Relationships of Twain, Mark

Howells and Clemens were among the speakers at the "Authors' Reading" done by the friends of Longfellow for the Longfellow Memorial Fund.

Twain saw Menken perform in San Francisco.

Nasby and Twain appear together in an illustration; the men are identified as "American humorists, in the Pfaffian Days."

Aldrich's acquaintance with Mark Twain originated from an angry letter written by Mr. Twain to the "unreliable editor of Every Saturday." In the paper, Mr. Aldrich credited some badly reviewed rhymes to Twain, who wrote in to say that the lines were not his. Aldrich corrected the mistake immediately.

Mark Twain was not as taken with Menken as other male writers were and was actually quite critical of what Thomas Schirer calls Menken's "substitution of sexual illusion for acting ability."

According to Twain, Ward wanted his story of the "Jumping Frog" to fill up a book that he was working on, so he sent it to his publisher, Carleton, who then would pass it to Henry Clapp who published it in the Saturday Press.

Mark Twain was a dinner guest at the Aldrich's home. At that time, Mrs. Aldrich mistook Twain's speech patterns for intoxication (127-132).
Of Aldrich's wit, Twain once said: "Mr. Aldrich has never had his peer for prompt and pithy and humorous sayings." He further commented: "Aldrich is always brilliant; he can't help it; he is a fire opal set round with rose diamonds; when he is not speaking, you know that his dainty fancies are twinkling and glimmering around in him; when he speaks the diamonds flash. Yes, he is always brilliant; he will be brilliant in hell, you will see" (145).
Twain sent correspondence welcoming Aldrich home after six months abroad (219).

Howells and Twain were friends for over forty years.