erred creditor, and those copyrights will be assigned to her until
her claim is paid in full. As for the home in Hartford, it is hers
already.'

"There was a good deal of complaint, but I refused to budge. I insisted
that Mrs. Clemens had the first claims on the copyrights, though, to
tell the truth, these did not promise much then, for in that hard year
the sale of books was small enough. Besides Mrs. Clemens's claim the
debts amounted to one hundred thousand dollars, and of course there must
be a definite basis of settlement, so it was agreed that Clemens should
pay fifty cents on the dollar, when the assets were finally realized
upon, and receive a quittance. Clemens himself declared that sooner or
later he would pay the other fifty cents, dollar for dollar, though
I believe there was no one besides himself and his wife and me who
believed he would ever be able to do it. Clemens himself got discouraged
sometimes, and was about ready to give it up, for he was getting on in
years--nearly sixty--and he was in poor health. Once when we found
the debt, after the Webster salvage, was going to be at least seventy
thousand dollars, he said, 'I need not dream of paying it. I never could
manage it.' But he stuck to it. He was at my house a good deal at first.
We gave him a room there and he came and went as he chose. The worry
told upon him. He became frail during those weeks, almost ethereal, yet
it was strange how brilliant he was, how cheerful."

The business that had begun so promisingly and prosperously a decade
before had dwindled to its end. The last book it had in hand was 'Tom
Sawyer Abroad', just ready for issue. It curiously happened that on the
day of the failure copies of it were filed in Washington for copyright.
Frank Bliss came over from Hartford, and Clemens arranged with him
for the publication of 'Pudd'nhead Wilson', thereby renewing the old
relationship with the American Publishing Company after a break of a
dozen years.

Naturally, the failure of Mark Twain's publishing firm made a public
stir, and it showed how many and sincere were his friends, how ready
they were with sympathy and help of a more material kind. Those who
understood best, congratulated him on being out of the entanglement.

Poultney Bigelow, Douglas Taylor, Andrew Carnegie, Charles Dudley
Warner, and others extended financial help, Bigelow and Taylor each
inclosing him a check of one thousand dollars for immediate necessities.
He was