As a longtime lurking Howellsian in the MT Forum, I must seize this
opportunity to thank Jim Bird for focussing on what Howells actually wrote
about Twain, rather than perpetuating that old wives' tale (I choose the
phrase deliberately) about Howells censoring Twain.  Howells was an
amazingly perceptive critic.  I just finished talking, with a friend who
teaches 18th century and early fiction, about Howells' intro to a 1918
edition of _Pride and Prejudice_, a conversation in which I also managed
to mention Howells' 1920 anthology of great modern American short stories
that included "The Yellow Wall-Paper."  I too am grateful to Jim Zwick for
making an e-text of _My Mark Twain_ available:  I hope it will encourage
the re-discovery of Howells the critic.

Peg Wherry