Apparently this subject is the third rail of Twain discussions. That = anyone could think Twain a racist is beyond my comprehension, & his = evolution from his Hannibal childhood to his mature views on the subject = is worthy of the greatest admiration. On the one hand, I think Barb is = right in thinking that my close conjunction of the reference to = Adventures of Huckleberry Finn & my reference to "nigger Jim" has = mislead some readers into the conclusion that I intended to claim that = the phrase appears in HF. On the other, Kevin and Shelley stated that = Twain never (an open-ended anyplace) used the phrase that I quoted. I = wonder if their responses would have been different if I had used the = full phrase "the nigger Jim" rather than "nigger Jim." In neither = instance is there a capital "N." My thanks to those who have responded = to my original statement & query. Even at my age it's still possible to = get an education. These lessons are sometimes puzzling but always = valuable. Fred