"The Canvasser's Tale" perhaps?  
 
 
In a message dated 4/30/2010 9:41:14 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

Nope.  Much much shorter than that.

Kevin
@
Mac Donnell Rare  Books
9307 Glenlake Drive
Austin TX 78730
512-345-4139
Member:  ABAA, ILAB
*************************
You may browse our books  at
www.macdonnellrarebooks.com

----- Original Message -----  
From: "Click, Benjamin A" <[log in to unmask]>
To:  <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 7:34 AM
Subject:  Re: contest!


> The best I can do is
>
>
> "A  Salutation to the Twentieth Century," December 30, 1900, published by 
>  Ne=
> w York Herald.
>
> Ben
>
>
> On  4/30/10 3:56 AM, "Edgar DeJean" <[log in to unmask]>  wrote:
>
> In 1993 in a used bookstore near the UC Berkeley Campus  I held in my
> hand a tiny little book not much bigger than your thumb  which the
> dealer claimed to be one of a very small printing - a work  of Mark
> Twain.    i believe the dealer and the book were  authentic.
> Unfortunately I forget the name of the  work.
>
> Ed DeJean
>
>
> On Apr 29, 2010, at  4:51 PM, Kevin Mac Donnell wrote:
>
>> Here's a simple contest  open to all members of the Forum with the
>> exception of anyone who  was present on a certain wine-tasting
>> excursion in upstate NY last  week, where I first posed this question.
>>
>> The prize is  a pristine first edition copy of WHO IS MARK TWAIN?
>> edited by Bob  Hirst.
>>
>> How to win? Be the first to post the correct  answer (in my sole
>> opinion) to this  question:
>>
>> What is Mark Twain's shortest published  work?
>>
>> Clue: It was first published in a magazine and  so far as I know has
>> never been collected in his  works.
>>
>> More clues will follow if  needed...
>>
>> Kevin
>> @
>> Mac Donnell  Rare Books
>> 9307 Glenlake Drive
>> Austin TX  78730
>> 512-345-4139
>> Member: ABAA, ILAB
>>  *************************
>> You may browse our books at
>>  www.macdonnellrarebooks.com
>>
>
>
>
>  --
> Ben Click
> Professor/Dept. Chair, English
> Director,  Mark Twain Lecture Series on
> American Humor and Culture
> St.  Mary's College of Maryland
>  240-895-4253
>


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----



No  virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG -  www.avg.com
Version: 9.0.814 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2844 - Release Date:  04/30/10 
01:27:00