Since I have noticed comments about Twain's "slow" way of speaking, I have always assumed that he would have had more of a Southern accent than most people in the Hannibal, Mo. area would have had. His parents, after all, were from Southern states before they moved and would have brought their speech patterns with them. Little Sammy would have developed his speech at home, influenced by their way of speaking, no doubt. In his public speaking, I believe he would emphasize his "drawl" for comic effect. To my ear, the recording of Wm. Gillette's imitation of his friend and neighbor Mark Twain's speech bears this out. Jerry Dean