We've had two very good guesses. and one was only eleven words long. Mark 
Twain's shortest published work is much shorter than that. As short as can 
be.

Not Bixby. Not Greeley. Not Walpole. And while we're at it, not Mann, 
although a man.  I'm thinking of a fifth one, which would make him a quint. 
I'll get some flak for these bad puns...

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: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:01 AM
Subject: Re: contest!


> I'm way off.  "The Canvasser's Tale" is far too long.
>
> But the third Horace could be Walpole (and his house).
> Second clue is a mystery.  Someone will know.  Fun
> contest, Kevin.
>
> Roger Durrett
>
>
> In a message dated 4/30/2010 9:31:38 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> Another  excellent guess, but wrong again!
>
> Here are two clues:
>
> 1. Not  Bixby. Not Greeley. The other one...
>
> 2. I hope this contest has not  made anybody cry.
>
> Another clue will appear this evening if needed. But  if I have to provide
> my
> third and easiest clue, the winner will need to  provide the context for
> his
> answer with regard to clues 1 and  2.
>
> 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: "ANGELO CIFALDI" <[log in to unmask]>
> To:  <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 8:41 PM
> Subject:  Re: contest!
>
>
>> Galaxy,  March 1871 -  Twain's  announcement that "Memoranda" would not
>> appear in this issue since  there was an illness in his family.
>>
>>  Angelo
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Kevin Mac Donnell"  <[log in to unmask]>
>> To:  <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 4:51  PM
>> Subject: contest!
>>
>>
>>> 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...
>>>  =20
>>> Kevin
>>> @
>>> Mac Donnell Rare  Books
>>> 9307 Glenlake Drive
>>> Austin TX 78730
>>>  512-345-4139
>>> Member: ABAA, ILAB
>>>  *************************
>>> You may browse our books  at=20
>>>  www.macdonnellrarebooks.com
>>>
>>
>
>
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