course　and　died。　　Three　months　later；　when　the
  Remington　makers　wrote　him　for　a　recommendation　of　the　machine；　he
  replied　that　he　had　entirely　stopped　using　it。　　The　typewriter　was　not
  perfect　in　those　days；　and　the　keys　did　not　always　respond　readily。
  He　declared　it　was　ruining　his　moralsthat　it　made　him　〃want　to　swear。〃
  He　offered　it　to　Howells　because；　he　said；　Howells　had　no　morals　anyway。
  Howells　hesitated；　so　Clemens　traded　the　machine　to　Bliss　for　a　side…
  saddle。　　But　perhaps　Bliss　also　became　afraid　of　its　influence；　for　in
  due　time　he　brought　it　back。　　Howells；　again　tempted；　hesitated；　and　this
  time　was　lost。　　What　eventually　became　of　the　machine　is　not　history。
  One　of　those；　happy　Atlantic　dinners　which　Howells　tells　of　came　about
  the　end　of　that　year。　　It　was　at　the　Parker　House；　and　Emerson　was　there；
  and　Aldrich；　and　the　rest　of　that　group。
  〃Don't　you　dare　to　refuse　the　invitation；〃　said　Howells；　and　naturally
  Clemens　didn't；　and　wrote　back：
  I　want　you　to　ask　Mrs。　Howells　to　let　you　stay　all　night　at　the
  Parker　House　and　tell　lies　and　have　an　improving　time；　and　take
  breakfast　with　me　in　the　morning。　　I　will　have　a　good　room　for　you
  and　a　fire。　　Can't　you　tell　her　it　always　makes　you　sick　to　go　home
  late　at　night　or　something　like　that？　　That　sort　of　thing　arouses
  Mrs。　Clemens's　sympathies　easily。
  Two　memories　of　that　old　dinner　remain　to…day。　　Aldrich　and　Howells　were
  not　satisfied　with　the　kind　of　neckties　that　Mark　Twain　wore　（the　old…
  fashioned　black　〃string〃　tie；　a　Western　survival）；　so　they　made　him　a
  present　of　two　cravats　when　he　set　out　on　his　return　for　Hartford。　　Next
  day　he　wrote：
  You　and　Aldrich　have　m