Yes, MT had a guitar, a Martin by the way, one of the great original
American instruments.  And he played piano, and sang old spirituals
and hymns -- he was singing  as Livy passed.  Her last, dying words:
"He's singing a good-night carol to me . . . "

One of the coolest volumes about MT's musical interests is the book a
few years back on the Fisk Jubilee Singers, the group he loved the
most (he said this one at least a couple of occasions, so I take him
at his word).  It's by Andrew Ward, called DARK MIDNIGHT, and contains
a number of comments on Twain's memories and experiences with that
group -- he saw them at least 7-8 times.  I write a little about some
of these matters in my book on MT & Spiritual Crisis, pp. 144-48.


Harold K. Bush, Ph.D
St. Louis, MO