I'm not sure exactly where it is in the book, but I believe Twain said 
something like that in "Life on the Mississippi" about his efforts to 
"learn the river".  It's my recollection that it was something Bixby 
said to him.  Something about he had to be able to go down the river on 
a dark night when you couldn't even see any landmarks the same way he 
could go down his hallway at home in the dark.
Jerry


On Mar 13, 2008, at 8:24 AM, Michael Kiskis wrote:

> A little help. =20
> =20
> I received a note from a local teacher who is working on a curriculum 
> on
> Mark Twain for the 4th and 5th grades.  She emailed me the note below
> looking for help to identify the quote.  I admit that I can't recall
> where it (or if it) appears in any Twain work.
> =20
> If anyone has some idea, please let me know.  And I will pass the
> response along.
> =20
> Thanks very much.
> =20
> ____________________________________________
> Michael J. Kiskis
> Leonard Tydings Grant Professor of American Literature
> Elmira College
> One Park Place
> Elmira, NY  14901
> 607-735-1827
> =20
> =20
> I have been unable to find the Twain quote that I was asking about last
> night.  I'll  just paraphrase it and hope that someone out there will
> recognize it and be able to relay it back as the author intended it to
> be. I really appreciate your help.=20
> =20
> '  Like walking a hallway in the dark-- you've done it a hundred times
> before, with nothing but bare feet and faith. '
>