MARK TWAIN.

_From Susy's Biography of Me._

_Sept. 9, '85._--Mamma is teaching Jean a little natural history
and is making a little collection of insects for her. But mamma
does not allow Jean to kill any insects she only collects those
insects that are found dead. Mamma has told us all, perticularly
Jean, to bring her all the little dead insects that she finds. The
other day as we were all sitting at supper Jean broke into the room
and ran triumfantly up to Mamma and presented her with a plate full
of dead flies. Mamma thanked Jean vary enthusiastically although
she with difficulty concealed her amusement. Just then Soar Mash
entered the room and Jean believing her hungry asked Mamma for
permission to give her the flies. Mamma laughingly consented and
the flies almost immediately dissapeared.

[_Monday, October 15, 1906._] Sour Hash's presence indicates that this
adventure occurred at Quarry Farm. Susy's Biography interests itself
pretty exclusively with historical facts; where they happen is not a
matter of much concern to her. When other historians refer to the Bunker
Hill Monument they know it is not necessary to mention that that
monument is in Boston. Susy recognizes that when she mentions Sour Mash
it is not necessary to localize her. To Susy, Sour Mash is the Bunker
Hill Monument of Quarry Farm.

Ordinary cats have some partiality for living flies, but none for dead
ones; but Susy does not trouble herself to apologize for Sour Mash's
eccentricities of taste. This Biography was for _us_, and Susy knew that
nothing that Sour Mash might do could startle us or need explanation, we
being aware that she was not an ordinary cat, but moving upon a plane
far above the prejudices and superstitions which are law to common
catdom.

Once in Hartford the flies were so numerous for a time, and so
troublesome, that Mrs. Clemens conceived the idea of paying George[9] a
bounty on all the flies he might kill. The children saw an opportunity
here for the acquisition of sudden wealth. They supposed that their
mother merely wanted to accumulate dead flies, for some aesthetic or
scientific reason or other, and they judged that the more flies she
could get the happier she would be; so they went into business with
George on a commission. Straightway the dead flies began to arrive in
such quantities that Mrs. Clemens was pleased beyond words with the
success of her