I have met a hundred, old friends, andI have made a hundred new ones. It wassupposed to be true, yet Clemens seemed to think it too improbable forliterature and laid it away for a number of years. Clemens had one inspiration that summer which was not directly literary,but historical, due to his familiarity with English dates. As the train sloweddown for the Redding station, he said: We'll leave this box of candy --he had bought a large box on the way-- those colored porters sometimes like candy, and we can get some more.
But once,after greetings, he began: Well, Rogers, I don't know what you think of it, but I think I have hadabout enough of this world, and I wish I were out of it. The word drives the evil spirits away; otherwise they would divine your joy or your hopes and go to work and spoil your game. Breath came; but I realized then that even his cabin was better thanthis. Howells was not especially eager to go, and tried to conspire withClemens to arrange some excuse which would keep them at home.
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