The image of your father's enjoyment of this story is one that will stay with me for a long time, Kent. It's one of those stories that gets funnier every time I read it -- Shakespearean, almost, with its tale within a tail within a tale within a tale. And the disturbing bit acts as a hook to take you deeper. That gives me an idea, actually. I was trying to decide which Twain story I wanted to use in my next blog for _Humor in America_, on how exploring the context of a joke makes it funnier. This could be a fun choice. Anyway, I'm delighted to have been a little help -- and am looking forward to the book when it comes out. And no -- I wouldn't know Pitman shorthand if it bit me. Or if it pulled my tale. Cheers, Sharon ________________________________ From: =?windows-1252?Q?Kent_Rasmussen?= <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Fri, December 16, 2011 4:56:20 PM Subject: Re: Query about quote The passage you found is better than a "best guess," Sharon. I regard it = as a dead cert that it's the very passage Mark Twain's correspondent was thinking of. His wording is a little different, but it contains all the k= ey elements of the TRAMP ABROAD passage. Moreover, I can appreciate why he singled it out as a favorite: When read in its entirety, the anecdote abo= ut uncertain identities is very funny. It was one of my father's favorite Ma= rk Twain passages; he would laugh till tears came to his eyes when he told others about it. I'm getting old enough myself to appreciate it more ever= y year. These days I often meet people who seem already to know me but whom= I can't quite place. Thanks very much, Sharon. You've saved me the embarrassment of sending my= book to press with a simple research question unanswered. You don't happen to read Pitman shorthand, do you? Kent