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he would be able to afford that luxury： He returned to his place on the
St。 Louis Evening News； where he remained until late winter or early
spring of the following year。
He lived at this time with a Pavey family； probably one of the Hannibal
Paveys； rooming with a youth named Frank E。 Burrough； a journeyman chair…
maker with a taste for Dickens； Thackeray； Scott； and Disraeli。 Burrough
had really a fine literary appreciation for his years； and the boys were
comrades and close friends。 Twenty…two years later Mark Twain exchanged
with Burrough some impressions of himself at that earlier time。 Clemens
wrote：
MY DEAR BURROUGH；As you describe me I can picture myself as I was
22 years ago。 The portrait is correct。 You think I have grown
some； upon my word there was room for it。 You have described a
callow fool； a self…sufficient ass； a mere human tumble…bug； stern
in air； heaving at his bit of dung； imagining that he is remodeling
the world and is entirely capable of doing it right。。。。 That is
what I was at 19…20。
Orion Clemens in the mean time had married and removed to Keokuk。 He had
married during a visit to that city； in the casual； impulsive way so
characteristic of him； and the fact that he had acquired a wife in the
operation seemed at first to have escaped his inner consciousness。 He
tells it himself； he says：
At sunrise on the next morning after the wedding we left in a stage
for Muscatine。 We halted for dinner at Burlington。 After
despatching that meal we stood on the pavement when the stage drove
up； ready for departure。 I climbed in； gathered the buffalo robe
around me； and leaned back unconscious that I had anything further
to do。 A gentleman standing on the pavement said to my wife； 〃Miss；
do you go by this stage？〃 I said； 〃Oh； I forgot！〃 and sprang out
and helped her in。 A wife was a new kind of possession to which I
had not yet become accustomed； I had forgotten her。
Orion's wife had been Mary Stotts； her mother a friend of Jane Clemens's
girlhood。 She proved a faithful helpmate to Orion； but in those early
days of marriage she may have found life with him rather trying； and it
was her homesickness that brought them to Keokuk。 Brother Sam came up
from St。 Louis； by and by； to visit them； and Orion offered him five
dollars a week and board to remain。 He accepted。 The office at this
time； or soon after； was located on the third floor of 52 Main Street； in
the building at present occupied by the Paterson Shoe Company。 Henry
Clemens； now seventeen； was also in Orion's employ； and a lad by the name
of Dick Hingham。 Henry and Sam slept in the office； and Dick came in for
social evenings。 Also a young man named Edward Brownell； who clerked in
the book…store on the ground floor。
These were likely to be lively evenings。 A music dealer and teacher；
Professor Isbell； occupied the floor just below； and did not care for
their diversions。 He objected； but hardly in the right way。 Had he gone
to Samuel Clemens gently； he undoubtedly would have found him willing to
make any concessions。 Instead； he assailed him roughly； and the next
evening the boys set up a lot of empty wine…bottles； which they had found
in a barrel in a closet； and； with stones for balls； played tenpins on
the office floor。 This was Dick and Sam； Henry declined to join the
game。 Isbell rushed up…stairs and battered on the door； but they paid no
attention。 Next morning he waited for the young men and denounced them
wildly。 They merely ignored him； and that night organized a military
company； made up of themselves and a new German apprentice…boy； and
drilled up and down over the singing…class。 Dick Hingham led these
military manoeuvers。 He was a girlish sort of a fellow； but he had a
natural taste for soldiering。 The others used to laugh at him。 They
called him a disguised girl； and declared he would run if a gun were
really pointed in his direction。 They were mistaken； seven years later
Dick died at Fort Donelson with a bullet in his forehead： this； by the
way。
Isbell now adopted new tactics。 He came up very pleasantly and said：
〃I like your military practice better than your tenpin exercise； but on
the whole it seems to disturb the young ladies。 You see how it is
yourself。 You couldn't possibly teach music with a company of raw
recruits drilling overheadnow； could you？ Won't you please stop it？
It bothers my pupils。〃
Sam Clemens regarded him with mild surprise。
〃Does it？〃 he said； very deliberately。 〃Why didn't you mention it
before？ To be sure we don't want to disturb the young ladies。〃
They gave up the horse…play； and not only stopped the disturbance； but
joined one of the singingclasses。 Samuel Clemens had a pretty good
voice in those days and could drum fairly well on a piano and guitar。
He did not become a brilliant musician； but he was easily the most
popular member of the singing…class。
They liked his frank nature； his jokes； and his humor； his slow； quaint
fashion of speech。 The young ladies called him openly and fondly a
〃fool〃a term of endearment； as they applied it meaning only that he
kept them in a more or less constant state of wonder and merriment； and
indeed it would have been hard for them to say whether he was really
light…minded and frivolous or the wisest of them all。 He was twenty now
and at the age for love…making； yet he remained； as in Hannibal； a beau
rather than a suitor； good friend and comrade to all； wooer of none。
Ella Creel； a cousin on the Lampton side； a great belle； also Ella
Patterson （related through Orion's wife and generally known as 〃Ick〃）；
and Belle Stotts were perhaps his favorite companions； but there were
many more。 He was always ready to stop and be merry with them； full of
his pranks and pleasantries； though they noticed that he quite often
carried a book under his arma history or a volume of Dickens or the
tales of Edgar Allan Poe。
He read at odd moments； at night voluminouslyuntil very late；
sometimes。 Already in that early day it was his habit to smoke in bed；
and he had made him an Oriental pipe of the hubble…bubble variety；
because it would hold more and was more comfortable than the regular
short pipe of daytime use。
But it had its disadvantages。 Sometimes it would go out； and that would
mean sitting up and reaching for a match and leaning over to light the
bowl which stood on the floor。 Young Brownell from below was passing
upstairs to his room on the fourth floor one night when he heard Sam
Clemens call。 The two were great chums by this time； and Brownell poked
his head in at the door。
〃What will you have； Sam？〃 he asked。
〃Come in； Ed； Henry's asleep； and I am in trouble。 I want somebody to
light my pipe。〃
〃Why don't you get up and light it yourself？〃 Brownell asked。
〃I would； only I knew you'd be along in a few minutes and would do it for
me。〃
Brownell scratched the necessary match； stooped down； and applied it。
〃What are you reading； Sam？〃 he asked。
〃Oh； nothing mucha so…called funny bookone of these days I'll write a
funnier book than