Oriontriedtheexperimentofaserialstory。Hewrotetoanumberofwell—knownauthorsintheEast，butwasunabletofindonewhowouldsupplyaserialforthepricehewaswillingtopay。FinallyheobtainedatranslationofaFrenchnovelforthesumoffered，whichwasfivedollars。Itdidnotsavethesinkingship，however。Hemadetheexperimentofatri—weekly，withoutsuccess。Henoticedthatevenhismothernolongerreadhiseditorials，butturnedtothegeneralnews。
　　Thiswasafinalblow。
　　"Isatdowninthedark，"hesays，"themoonglintinginattheopendoor。Isatwithonelegoverthechairandletmymindfloat。"
　　Hehadreceivedanofferoffivehundreddollarsforhisoffice——theamountofthemortgage——andinhismoonlightreveriehedecidedtodisposeofitonthoseterms。Thiswasin1853。
　　HisbrotherSamuelwasnolongerwithhim。Severalmonthsbefore，inJune，Samdecidedhewouldgooutintotheworld。Hewasinhiseighteenthyearnow，agoodworkman，faithfulandindustrious，buthehadgrownrestlessinunrewardedservice。Beyondhismasteryofthetradehehadlittletoshowforsixyearsofhardlabor。OncewhenhehadaskedOrionforafewdollarstobuyasecond—handgun，Orion，exasperatedbydesperatecircumstances，fellintoapassionandratedhimforthinkingofsuchextravagance。SoonafterwardSamconfidedtohismotherthathewasgoingaway；thathebelievedOrionhatedhim；thattherewasnolongeraplaceforhimathome。HesaidhewouldgotoSt。Louis，wherePamelawas。TherewouldbeworkforhiminSt。Louis，andhecouldsendmoneyhome。HisintentionwastogofartherthanSt。Louis，buthedarednottellher。Hismotherputtogethersadlyenoughthefewbelongingsofwhatsheregardedasheronewaywardboy；thensheheldupalittleTestament：
　　"Iwantyoutotakeholdoftheotherendofthis，Sam，"shesaid，"andmakemeapromise。"
　　Ifonemighthaveatruepictureofthatscene：theshin，wirywomanofforty—nine，herfigureasstraightasherdeportment，gray—eyed，tender，andresolute，facingthefair—cheeked，auburn—hairedyouthofseventeen，hiseyesaspiercingandunwaveringasherown。Motherandson，theywereofthesamemetalandthesamemold。
　　"Iwantyoutorepeatafterme，Sam，thesewords，"JaneClemenssaid。
　　IdosolemnlyswearthatIwillnotthrowacardordrinkadropofliquorwhileIamgone。"’
　　Herepeatedtheoathafterher，andshekissedhim。
　　"Rememberthat，Sam，andwritetous，"shesaid。
　　"Andso，"Orionrecords，"hewentwanderinginsearchofthatcomfortandthatadvancementandthoserewardsofindustrywhichhehadfailedtofindwhereIwas——gloomy，taciturn，andselfish。Inotonlymissedhislabor；weallmissedhisboundingactivityandmerriment。"
　　XIX
　　INTHEFOOTSTEPSOFFRANKLIN
　　HewenttoSt。Louisbythenightboat，visitedhissisterPamela，andfoundajobinthecomposing—roomoftheEveningNews。Heremainedonthepaperonlylongenoughtoearnmoneywithwhichtoseetheworld。
　　The"world"wasNewYorkCity，wheretheCrystalPalaceFairwasthengoingon。Therailwayhadbeencompletedbythistime，buthehadnottraveledonit。Ithadnotmanycomforts；severaldaysandnightswererequiredfortheNewYorktrip；yetitwasawonderfulandbeautifulexperience。HefeltthatevenPetMcMurrycouldhardlyhavedoneanythingtosurpassit。HearrivedinNewYorkwithtwoorthreedollarsinhispocketandaten—dollarbillconcealedintheliningofhiscoat。
　　NewYorkwasagreatandamazingcity。Italmostfrightenedhim。ItcoveredtheentirelowerendofManhattanIsland；visionarycitizensboastedthatonedayitwouldcoveritall。TheWorld’sFairbuilding，theCrystalPalace，stoodagoodwayout。ItwaswhereBryantParkisnow，onForty—secondStreetandSixthAvenue。YoungClemensclasseditasoneofthewondersoftheworldandwrotelavishlyofitsmarvels。
　　AportionofalettertohissisterPamelahasbeenpreservedandisgivenherenotonlyforwhatitcontains，butastheearliestexistingspecimenofhiscomposition。Thefragmentconcludeswhatwasdoubtlessanexhaustivedescription。
　　Fromthegallerysecondflooryouhaveaglorioussight——theflagsofthedifferentcountriesrepresented，theloftydome，glitteringjewelry，gaudytapestry，etc。，withthebusycrowdpassingtoandfro’tisaperfectfairypalace——beautifulbeyonddescription。
　　Themachinerydepartmentisonthemainfloor，butIcannotenumerateanyofitonaccountofthelatenessofthehourpast1
　　o’clock。Itwouldtakemorethanaweektoexamineeverythingonexhibition；andIwasonlyinalittleovertwohoursto—night。
　　Ionlyglancedataboutone—thirdofthearticles；and，havingapoormemory，Ihaveenumeratedscarcelyanyofeventheprincipalobjects。ThevisitorstothePalaceaverage6，000daily——doublethepopulationofHannibal。Thepriceofadmissionbeing50cents，theytakeinabout$3，000。
　　TheLattingObservatoryheightabout280feetisnearthePalace—
　　fromityoucanobtainagrandviewofthecityandthecountryaround。TheCrotonAqueduct，tosupplythecitywithwater，isthegreatestwonderyet。ImmensesewersarelaidacrossthebedoftheHudsonRiver，andpassthroughthecountrytoWestchesterCounty，whereawholeriveristurnedfromitscourseandbroughttoNewYork。FromthereservoirinthecitytotheWestchesterCountyreservoirthedistanceisthirty—eightmilesand，ifnecessary，theycouldeasilysupplyeveryfamilyinNewYorkwithonehundredbarrelsofwaterperday！
　　IamverysorrytolearnthatHenryhasbeensick。Heoughttogotothecountryandtakeexercise，forheisnothalfsohealthyasMathinksheis。Ifhehadmywalkingtodo，hewouldbeanotherboyentirely。FourtimeseverydayIwalkalittleoveramile；andworkinghardalldayandwalkingfourmilesisexercise。Iamusedtoitnow，though，anditisnotrouble。WhereisitOrion’sgoingto？TellMamypromisesarefaithfullykept；andifIhavemyhealthIwilltakehertoKy。inthespring——Ishallsavemoneyforthis。TellJimWolfeandalltherestofthemtowrite，andgivemeallthenews……
　　Ithasjuststruck2A。M。，andIalwaysgetupat6，andamatworkat7。YouaskwhereIspendmyevenings。Wherewouldyousuppose，withafreeprinter’slibrarycontainingmorethan4，000volumeswithinaquarterofamileofme，andnobodyathometotalkto？
　　Writesoon。
　　Trulyyourbrother，SAM
　　P。S。—IhavewrittenthisbyalightsodimthatyounorMacouldnotreadbyit。Write，andletmeknowhowHenryis。
　　Itisagoodletter；itisdirectandclearinitsdescriptivequality，anditgivesusascaleofthings。DoublethepopulationofHannibalvisitedtheCrystalPalaceinoneday！andthewatertosupplythecitycameadistanceofthirty—eightmiles！Doubtlessthesewereamazingstatistics。
　　Thentherewastheinterestinfamilyaffairs——alwaysstrong——hisconcernforHenry，whomhelovedtenderly；hismemoryofthepromisetohismother；hisunderstandingofhercravingtovisitheroldhome。Hedidnotwritetoherdirect，forthereasonthatOrion’splanswerethenuncertain，anditwasnotunlikelythathehadalreadyfoundanewlocation。Fromthisletter，too，welearnthattheboywhodetestedschoolwasrevelinginalibraryoffourthousandbooks——morethanhehadeverseentogetherbefore。Wehavesomehowthefeelingthathehadallatoncesteppedfromboyhoodtomanhood，andthattheseparationwasmarkedbyaverydefiniteline。
　　TheworkhehadsecuredwasinCliffStreetintheprintingestablishmentofJohnA。Gray&Green，whoagreedtopayhimfourdollarsaweek，anddidpaythatamountinwildcatmoney，whichsavedthemabouttwenty—fivepercent。ofthesum。Helodgedatamechanics’boarding—houseinDuaneStreet，andwhenhehadpaidhisboardandwashinghesometimeshadasmuchasfiftycentstolayaway。
　　Hedidnotliketheboard。HehadbeenaccustomedtotheSouthernmodeofcooking，andwrotehomecomplainingthatNew—Yorkersdidnothave"hot—bread"orbiscuits，butate"light—bread，"whichtheyallowedtogetstale，seemingtopreferitinthatway。Onthewhole，therewasnotmuchinducementtoremaininNewYorkafterhehadsatisfiedhimselfwithitswonders。Helingered，however，throughthehotmonthsof1853，andfounditnoteasytogo。InOctoberhewrotetoPamela，suggestingplansforOrion；alsoforHenryandJimWolfe，whomheseemsnevertohaveoverlooked。Amongotherthingshesays：
　　Ihavenotwrittentoanyofthefamilyforsometime，fromthefact，firstly，thatIdidn’tknowwheretheywere，and，secondly，becauseIhavebeenfoolingmyselfwiththeideathatIwasgoingtoleaveNewYorkeverydayforthelasttwoweeks。Ihavetakenalikingtotheabominableplace，andeverytimeIgetreadytoleaveIputitoffadayorso，fromsomeunaccountablecause。IthinkI
　　shallgetoffTuesday，though。
　　EdwinForresthasbeenplayingforthelastsixteendaysattheBroadwayTheater，butIneverwenttoseehimtilllastnight。Theplaywasthe"Gladiator。"Ididnotlikepartsofitmuch，butotherportionswerereallysplendid。Inthelatterpartofthelastact，wherethe"Gladiator"Forrestdiesathisbrother’sfeetinallthefiercepleasureofgratifiedrevenge，theman’swholesoulseemsabsorbedinthepartheisplaying；anditisreallystartlingtoseehim。IamsorryIdidnotseehimplay"DamonandPythias"——
　　theformercharacterbeingthegreatest。HeappearsinPhiladelphiaonMondaynight。
　　Ihavenotreceivedaletterfromhomelately，butgota"Journal"
　　theotherday，inwhichIseetheofficehasbeensold……
　　Ifmylettersdonotcomeoften，youneednotbotheryourselfaboutme；forifyouhaveabrothernearlyeighteenyearsofagewhoisnotabletotakecareofhimselfafewmilesfromhome，suchabrotherisnotworthone’sthoughts；andifIdon’tmanagetotakecareofNo。1，beassuredyouwillneverknowit。Iamnotafraid，however；Ishallaskfavorsofnooneandendeavortobeandshallbeas"independentasawood—sawyer’sclerk。"……
　　PassagetoAlbany160milesonthefineststeamersthatplytheHudsonisnow25cents——cheapenough，butisgenerallycheaperthanthatinthesummer。
　　"IhavebeenfoolingmyselfwiththeideathatIwasgoingtoleaveNewYork"isdistinctlyaMarkTwainphrase。Hemighthavesaidthatfiftyyearslater。
　　HedidgotoPhiladelphiapresentlyandfoundwork"subbing"onadailypaper，’TheInquirer。’Hewasafairlyswiftcompositor。Hecouldsettenthousandemsaday，andhereceivedpayaccordingtotheamountofworkdone。Daysoreveningswhentherewasnovacantplaceforhimtofillhevisitedhistoricsites，theart—galleries，andthelibraries。
　　Hewasstillacquiringeducation，yousee。Sometimesatnightwhenhereturnedtohisboardinghousehisroom—mate，anEnglishmannamedSumner，grilledaherring，andthiswasregardedasafeast。HetriedhishandatwritinginPhiladelphia，thoughthistimewithoutsuccess。ForsomereasonhedidnotagainattempttogetintothePost，butofferedhiscontributionstothePhiladelphia’Ledger’——mainlypoetryofanobituarykind。Perhapsitwasburlesque；heneverconfessedthat，butitseemsunlikelythatanyotherobituarypoetrywouldhavefailedofprint。
　　"Myeffortswerenotreceivedwithapproval，"wasallheeversaidofitafterward。
　　Thereweretwoorthreecharactersinthe’Inquirer’officewhomhedidnotforget。Oneofthesewasanoldcompositorwhohad"heldacase"inthatofficeformanyyears。HisnamewasFrog，andsometimeswhenhewentawaythe"officedevils"wouldhangalineoverhiscase，withahookonitbaitedwithapieceofredflannel。Theynevergottiredofthisjoke，andFrogwasalwaysabletogetasmadoveritashehadbeeninthebeginning。Anotheroldfellowtherefurnishedamusement。Heownedahouseinthedistantpartofthecityandhadanabnormalfearoffire。Nowandthen，wheneverythingwasquietexcepttheclickingofthetypes，someonewouldsteptothewindowandsaywithaconcernedair：
　　"Doesn’tthatsmoke——[orthatlight，ifitwasevening]——seemtobeinthenorthwesternpartofthecity？"or"Theregothefire—bellsagain！"
　　andawaytheoldmanwouldtrampuptotherooftoinvestigate。Itwasnotthemostconsideratesport，anditistobefearedthatSamClemenshadhisshareinit。
　　HefoundthathelikedPhiladelphia。Hecouldsavealittlemoneythere，foronething，andnowandthensentsomethingtohismother——smallamounts，butwelcomeandgratifying，nodoubt。InalettertoOrion——
　　whomheseemstohaveforgivenwithabsence——writtenOctober26th，heinclosesagolddollartobuyherahandkerchief，and"toserveasaspecimenofthekindofstuffwearepaidwithinPhiladelphia。"Furtheralongheadds：
　　UnlikeNewYork，IlikethisPhiladelphiaamazingly，andthepeopleinit。Thereisonlyonethingthatgetsmy"dander"up——andthatisthehandsarealwaysencouragingme：tellingme"it’snousetogetdiscouraged——nousetobedownhearted，forthereismoreworkherethanyoucando！""Downhearted，"thedevil！IhavenothadaparticleofsuchafeelingsinceIleftHannibal，morethanfourmonthsago。Ifancythey’llhavetowaitsometimetilltheyseemedownheartedorafraidofstarvingwhileIhavestrengthtoworkandaminacityof400，000inhabitants。WhenIwasinHannibal，beforeIhadscarcelysteppedoutofthetownlimits，nothingcouldhaveconvincedmethatIwouldstarveassoonasIgotalittlewayfromhome。
　　HementionsthegraveofFranklininChristChurchyardwithitsinscription"BenjaminandDeborahFranklin，"andoneissharplyremindedofthesimilaritybetweentheearlycareersofBenjaminFranklinandSamuelClemens。Eachlearnedtheprinter’strade；eachworkedinhisbrother’sprinting—officeandwroteforthepaper；eachleftquietlyandwenttoNewYork，andfromNewYorktoPhiladelphia，asajourneymanprinter；eachindueseasonbecameaworldfigure，many—sided，human，andofincrediblepopularity。
　　TheforegoingletterendswithalongdescriptionofatripmadeontheFairmountstage。Itisagood，vividdescription——impressionsofafresh，sensitivemind，setdownwithlittleeffortatfinewriting；alettertoconveyliteralratherthanliteraryenjoyment。TheWireBridge，FairmountParkandReservoir，newbuildings——allthesepassedinreview。Afineresidenceaboutcompletedimpressedhim：
　　Itwasbuiltentirelyofgreatblocksofredgranite。Thepillarsinfrontwereallfinishedbutone。Thesepillarswerebeautiful，ornamentalflutedcolumns，considerablylargerthanahogsheadatthebase，andaboutashighasClapinger’ssecond—storyfrontwindows……Toseesomeofthemfinishedandstanding，andthenthehugeblockslyingabout，lookssomassy，andcarriesone，inimagination，totheruinedpilesofancientBabylon。Idespisetheinfernalbogusbrickcolumnsplasteredoverwithmortar。Marbleisthecheapestbuilding—stoneaboutPhiladelphia。
　　Thereisaflavorofthe’Innocents’aboutit；thenalittlefurtheralong：
　　Isawsmallsteamboats，withtheirsignsup——"ForWissahickonandManayunk25cents。"Geo。Lippard，inhisLegendsofWashingtonandhisGenerals，hasrenderedtheWissahickonsacredinmyeyes，andI
　　shallmakethattrip，aswellasonetoGermantown，soon……
　　ThereisonefinecustomobservedinPhila。Agentlemanisalwaysexpectedtohandupalady’smoneyforher。YesterdayIsatinthefrontendofthebus，directlyunderthedriver’sbox——aladysatoppositeme。Shehandedmehermoney，whichwasright。But，Lord！
　　aSt。Louisladywouldthinkherselfruinedifsheshouldbesofamiliarwithastranger。InSt。Louisamanwillsitinthefrontendofthestage，andseealadystaggerfromthefarendtopayherfare。
　　TherearetwomorelettersfromPhiladelphia：oneofNovember，28th，toOrion，whobythistimehadboughtapaperinMuscatine，Iowa，andlocatedthefamilythere；andonetoPameladatedDecember5th。
　　EvidentlyOrionhadrealizedthathisbrothermightbeofvalueasacontributor，forthelattersays：
　　Iwilltrytowriteforthepaperoccasionally，butIfearmyletterswillbeveryuninteresting，forthisincessantnightworkdullsone’sideasamazingly……IbelieveIamtheonlypersonintheInquirerofficethatdoesnotdrink。Oneyoungfellowmakes$18
　　forafewweeks，andgetsonagrand"bender"andspendseverycentofit。
　　Howdoyoulike"freesoil"？——Iwouldlikeamazinglytoseeagoodold—fashionednegro。Mylovetoall。
　　Trulyyourbrother，SAM
　　InthelettertoPamelaheisclearlyhomesick。
　　"Ionlywanttoreturntoavoidnightwork，whichisinjuringmyeyes，"
　　istheexcuse，butinthenextsentencehecomplainsofthescarcityoflettersfromhomeandthose"notwrittenastheyshouldbe。""Oneonlyhastoleavehometolearnhowtowriteinterestingletterstoanabsentfriend，"hesays，andinconclusion，"Idon’tlikeourpresentprospectforcoldweatheratall。"
　　Hehadbeengonehalfayear，andthefirstattackofhome—longing，foraboyofhisage，wasdue。Thenoveltyofthingshadwornoff；itwascomingonwinter；changeshadtakenplaceamonghishomepeopleandfriends；thelifehehadknownbestandlongestwasgoingonandhehadnopartinit。Leaningoverhiscase，hesometimeshummed：
　　"Anexilefromhome，splendordazzlesinvain。"
　　Heweatheredtheattackandstuckitoutformorethanhalfayearlonger。InJanuary，whenthedaysweredarkandhegrewdepressed，hemadeatriptoWashingtontoseethesightsofthecapital。Hisstaywascomparativelybrief，andhedidnotworkthere。HereturnedtoPhiladelphia，workingforatimeontheLedgerandNorthAmerican。
　　FinallyhewentbacktoNewYork。Therearenolettersofthisperiod。
　　HissecondexperienceinNewYorkappearsnottohavebeenrecorded，andinlateryearswasonlyvaguelyremembered。Itwaslateinthesummerof1854whenhefinallysetoutonhisreturntotheWest。His’Wanderjahr’
　　hadlastednearlyfifteenmonths。
　　HewentdirectlytoSt。Louis，sittingupthreedaysandnightsinasmoking—cartomakethejourney。Hewaswornoutwhenhearrived，butstoppedthereonlyafewhourstoseePamela。Itwashismotherhewasanxiousfor。HetooktheKeokukPacketthatnight，and，flinginghimselfonhisberth，slepttheclockthreetimesaround，scarcelyrousingorturningover，onlywakingatlastatMuscatine。Foralongtimethatmissingdayconfusedhiscalculations。
　　WhenhereachedOrion’shousethefamilysatatbreakfast。Hecameincarryingagun。Theyhadnotbeenexpectinghim，andtherewasageneraloutcry，andarushinhisdirection。Hewardedthemoff，holdingthebuttoftheguninfrontofhim。
　　"Youwouldn’tletmebuyagun，"hesaid，"soIboughtonemyself，andI
　　amgoingtouseit，now，inself—defense。"
　　"You，Sam！You，Sam！"criedJaneClemens。"Behaveyourself，"forshewaswaryofagun。
　　Thenhehadhadhisjokeandgavehimselfintohismother’sarms。
　　XX
　　KEOKUKDAYS
　　OrionwishedhisbrothertoremainwithhimintheMuscatineoffice，buttheyoungmandeclaredhemustgotoSt。Louisandearnsomemoneybeforehewouldbeabletoaffordthatluxury：HereturnedtohisplaceontheSt。LouisEveningNews，whereheremaineduntillatewinterorearlyspringofthefollowingyear。
　　HelivedatthistimewithaPaveyfamily，probablyoneoftheHannibalPaveys，roomingwithayouthnamedFrankE。Burrough，ajourneymanchair—
　　makerwithatasteforDickens，Thackeray，Scott，andDisraeli。Burroughhadreallyafineliteraryappreciationforhisyears，andtheboyswerecomradesandclosefriends。Twenty—twoyearslaterMarkTwainexchangedwithBurroughsomeimpressionsofhimselfatthatearliertime。Clemenswrote：
　　MYDEARBURROUGH，——AsyoudescribemeIcanpicturemyselfasIwas22yearsago。Theportraitiscorrect。YouthinkIhavegrownsome；uponmywordtherewasroomforit。Youhavedescribedacallowfool，aself—sufficientass，amerehumantumble—bug，sterninair，heavingathisbitofdung，imaginingthatheisremodelingtheworldandisentirelycapableofdoingitright……ThatiswhatIwasat19—20。
　　OrionClemensinthemeantimehadmarriedandremovedtoKeokuk。Hehadmarriedduringavisittothatcity，inthecasual，impulsivewaysocharacteristicofhim，andthefactthathehadacquiredawifeintheoperationseemedatfirsttohaveescapedhisinnerconsciousness。Hetellsithimself；hesays：
　　AtsunriseonthenextmorningaftertheweddingweleftinastageforMuscatine。WehaltedfordinneratBurlington。Afterdespatchingthatmealwestoodonthepavementwhenthestagedroveup，readyfordeparture。Iclimbedin，gatheredthebuffalorobearoundme，andleanedbackunconsciousthatIhadanythingfurthertodo。Agentlemanstandingonthepavementsaidtomywife，"Miss，doyougobythisstage？"Isaid，"Oh，Iforgot！"andsprangoutandhelpedherin。AwifewasanewkindofpossessiontowhichI
　　hadnotyetbecomeaccustomed；Ihadforgottenher。
　　Orion’swifehadbeenMaryStotts；hermotherafriendofJaneClemens’sgirlhood。SheprovedafaithfulhelpmatetoOrion；butinthoseearlydaysofmarriageshemayhavefoundlifewithhimrathertrying，anditwasherhomesicknessthatbroughtthemtoKeokuk。BrotherSamcameupfromSt。Louis，byandby，tovisitthem，andOrionofferedhimfivedollarsaweekandboardtoremain。Heaccepted。Theofficeatthistime，orsoonafter，waslocatedonthethirdfloorof52MainStreet，inthebuildingatpresentoccupiedbythePatersonShoeCompany。HenryClemens，nowseventeen，wasalsoinOrion’semploy，andaladbythenameofDickHingham。HenryandSamsleptintheoffice，andDickcameinforsocialevenings。AlsoayoungmannamedEdwardBrownell，whoclerkedinthebook—storeonthegroundfloor。
　　Thesewerelikelytobelivelyevenings。Amusicdealerandteacher，ProfessorIsbell，occupiedthefloorjustbelow，anddidnotcarefortheirdiversions。Heobjected，buthardlyintherightway。HadhegonetoSamuelClemensgently，heundoubtedlywouldhavefoundhimwillingtomakeanyconcessions。Instead，heassailedhimroughly，andthenexteveningtheboyssetupalotofemptywine—bottles，whichtheyhadfoundinabarrelinacloset，and，withstonesforballs，playedtenpinsontheofficefloor。ThiswasDickandSam；Henrydeclinedtojointhegame。Isbellrushedup—stairsandbatteredonthedoor，buttheypaidnoattention。Nextmorninghewaitedfortheyoungmenanddenouncedthemwildly。Theymerelyignoredhim，andthatnightorganizedamilitarycompany，madeupofthemselvesandanewGermanapprentice—boy，anddrilledupanddownoverthesinging—class。DickHinghamledthesemilitarymanoeuvers。Hewasagirlishsortofafellow，buthehadanaturaltasteforsoldiering。Theothersusedtolaughathim。Theycalledhimadisguisedgirl，anddeclaredhewouldrunifagunwerereallypointedinhisdirection。Theyweremistaken；sevenyearslaterDickdiedatFortDonelsonwithabulletinhisforehead：this，bytheway。
　　Isbellnowadoptednewtactics。Hecameupverypleasantlyandsaid：
　　"Ilikeyourmilitarypracticebetterthanyourtenpinexercise，butonthewholeitseemstodisturbtheyoungladies。Youseehowitisyourself。Youcouldn’tpossiblyteachmusicwithacompanyofrawrecruitsdrillingoverhead——now，couldyou？Won’tyoupleasestopit？
　　Itbothersmypupils。"
　　SamClemensregardedhimwithmildsurprise。
　　"Doesit？"hesaid，verydeliberately。"Whydidn’tyoumentionitbefore？Tobesurewedon’twanttodisturbtheyoungladies。"
　　Theygaveupthehorse—play，andnotonlystoppedthedisturbance，butjoinedoneofthesinging——classes。SamuelClemenshadaprettygoodvoiceinthosedaysandcoulddrumfairlywellonapianoandguitar。
　　Hedidnotbecomeabrilliantmusician，buthewaseasilythemostpopularmemberofthesinging—class。
　　Theylikedhisfranknature，hisjokes，andhishumor；hisslow，quaintfashionofspeech。Theyoungladiescalledhimopenlyandfondlya"fool"——atermofendearment，astheyapplieditmeaningonlythathekepttheminamoreorlessconstantstateofwonderandmerriment；andindeeditwouldhavebeenhardforthemtosaywhetherhewasreallylight—mindedandfrivolousorthewisestofthemall。Hewastwentynowandattheageforlove—making；yetheremained，asinHannibal，abeauratherthanasuitor，goodfriendandcomradetoall，wooerofnone。
　　EllaCreel，acousinontheLamptonside，agreatbelle；alsoEllaPattersonrelatedthroughOrion’swifeandgenerallyknownas"Ick"，andBelleStottswereperhapshisfavoritecompanions，butthereweremanymore。Hewasalwaysreadytostopandbemerrywiththem，fullofhispranksandpleasantries；thoughtheynoticedthathequiteoftencarriedabookunderhisarm——ahistoryoravolumeofDickensorthetalesofEdgarAllanPoe。
　　Hereadatoddmoments；atnightvoluminously——untilverylate，sometimes。Alreadyinthatearlydayitwashishabittosmokeinbed，andhehadmadehimanOrientalpipeofthehubble—bubblevariety，becauseitwouldholdmoreandwasmorecomfortablethantheregularshortpipeofdaytimeuse。
　　Butithaditsdisadvantages。Sometimesitwouldgoout，andthatwouldmeansittingupandreachingforamatchandleaningovertolightthebowlwhichstoodonthefloor。YoungBrownellfrombelowwaspassingupstairstohisroomonthefourthflooronenightwhenheheardSamClemenscall。Thetwoweregreatchumsbythistime，andBrownellpokedhisheadinatthedoor。
　　"Whatwillyouhave，Sam？"heasked。
　　"Comein，Ed；Henry’sasleep，andIamintrouble。Iwantsomebodytolightmypipe。"
　　"Whydon’tyougetupandlightityourself？"Brownellasked。
　　"Iwould，onlyIknewyou’dbealonginafewminutesandwoulddoitforme。"
　　Brownellscratchedthenecessarymatch，stoopeddown，andappliedit。
　　"Whatareyoureading，Sam？"heasked。
　　"Oh，nothingmuch——aso—calledfunnybook——oneofthesedaysI’llwriteafunnierbookthanthat，myself。"
　　Brownelllaughed。
　　"No，youwon’t，Sam，"hesaid。"Youaretoolazyevertowriteabook。"
　　Agoodmanyyearslaterwhenthename"MarkTwain"hadbeguntostandforAmericanhumortheownerofitgavehis"SandwichIsland"lectureinKeokuk。Speakingoftheunreliabilityoftheislanders，hesaid："Thekingis，Ibelieve，oneofthegreatestliarsonthefaceoftheearth，exceptone；andIamverysorrytolocatethatonerighthereinthecityofKeokuk，inthepersonofEdBrownell。
　　TheKeokukepisodeinMarkTwain’slifewasneitherverylongnorveryactivelyimportant。Itextendedoveraperiodoflessthantwoyears——
　　twovitalyears，nodoubt，ifallthebearingscouldbeknown——buttheywerenotyearsofstartlingoccurrence。
　　Yethemadeatleastonebeginningthere：ataprinters’banquethedeliveredhisfirstafter—dinnerspeech；ahilariousspeech——itshumorofaprimitivekind。Whateveritsshortcomings，itdelightedhisaudience，andraisedhimmanypointsinthepublicregard。Hehadenteredafieldofentertainmentinwhichhewouldonedayhavenorival。Theyimpressedhimintoadebatingsocietyafterthat，andtherewasgenerallyastirofattentionwhenSamClemenswasabouttotakethefloor。
　　OrionClemensrecordshowhisbrotherundertooktoteachtheGermanapprenticemusic。
　　"TherewasanoldguitarintheofficeandSamtaughtFritzasongbeginning：
　　Grasshoppersittingonasweet—potatovine，Turkeycamealongandyankedhimfrombehind。"
　　Themainpointinthelessonwasingivingtotheword"yanked"theproperexpressionandemphasis，accompaniedbyasweepofthefingersacrossthestrings。WithseriousfaceanddeepearnestnessFritzinhisbrokenEnglishwouldattempttheselines，whilehisteacherwouldbendoverandholdhissideswithlaughterateachridiculouseffort。Withoutintendingit，Fritzhadhisrevenge。Onedayhistormentor’shandwascaughtinthepresswhentheGermanboywasturningthewheel。Samcalledtohimtostop，buttheboy’smindwasslowtograspthesituation。Thehandwasbadlywounded，thoughnoboneswerebroken。Induetimeitrecovered，itspoweranddexterity，butthetraceofthescarsremained。
　　Orion’sprinting—officewasnotaprosperousone；hehadnotthegiftofprosperityinanyform。Whenhefounditdifficulttopayhisbrother’swages，hetookhimintopartnership，whichmeantthatSamgotnowagesatall，barelyaliving，fortheofficecouldnotkeepitsheadabovewater。
　　Thejuniorpartnerwasnotdisturbed，however。Hecaredlittleformoneyinthosedays，beyondhisactualneeds，andtheseweremodestenough。
　　Hismother，nowwithPamela，wasamplyprovidedfor。Orionhimselftellshowhisbusinessdwindledaway。HeprintedaKeokukdirectory，butitdidnotpaylargely。Hewasalwaystooeagerforthework；toolowinhisbidforit。SamuelClemensinthisdirectoryissetdownas"anantiquarian"ajoke，ofcourse，thoughthepointofitisnowlost。
　　OnlytwoofhisKeokuklettershavebeenpreserved。Thefirstindicatesthegeneraldisorderoftheofficeandagrowingdissatisfaction。ItisaddressedtohismotherandsisterandbearsdateofJune10，1856。
　　Idon’tliketoworkattoomanythingsatonce。TheytakeHenryandDickawayfromme，too。BeforewecommencedtheDirectory，——
　　[Orionprintedtwoeditionsofthedirectory。Thiswasprobablythesecondone。]——Icouldtellbeforebreakfastjusthowmuchworkcouldbedoneduringtheday，andmanageaccordingly——butnow，theythrowallmyplansintodisorderbytakingmyhandsawayfromtheirwork……Iamnotgettingalongwellwiththejob—work。Ican’tworkblindly——withoutsystem。IgaveDickajobyesterday，whichI
　　calculatedhecouldsetintwohoursandIcouldworkoffonthepressinthree，andthereforejustfinishitbysupper—time，buthewastransferredtotheDirectory，andthejob，promisedthismorning，remainsuntouched。Throughallthegreatpressureofjob—
　　worklately，Ineverbeforefailedinapromiseofthekind……
　　Theotherletterisdatedtwomonthslater，August5th。ItwaswrittentoHenry，whowasvisitinginSt。LouisorHannibalatthetime，andintroducesthefirstmentionoftheSouthAmericanfever，whichnowpossessedthewriter。LynchandHerndonhadcompletedtheirsurveyoftheupperAmazon，andLieutenantHerndon’saccountoftheexplorationwasbeingwidelyread。Poringoverthebooknights，youngClemenshadbeenseizedwithadesiretogototheheadwatersoftheSouthAmericanriver，theretocollectcocaandmakeafortune。Allhislifehewassubjecttosuchimpulsesasthat，andwaysandmeanswerenotalwaysconsidered。ItdidnotoccurtohimthatitwouldbedifficulttogettotheAmazonandstillmoredifficulttoascendtheriver。Itwashisnaturetoseeresultswithadazzlinglargenessthatblindedhimtothedetailoftheirachievement。Inthe"Turning—point"articlealreadymentionedhereferstothis。Hesays：
　　Thatwasmorethanfiftyyearsago。Inallthattimemytemperamenthasnotchangedbyevenashade。Ihavebeenpunishedmanyandmanyatime，andbitterly，fordoingthingsandreflectingafterward，butthesetortureshavebeenofnovaluetome；IstilldothethingcommandedbyCircumstanceandTemperament，andreflectafterward。
　　Alwaysviolently。WhenIamreflectingontheseoccasions，evendeafpersonscanhearmethink。
　　InthelettertoHenryweseethathisresolvewasalreadymade，hisplansmatured；alsothatOrionhadnotasyetbeentakenintofullconfidence。
　　Maknowsmydetermination，butevenshecounselsmetokeepitfromOrion。ShesaysIcantreathimasIdidherwhenIstartedtoSt。
　　LouisandwenttoNewYork——IcanstartforNewYorkandgotoSouthAmerica。
　　HeaddsthatOrionhadpromisedhimfiftyoronehundreddollars，butthathedoesnotdependuponit，andwillmakeotherarrangements。Hefearsobstaclesmaybeputinhisway，andhewillbringvariousinfluencestobear。
　　IshalltakecarethatMaandOrionareplentifullysuppliedwithSouthAmericanbooks：TheyhaveHerndon’sreportnow。WardandtheDr。andmyselfwillholdagrandconsultationto—nightattheoffice。Wehaveagreedthatnomoreshallbeadmittedintoourcompany。
　　Hehadenlistedthosetwoadventurersinhisenterprise：aDoctorMartinandtheyoungman，Ward。Theywereverymuchinearnest，butthestartwasnotmadeasplanned，mostlikelyforwantofmeans。
　　YoungClemens，however，didnotgiveuptheidea。Hemadeuphismindtoworkinthedirectionofhisdesire，followinghistradeandlayingbymoneyfortheventure。ButFateorProvidenceorAccident——whateverwemaychoosetocalltheunaccountable——steppedinjustthen，andlaidbeforehimthemeansofturninganothersharpcornerinhiscareer。Oneofthosethingshappenedwhichwerefusetoacceptinfictionaspossible；butfacthasasmallerregardforthecredibilities。
　　AsinthecaseoftheJoanofArcepisodeandthisaddstoitsmarvel，itwasthewindthatbroughtthetalismanicgift。ItwasadayinearlyNovember——bleak，bitter，andgusty，withcurlingsnow；mostpersonswereindoors。SamuelClemens，goingdownMainStreet，sawaflyingbitofpaperpasshimandlodgeagainstthesideofabuilding。Somethingaboutitattractedhimandhecapturedit。Itwasafifty—dollarbill。Hehadneverseenonebefore，butherecognizedit。Hethoughthemustbehavingapleasantdream。
　　Thetemptationcametopockethisgood—fortuneandsaynothing。Hisneedofmoneywasurgent，buthehadalsoanurgentandtroublesomeconscience；intheendheadvertisedhisfind。
　　"Ididn’tdescribeitveryparticularly，andIwaitedindailyfearthattheownerwouldturnupandtakeawaymyfortune。ByandbyIcouldn’tstanditanylonger。Myconsciencehadgottenallthatwascomingtoit。
　　IfeltthatImusttakethatmoneyoutofdanger。"
　　Inthe"Turning—point"articlehesays："IadvertisedthefindandleftfortheAmazonthesameday，"astatementwhichwemayacceptwithaliterarydiscount。
　　Asamatteroffact，heremainedampletimeandnobodyevercameforthemoney。Itmayhavebeensweptoutofabankorcaughtupbythewindfromsomecounting—roomtable。Itmayhavematerializedoutoftheunseen——whoknows？Atalleventsitcarriedhimthefirststageofajourney，theendofwhichhelittledreamed。
　　XXI
　　SCOTCHMANNAMEDMACFARLANE
　　HeconcludedtogotoCincinnati，whichwouldbeonthewayeithertoNewYorkorNewOrleansheexpectedtosailfromoneofthesepoints，butfirstpaidabriefvisittohismotherinSt。Louis，forhehadafarjourneyandalongabsenceinview。JaneClemensmadehimrenewhispromiseastocardsandliquor，andgavehimherblessing。HehadexpectedtogofromSt。LouistoCincinnati，butanewidea——aliteraryidea——cametohim，andhereturnedtoKeokuk。TheSaturdayPost，aKeokukweekly，wasaprosperoussheetgivingitselfcertainliteraryairs。Hewasinfavorwiththemanagement，ofwhichGeorgeReeswasthehead，andithadoccurredtohimthathecouldsendlettersofhistravelstothePost——for，aconsideration。Hemayhavehadastilllargerambition；atleast，thepossibilityofabookseemstohavebeeninhisconsciousness。Reesagreedtotakelettersfromhimatfivedollarseach——goodpaymentforthattimeandplace。Theyoungtraveler，jubilantintheprospectofreceivingmoneyforliterature，nowmadeanotherstart，thistimebywayofQuincy，Chicago，andIndianapolisaccordingtohisfirstletterinthePost。——[SuppliedbyThomasRees，oftheSpringfieldIllinoisRegister，sonofGeorgeReesnamed。]
　　ThisletterisdatedCincinnati，November14，1856，anditisnotapromisingliteraryproduction。Itwaswrittenintheexaggerateddialectthenregardedashumorous，andwhilehereandthereareflashesoftheundoubtedMarkTwaintype，theyarefewandfarbetween。Thegeniusthatalittlemorethantenyearslaterwoulddelighttheworldflickeredfeeblyenoughattwenty—one。TheletterisaburlesqueaccountofthetriptoCincinnati。Abriefextractfromit，ascharacteristicasany，willserve。
　　Iwentdownonenighttotherailroadofficethere，purtycloseontotheLacledeHouse，andboughtaboutaquireo’yallerpaper，cutupintotickets——oneforeachrailroadintheUnitedStates，Ithought，butIfoundoutafterwardsthattheAlexandriaandBostonAir—Linewasleftout——andthengotabaggagefellertotakemytrunkdowntotheboat，wherehespilleditoutonthelevee，bustin’itopenandshakin’outthecontents，consistingof"guides"toChicago，and"guides"toCincinnati，andtravelers’guides，andallkindsofsichbooks，notexceptinga"guidetoheaven，"whichlastaintmuchusetoaTellerinChicago，Ikintellyou。Finally，thatfastpacketquitringingherbell，andstarteddowntheriver——butshehadn’tgonemornamile，tillsherancleanupontopofasand—bar，wharshestucktillplumoneo’clock，spiteoftheCaptain’sswearin’——
　　andtheyhadtosetthewholecrewtocussin’atlastaforetheygotheroff。
　　Thisishumor，wemayconcede，ofthatearlyAmericantypewhichalittlelaterwouldhaveitsflowerinNasbyandArtemusWard。OnlycarefulexaminationrevealsinitahintofthelaterMarkTwain。Thelettersweresigned"Snodgrass，"andtherearebuttwoofthem。Thesecond，datedexactlyfourmonthsafterthefirst，isinthesameassassinatingdialect，andrecountsamongotherthingsthescarcityofcoalinCincinnatiandanabsurdadventureinwhichSnodgrasshasababyleftonhishands。
　　>FromthefewnessoftheletterswemayassumethatSnodgrassfoundthemhardwork，anditissaidheraisedontheprice。Atallevents，thesecondconcludedtheseries。Theyaremainlyimportantinthattheyarethefirstofhiscontributionsthathavebeenpreserved；alsothefirstforwhichhereceivedacashreturn。
　　HesecuredworkathistradeinCincinnatiattheprinting—officeofWrightson&Co。，andremainedthereuntilApril，1857。ThatwinterinCincinnatiwaseventlessenough，butitwasmarkedbyonenotableassociation——onethatbeyonddoubtforwardedSamuelClemens’sgeneralinterestinbooks，influencedhistaste，andinspiredinhimcertainviewsandphilosophieswhichheneverforgot。
　　Helodgedatacheapboarding—housefilledwiththeusualcommonplacepeople，withoneexception。Thisexceptionwasalong，lank，unsmilingScotchmannamedMacfarlane，whowastwiceasoldasClemensandwhollyunlikehim——withouthumororanycomprehensionofit。Yetmeetingonthecommonplaneofintellect，thetwobecamefriends。ClemensspenthiseveningsinMacfarlane’sroomuntiltheclockstruckten；thenMacfarlanegrilledaherring，justastheEnglishmanSumnerinPhiladelphiahaddonetwoyearsbefore，andtheeveningended。
　　Macfarlanehadbooks，seriousbooks：histories，philosophies，andscientificworks；alsoaBibleandadictionary。Hehadstudiedtheseandknewthembyheart；hewasadirectanddiligenttalker。Henevertalkedofhimself，andbeyondthestatementthathehadacquiredhisknowledgefromreading，andnotatschool，hispersonalitywasamystery。
　　Heleftthehouseatsixinthemorningandreturnedatthesamehourintheevening。Hishandswerehardenedfromsomesortoftoil—mechanicallabor，hiscompanionthought，butheneverknew。Hewouldhavelikedtoknow，andhewatchedforsomereferencetoslipoutthatwouldbetrayMacfarlane’strade；butthisneverhappened。
　　WhathedidlearnwasthatMacfarlanewasaveritablestorehouseofabstruseknowledge；alivingdictionary，andathinkerandphilosopherbesides。Hehadatleastonevanity：theclaimthathekneweverywordintheEnglishdictionary，andhemadeitgood。TheyoungermantriedrepeatedlytodiscoverawordthatMacfarlanecouldnotdefine。
　　PerhapsMacfarlanewasvainofhisothermentalattainments，forhenevertiredofdiscoursingupondeepandgravematters，andhiscompanionnevertiredoflistening。ThisScotchphilosopherdidnotalwaysreflecttheconclusionsofothers；hehadspeculateddeeplyandstrikinglyonhisownaccount。ThatwasagoodwhilebeforeDarwinandWallacegaveout——theirconclusionsontheDescentofMan；yetMacfarlanewasalreadyadvancingasimilarphilosophy。Hewentevenfurther：Life，hesaid，hadbeendevelopedinthecourseofagesfromafewmicroscopicseed—germs——fromone，perhaps，plantedbytheCreatorinthedawnoftime，andthatfromthisbeginningdevelopmentonanascendingscalehadfinallyproducedman。Macfarlanesaidthattheschemehadstoppedthere，andfailed；thatmanhadretrograded；thatman’sheartwastheonlybadoneintheanimalkingdom：thatmanwastheonlyanimalcapableofmalice，vindictiveness，drunkenness——almosttheonlyanimalthatcouldendurepersonaluncleanliness。Hesaidthatman’sintellectwasadepravingadditiontohimwhich，intheend，placedhiminarankfarbelowtheotherbeasts，thoughitenabledhimtokeeptheminservitudeandcaptivity，alongwithmanymembersofhisownrace。
　　Theywerelong，fermentingdiscoursesthatyoungSamuelClemenslistenedtothatwinterinMacfarlane’sroom，andthosewhoknewtherealMarkTwainandhisphilosophieswillrecognizethatthoseeveningslefttheirimpressuponhimforlife。
　　XXII
　　THEOLDCALLOFTHERIVER
　　Whenspringcame，withbuddinglifeandquickeningimpulses；whenthetreesintheparksbegantoshowahintofgreen，theAmazonianideadevelopedafresh，andthewould—becoca—hunterpreparedforhisexpedition。Hehadsavedalittlemoney——enoughtotakehimtoNewOrleans——andhedecidedtobeginhislongtripwithapeacefuljourneydowntheMississippi，foronce，atleast，togivehimselfuptothatindolentluxuryofthemajesticstreamthathadbeensolargeapartofhisearlydreams。
　　TheOhioRiversteamerswerenotthemostsumptuouscraftafloat，buttheywereslowandhospitable。Thewinterhadbeenbleakandhard。
　　"Springfever"andalargeloveofindolencehadcombinedinthatdrowsyconditionwhichmakesonewillingtotakehistime。
　　MarkTwaintellsusinLifeontheMississippithathe"ranaway，"vowingnevertoreturnuntilhecouldcomehomeapilot，sheddingglory。Thisisaliterarystatement。Thepilotambitionhadneverentirelydied；butitwascocaandtheAmazonthatwereuppermostinhisheadwhenheengagedpassageonthePaulJonesforNewOrleans，andsoconferredimmortalityonthatancientlittlecraft。Hebadegood—bytoMacfarlane，puthistrapsaboard，thebellrang，thewhistleblew，thegang—plankwashauledin，andhehadsetoutonavoyagethatwastocontinuenotforaweekorafortnight，butforfouryears——fourmarvelous，sunlityears，thegloryofwhichwouldcolorallthatfollowedthem。
　　IntheMississippibooktheauthorconveystheimpressionofbeingthenaboyofperhapsseventeen。Writingfromthatstandpointherecordsincidentsthatweremoreorlessinventionsorthathappenedtoothers。
　　Hewas，inreality，considerablymorethantwenty—oneyearsold，foritwasinApril，1857，thathewentaboardthePaulJones；andhewasfairlyfamiliarwithsteamboatsandthegeneralrequirementsofpiloting。Hehadbeenbroughtupinatownthatturnedoutpilots；hehadheardthetalkoftheirtrade。OneatleastoftheBowenboyswasalreadyontheriverwhileSamClemenswasstillaboyinHannibal，andhadoftenbeenhometoairhisgrandeuranddilateonthemarvelofhiswork。ThatlearningtheriverwasnolighttaskSamClemensverywellknew。
　　Nevertheless，asthelittleboatmadeitsdrowsywaydowntheriverintolandsthatgreweverpleasanterwithadvancingspring，theold"permanentambition"ofboyhoodstirredagain，andthecallofthefar—awayAmazon，withitscocaanditsvariegatedzoology，grewfaint。
　　HoraceBixby，pilotofthePaulJones，thenamanofthirty—two，stillliving1910andatthewheel，——[ThewriterofthismemoirinterviewedMr。Bixbypersonally，andhasfollowedhisphrasingthroughout。]——waslookingoutoverthebowattheheadofIslandNo。35whenheheardaslow，pleasantvoicesay：
　　"Goodmorning。"
　　Bixbywasaclean—cut，direct，courteousman。
　　"Goodmorning，sir，"hesaid，briskly，withoutlookingaround。
　　AsaruleMr。Bixbydidnotcareforvisitorsinthepilot—house。Thisonepresentlycameupandstoodalittlebehindhim。
　　"Howwouldyoulikeayoungmantolearntheriver？"hesaid。
　　Thepilotglancedoverhisshoulderandsawaratherslender，loose—
　　limbedyoungfellowwithafair，girlishcomplexionandagreattangleofauburnhair。
　　"Iwouldn’tlikeit。Cubpilotsaremoretroublethanthey’reworth。
　　Agreatdealmoretroublethanprofit。"
　　Theapplicantwasnotdiscouraged。
　　"Iamaprinterbytrade，"hewenton，inhiseasy，deliberateway。
　　"Itdoesn’tagreewithme。IthoughtI’dgotoSouthAmerica。"
　　Bixbykepthiseyeontheriver；butanoteofinterestcreptintohisvoice。
　　"Whatmakesyoupullyourwordsthatway？""pulling"beingtherivertermfordrawling，heasked。
　　Theyoungmanhadtakenaseatonthevisitors’bench。
　　"You’llhavetoaskmymother，"hesaid，moreslowlythanever。"Shepullshers，too。"
　　PilotBixbywokeupandlaughed；hehadakeensenseofhumor，andthemannerofthereplyamusedhim。Hisguestmadeanotheradvance。
　　"DoyouknowtheBowenboys？"heasked——"pilotsintheSt。LouisandNewOrleanstrade？"
　　"Iknowthemwell——allthreeofthem。WilliamBowendidhisfirststeeringforme；amightygoodboy，too。HadaTestamentinhispocketwhenhecameaboard；inaweek’stimehehadswappeditforapackofcards。IknowSam，too，andBart。"
　　"OldschoolmatesofmineinHannibal。SamandWillespeciallyweremychums。"
　　"Comeoverandstandbythesideofme，"hesaid。"Whatisyourname？"
　　Theapplicanttoldhim，andthetwostoodlookingatthesunlitwater。
　　"Doyoudrink？"
　　"No。"
　　"Doyougamble？"
　　"No，Sir。"
　　"Doyouswear？"
　　"Notforamusement；onlyunderpressure。"
　　"Doyouchew？"
　　"No，sir，never；butImustsmoke。"
　　"Didyoueverdoanysteering？"wasBixby’snextquestion。
　　"Ihavesteeredeverythingontheriverbutasteamboat，Iguess。"
　　"Verywell；takethewheelandseewhatyoucandowithasteamboat。
　　Keepherassheis——towardthatlowercottonwood，snag。"
　　Bixbyhadasorefootandwasgladofalittlerelief。Hesatdownonthebenchandkeptacarefuleyeonthecourse。Byandbyhesaid：
　　"ThereisjustonewaythatIwouldtakeayoungmantolearntheriver：
　　thatis，formoney。"
　　"Whatdoyoucharge？"
　　"Fivehundreddollars，andItobeatnoexpensewhatever。"
　　Inthosedayspilotswereallowedtocarryalearner，or"cub，"boardfree。Mr。Bixbymeantthathewastobeatnoexpenseinport，orforincidentals。Histermslookedratherdiscouraging。
　　"Ihaven’tgotfivehundreddollarsinmoney，"Samsaid；"I’vegotalotofTennesseelandworthtwenty—fivecentsanacre；I’llgiveyoutwothousandacresofthat。"
　　Bixbydissented。
　　"No；Idon’twantanyunimprovedrealestate。Ihavetoomuchalready。"
　　SamreflectedupontheamounthecouldprobablyborrowfromPamela’shusbandwithoutstraininghiscredit。
　　"Well，then，I’llgiveyouonehundreddollarscashandtherestwhenI
　　earnit。"
　　SomethingaboutthisyoungmanhadwonHoraceBixby’sheart。Hisslow，pleasantspeech；hisunhurried，quietmannerwiththewheel，hisevidentsincerityofpurpose——thesewereexternals，butbeneaththemthepilotfeltsomethingofthatqualityofmindorheartwhichlatermadetheworldloveMarkTwain。Thetermsproposedwereagreedupon。Thedeferredpaymentsweretobeginwhenthepupilhadlearnedtheriverandwasreceivingpilot’swages。DuringMr。Bixby’sdaylightwatcheshispupilwasoftenatthewheel，thattrip，whilethepilotsatdirectinghimandnursinghissorefoot。AnyliteraryambitionsSamuelClemensmayhavehadgrewdim；bythetimetheyhadreachedNewOrleanshehadalmostforgottenhehadbeenaprinter，andwhenhelearnedthatnoshipwouldbesailingtotheAmazonforanindefiniteperiodthefeelinggrewthatadirectinghandhadtakenchargeofhisaffairs。
　　>FromNewOrleanshischiefdidnotreturntoCincinnati，butwenttoSt。
　　Louis，takingwithhimhisnewcub，whothoughtitfine，indeed，tocomesteaminguptothatgreatcitywithitsthrongingwater—front；itsleveefairlypackedwithtrucks，drays，andpilesoffreight，thewholeflankedwithasolidmileofsteamboatslyingsidebyside，bowalittleup—
　　stream，theirbelchingstacksrearedhighagainsttheblue——atoweringfrontoftrade。Itwasglorioustonoseone’swaytoaplaceinthatstatelyline，tobecomeaunit，howeversmall，ofthatimposingfleet。
　　AtSt。LouisSamborrowedfromMr。Moffettthefundsnecessarytomakeuphisfirstpayment，andsoconcludedhiscontract。Then，whenhesuddenlyfoundhimselfonafinebigboat，inapilot—housesofarabovethewaterthatheseemedperchedonamountain——a"sumptuoustemple"——hishappinessseemedcomplete。
　　XXIII
　　THESUPREMESCIENCE
　　InhisMississippibookMarkTwainhasgivenusamarvelousexpositionofthescienceofriver—piloting，andofthecolossaltaskofacquiringandkeepingaknowledgerequisiteforthatwork。Hehasnotexaggeratedthispartofthestoryofdevelopmentsinanydetail；hehassetdownasimpleconfession。
　　Serenelyenoughheundertookthetaskoflearningtwelvehundredmilesofthegreatchanging，shiftingriverasexactlyandassurelybydaylightordarknessasoneknowsthewaytohisownfeatures。Asalreadysuggested，hehadatleastaninklingofwhatthatundertakingmeant。
　　Hisstatementthathe"supposedallthatapilothadtodowastokeephisboatintheriver"isnottobeacceptedliterally。Stillhecouldhardlyhaverealizedthefullmajestyofhistask；nobodycoulddothat——
　　notuntilafterward。
　　HoraceBixbywasa"lightning"pilotwithamethodofinstructionasdirectandforcibleasitwaseffective。Hewasasmallman，hotandquick—firing，thoughkindly，too，andgentlewhenhehadblownoff。
　　Afteroneratherpyrotechnicmisunderstandingastothemannerofimpartingandacquiringinformationhesaid：
　　"Myboy，youmustgetalittlememorandum—book，andeverytimeItellyouathingputitdownrightaway。There’sonlyonewaytobeapilot，andthatistogetthisentireriverbyheart。YouhavetoknowitjustlikeABC。"
　　SoSamClemensgotthelittlebook，andpresentlyit"fairlybristled"
　　withthenamesoftowns，points，bars，islands，bends，andreaches，butitmadehisheartachetothinkthathehadonlyhalfoftheriversetdown；for，asthe"watches"werefourhoursoffandfourhourson，therewerelonggapsduringwhichhehadslept。
　　Thelittlenote—bookstillexists——thinandfaded，withblackwater—proofcovers——itsneat，tiny，pencilednotesstill，telling，thestoryofthatfirsttrip。Mostofthemarecryptographicabbreviations，notreadilydecipherednow。Hereandthereisaneasierline：
　　MERIWEATHER’SBEND
　　1/4less3——[Depthofwater。One—quarterlessthanthreefathoms。]————runshapeofupperbarandgointothelowplaceinwillowsabout200ft。lowerdownthanlastyear。
　　Onesimplelittlenoteoutofhundredsfarmorecomplicated。Itwouldtakedaysfortheaveragemindtorememberevenasinglepageofsuchstatistics。Andthoselongfour—hourgapswherehehadbeenasleep，theyarestillthere，andsomehow，aftermorethanfiftyyears，theoldheart—
　　acheisstillinthem。Hegotanewbook，maybe，forthenexttrip，andlaidthisoneaway。
　　ThereisbutonewaytoaccountforthefactthatthemanwhomtheworldknewasMarkTwain——dreamy，unpractical，andindifferenttodetails——everpersistedinacquiringknowledgelikethat——inthevast，theabsolutelylimitlessquantitynecessarytoMississippipiloting。Itliesinthefactthathelovedtheriverinitseverymoodandaspectanddetail，andnotonlytheriver，butasteamboat；andstillmore，perhaps，thefreedomofthepilot’slifeanditsprestige。Whereverhehaswrittenoftheriver——andinonewayoranotherhewasalwayswritingofitwefeeltheclaimoftheoldcaptivityandthatitstillholdshim。IntheHuckleberryFinnbook，duringthosenightsanddayswithHuckandNiggerJimontheraft——whetherinstormlitblackness，stillnoontide，ortheliftingmistsofmorning——wecanfairly"smell"theriver，asHuckhimselfwouldsay，andweknowthatitisbecausethewriterloveditwithhisheartofheartsandliterallydrankinitsenvironmentandatmosphereduringthosehalcyonpilotdays。
　　So，inhislovelaythesecretofhismarvelouslearning，anditisrecordednotbyhimself，butbyhisteacherthathewasanaptpupil。
　　HoraceBixbyhasmorethanoncedeclared：
　　"Samwasalwaysgood—natured，andhehadanaturaltastefortheriver。
　　HehadafinememoryandneverforgotanythingItoldhim。"
　　MarkTwainhimselfrecordsadifferentopinionofhismemory，withthesizeofitsappallingtask。Itcanonlybepresentedinhisownwords。
　　Inthepagesquotedhehadmasteredsomewhatoftheproblem，andhadbeguntotakeonairs。Hischiefwasaconstantmenaceatsuchmoments：
　　Onedayheturnedonmesuddenlywiththissettler：
　　"WhatistheshapeofWalnutBend？"
　　Hemightaswellhaveaskedmemygrandmother’sopinionofprotoplasm。Ireflectedrespectfully，andthensaidIdidn’tknowithadanyparticularshape。Mygun—powderychiefwentoffwithabang，ofcourse，andthenwentonloadingandfiringuntilhewasoutofadjectives……Iwaited。Byandbyhesaid：
　　"Myboy，you’vegottoknowtheshapeoftheriverperfectly。Itisallthereislefttosteerbyonaverydarknight。Everythingisblottedoutandgone。Butmindyou，ithasn’tthesameshapeinthenightthatithasinthedaytime。"
　　"HowonearthamIevergoingtolearnit，then？"
　　"Howdoyoufollowahallathomeinthedark？Becauseyouknowtheshapeofit。Youcan’tseeit。"
　　"DoyoumeantosaythatI’vegottoknowallthemilliontriflingvariationsofshapeinthebanksofthisinterminableriveraswellasIknowtheshapeofthefronthallathome？"
　　"Onmyhonor，you’vegottoknowthembetterthananymaneverdidknowtheshapesofthehallsinhisownhouse。"
　　"IwishIwasdead！"
　　"Now，Idon’twanttodiscourageyou，but————"
　　"Well，pileitonme；Imightaswellhaveitnowasanothertime。"
　　"Yousee，thishasgottobelearned；thereisn’tanygettingaroundit。Aclearstarlightnightthrowssuchheavyshadowsthat，ifyoudidn’tknowtheshapeofashoreperfectly，youwouldclawawayfromeverybunchoftimber，becauseyouwouldtaketheblackshadowofitforasolidcape；and，yousee，youwouldbegettingscaredtodeatheveryfifteenminutesbythewatch。Youwouldbefiftyyardsfromshoreallthetimewhenyououghttobewithinfiftyfeetofit。
　　Youcan’tseeasnaginoneofthoseshadows，butyouknowexactlywhereitis，andtheshapeoftherivertellsyouwhenyouarecomingtoit。Thenthere’syourpitch—darknight；theriverisaverydifferentshapeonapitch—darknightfromwhatitisonastarlightnight。Allshoresseemtobestraightlines，then，andmightydimones，too；andyou’drunthemforstraightlines，onlyyouknowbetter。Youboldlydriveyourboatrightintowhatseemstobeasolid，straightwallyouknowverywellthatinrealitythereisacurvethere，andthatwallfallsbackandmakeswayforyou。Thenthere’syourgraymist。Youtakeanightwhenthere’soneofthesegrisly，drizzly，graymists，andthenthereisn’tanyparticularshapetoashore。Agraymistwouldtangletheheadoftheoldestmanthateverlived。Well，then，differentkindsofmoonlightchangetheshapeoftheriverindifferentways。
　　Yousee————"
　　"Oh，don’tsayanymore，please！HaveIgottolearntheshapeoftheriveraccordingtoallthesefivehundredthousanddifferentways？IfItriedtocarryallthatcargoinmyheaditwouldmakemestoop—shouldered。"
　　"No！youonlylearntheshapeoftheriver；andyoulearnitwithsuchabsolutecertaintythatyoucanalwayssteerbytheshapethat’sinyourhead，andnevermindtheonethat’sbeforeyoureyes。"
　　"Verywell，I’lltryit；but，afterIhavelearnedit，canIdependonit？Willitkeepthesameform，andnotgofoolingaround？"
　　BeforeMr。Bixbycouldanswer，Mr。W。cameintotakethewatch，andhesaid：
　　"Bixby，you’llhavetolookoutforPresident’sisland，andallthatcountryclearawayupabovetheOldHenandChickens。Thebanksarecavingandtheshapeoftheshoreschanginglikeeverything。Why，youwouldn’tknowthepointabout40。Youcangoupinsidetheoldsycamoresnagnow。"
　　Sothatquestionwasanswered。Herewereleaguesofshorechangingshape。Myspiritsweredowninthemudagain。Twothingsseemedprettyapparenttome。Onewasthatinordertobeapilotamanhadgottolearnmorethananyonemanoughttobeallowedtoknow；
　　andtheotherwasthathemustlearnitalloveragaininadifferentwayeverytwenty—fourhours。
　　Iwenttoworknowtolearntheshapeoftheriver；andofalltheeludingandungraspableobjectsthateverItriedtogetmindorhandson，thatwasthechief。Iwouldfastenmyeyesuponasharp，woodedpointthatprojectedfarintotheriversomemilesaheadofmeandgotolaboriouslyphotographingitsshapeuponmybrain；andjustasIwasbeginningtosucceedtomysatisfactionwewoulddrawuptoit，andtheexasperatingthingwouldbegintomeltawayandfoldbackintothebank！
　　ItwasplainthatIhadgottolearntheshapeoftheriverinallthedifferentwaysthatcouldbethoughtof——upsidedown，wrongendfirst，insideout，fore—and—aft，and"thort—ships，"——andthenknowwhattodoongraynightswhenithadn’tanyshapeatall。SoIsetaboutit。InthecourseoftimeIbegantogetthebestofthisknottylesson，andmyself—complacencymovedtothefrontoncemore。
　　Mr。Bixbywasallfixedandreadytostartittotherearagain。Heopenedonmeafterthisfashion：
　　"HowmuchwaterdidwehaveinthemiddlecrossingatHole—in—The—
　　Wall，tripbeforelast？"
　　Iconsideredthisanoutrage。Isaid：
　　"Everytripdownanduptheleadsmenaresingingthroughthattangledplaceforthree—quartersofanhouronastretch。HowdoyoureckonIcanremembersuchamessasthat？"
　　"Myboy，you’vegottorememberit。You’vegottoremembertheexactspotandtheexactmarkstheboatlayinwhenwehadtheshoalestwater，ineveryoneofthefivehundredshoalplacesbetweenSt。LouisandNewOrleans；andyoumustn’tgettheshoalsoundingsandmarksofonetripmixedupwiththeshoalsoundingsandmarksofanother，either，forthey’renotoftentwicealike。
　　Youmustkeepthemseparate。"
　　WhenIcametomyselfagain，Isaid：
　　"WhenIgetsothatIcandothat，I’llbeabletoraisethedead，andthenIwon’thavetopilotasteamboattomakealiving。Iwanttoretirefromthisbusiness。Iwantaslush—bucketandabrush；
　　I’monlyfitforaroustabout。Ihaven’tgotbrainsenoughtobeapilot；andifIhadIwouldn’thavestrengthenoughtocarrythemaround，unlessIwentoncrutches。"
　　"Nowdropthat！WhenIsayI’lllearnamantheriverImeanit。
　　Andyoucandependonit，I’lllearnhimorkillhim。"
　　Wehavequotedatlengthfromthischapterbecauseitseemsofverypositiveimportancehere。Itisoneofthemostluminousinthebooksofarasthemasteryofthescienceofpilotingisconcerned，andshowsbetterthancouldanyothercombinationofwordssomethingofwhatisrequiredofthelearner。Itdoesnotcoverthewholeproblem，byanymeans——MarkTwainhimselfcouldnotpresentthat；andevenconsideringhisold—timeloveoftheriverandthepilot’strade，itisstillincrediblethatamanofhistemperamentcouldhavepersisted，ashedid，againstsuchobstacles。
　　XXIV
　　THERIVERCURRICULUM
　　Heacquiredotherkindsofknowledge。AsthestreetsofHannibalinthoseearlydays，andtheprinting—officesofseveralcities，hadtaughthimhumannatureinvariousunvarnishedaspects，sotheriverfurnishedanaddedcoursetothatvigorouseducation。Morally，itsatmospherecouldnotbesaidtobeanimprovementontheothers。NavigationintheWesthadbegunwithcraftsoftheflat—boattype——theirnavigatorsrude，hardymen，heavydrinkers，recklessfighters，barbaricintheirsports，coarseintheirwit，profaneineverything。Steam—boatmenwerethenaturalsuccessorsofthesepioneers——ashadelesscoarse，athoughtlessprofane，aveneerlessbarbaric。Butthesethingsweremainly"abovestairs。"Youhadbuttoscratchlightlyamateoradeck—handtofindtheoldkeel—boatmansavagery。Captainswereoverlords，andpilotskingsinthisestate；buttheywerenotangels。InLifeontheMississippiClemensreferstohischief’sexplosivevocabularyandtellsushowheenviedthemate’smannerofgivinganorder。Itwaseasiertoacquirethosethingsthanpiloting，and，onthewhole，quicker。Onecouldimproveuponthem，too，withimaginationandwitandanaturalgiftforterms。ThatSamuelClemensmaintainedhispromiseastodrinkandcardsduringthoseapprenticedaysissomethingworthremembering；andifhedidnotalwaysrestricthisprofanitytomomentsofseverepressureorsiftthequalityofhiswit，wemayalsorememberthathewasanextremeexampleofahumanbeing，inthatformativestagewhichgathersallasgrist，latertorefineitfortheusesanddelightsofmen。
　　Heacquiredavastknowledgeofhumancharacter。Hesays：
　　Inthatbrief，sharpschoolingIgotpersonallyandfamiliarlyacquaintedwithallthedifferenttypesofhumannaturethataretobefoundinfiction，biography，orhistory。WhenIfindawell—
　　drawncharacterinfictionorbiography，Igenerallytakeawarmpersonalinterestinhim，forthereasonthatIhave，knownhimbefore——methimontheriver。
　　Undoubtedlytheriverwasagreatschoolforthestudyoflife’sbroaderphilosophiesandhumors：philosophiesthatavoidvaguecircumlocutionandaimatdirectandsureresults；humorsoftheruggedandvigoroussortthatinEuropeareknownas"American"andinAmericaareknownas"Western。"LetusbethankfulthatMarkTwain’sschoolwasnolessthanitwas——andnomore。
　　ThedemandsoftheMissouriRivertradetookHoraceBixbyawayfromtheMississippi，somewhatlater，andheconsignedhispupil，accordingtocustom，toanotherpilot——itisnotcertain，now，tojustwhichpilot，butprobablytoZebLeavenworthorBeckJolly，oftheJohnJ。Roe。TheRoewasafreight—boat，"asslowasanislandandascomfortableasafarm。"Infact，theRoewasownedandconductedbyfarmers，andSamClemensthoughtifJohnQuarles’sfarmcouldbesetafloatitwouldgreatlyresemblethatcraftinthematterofgood—fellowship，hospitality，andspeed。Itwassaidofherthatup—streamshecouldevenbeatanisland，thoughdown—streamshecouldneverquiteovertakethecurrent，butwasa"loveofasteamboat"nevertheless。TheRoewasnotlicensedtocarrypassengers，butshealwayshadadozen"familyguests"
　　aboard，andtherewasabigboiler—deckfordancingandmoonlightfrolics，alsoapianointhecabin。Theyoungpilotsometimesplayedonthepianoandsangtohismusicsongsrelatingtothe"grasshopperonthesweet—potatovine，"ortoanoldhorsebythenameofMethusalem：
　　TookhimdownandsoldhiminJerusalem，Alongtimeago。
　　Therewereforty—eightstanzasaboutthisancienthorse，allprettymuchalike；buttheassembledcompanywasnotlikelytobecritical，andhiseffortswonhimlaurels。HehadaheavenlytimeontheJohnJ。Roe，andthencamewhatseemedinfernobycontrast。Bixbyreturned，madeatriportwo，thenleftandtransferredhimagain，thistimetoamannamedBrown。BrownhadaberthonthefinenewsteamerPennsylvania，oneofthehandsomestboatsontheriver，andyoungClemenshadbecomeafinesteersman，soitisnotunlikelythatbothmenatfirstweregratifiedbythearrangement。
　　ButBrownwasafault—finding，tyrannicalchief，ignorant，vulgar，andmalicious。IntheMississippibooktheauthorgiveshisfirstinterviewwithBrown，alsohislastone。Forgoodreasonstheseoccasionswereburnedintohismemory，andtheymaybeacceptedassubstantiallycorrect。Brownhadanoffensivemanner。Hisfirstgreetingwasasurlyquestion。
　　"AreyouHoraceBigsby’scub？"
　　"Bixby"wasusuallypronounced"Bigsby"ontheriver，butBrownmadeitespeciallyobnoxiousandfolloweditupwithquestionsandcommentsandordersstillmoreodious。Hissubordinatesoonlearnedtodetesthimthoroughly。Itwasnecessary，however，tomaintainarespectabledeportment——custom，discipline，eventhelaw，requiredthat——butitmusthavebeenahardwinterandspringtheyoungsteersmanputinduringthoseearlymonthsof1858，restraininghimselffromthegratificationofslayingBrown。Timewouldbringrevenge——atragicrevengeandatafearfulcost；buthecouldnotguessthat，andheputinhissparetimeplanningpunishmentsofhisown。
　　IcouldimaginemyselfkillingBrown；therewasnolawagainstthat，andthatwasthethingIalwaysusedtodothemomentIwasabed。
　　Insteadofgoingovermyriverinmymind，aswasmyduty，IthrewbusinessasideforpleasureandkilledBrown。IkilledBrowneverynightforamonth；notinold，stale，commonplaceways，butinnewandpicturesqueones——waysthatweresometimessurprisingforfreshnessofdesignandghastlyforsituationandenvironment。
　　OncewhenBrownhadbeenmoreinsultingthanusualhissubordinatewenttobedandkilledhimin"seventeendifferentways——allofthemnew。"
　　HehadmadeaneffortatfirsttopleaseBrown，butitwasnouse。Brownwasthesortofamanthatrefusedtobepleased；nomatterhowcarefullyhissubordinatesteered，heasalwaysathim。
　　"Here，"hewouldshout，"whereareyougoingnow？Pullherdown！Pullherdown！Don’tyouhearme？Dod—dernedmud—cat！"
　　Hisassistantlostalldesiretobeobligingtosuchapersonandeventookoccasionnowandthentostirhimup。OnedaytheyweresteaminguptheriverwhenBrownnoticedthattheboatseemedtobeheadingtowardsomeunusualpoint。
　　"Here，whereareyouheadingfornow？"heyelled。"Whatinnationareyousteerin’at，anyway？Deynednumskull！"
　　"Why，"saidSam，inunruffleddeliberation，"Ididn’tseemuchelseI
　　couldsteerfor，andIwasheadingforthatwhiteheiferonthebank。"
　　"Getawayfromthatwheel！andgetoutenthispilothouse！"yelledBrown。
　　"Youain’tfittobecomenopilot！"
　　WhichwaswhatSamwanted。AnytemporaryrelieffromthecarpingtyrannyofBrownwaswelcome。
　　Hehadbeenontherivernearlyayearnow，and，thoughuniversallylikedandaccountedafinesteersman，hewasreceivingnowages。Therehadbeensmallneedofmoneyforawhile，forhehadnoboardtopay；butclotheswearoutatlast，andtherewerecertainincidentals。ThePennsylvaniamadearoundtripinaboutthirty—fivedays，withadayortwoofidletimeateitherend。Theyoungpilotfoundthathecouldgetnightemployment，watchingfreightontheNewOrleanslevee，andthusearnfromtwoandahalftothreedollarsforeachnight’swatch。
　　Sometimestherewouldbetwonights，andwithacapitaloffiveorsixdollarsheaccountedhimselfrich。
　　"Itwasadesolateexperience，"hesaid，longafterward，"watchingthereinthedarkamongthosepilesoffreight；notasound，notalivingcreatureastir。Butitwasnotaprofitlessone：IusedtohaveinspirationsasIsattherealonethosenights。Iusedtoimagineallsortsofsituationsandpossibilities。Thosethingsgotintomybooksbyandbyandfurnishedmewithmanyachapter。Icantracetheeffectofthosenightsthroughmostofmybooksinonewayandanother。"
　　ManyofthecurioustalesinthelatterhalfoftheMississippibookcameoutofthoselongnight—watches。Itwasagoodtimetothinkofsuchthings。