Lovely exchanges about Puddin'head Wilson characters. I'm asking for references or anecdotes on the: !!!!!!!!!!!! 1 !!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!! deep personal meaning of the comets in Sam Clemen's life.... or was it a lucky coincidence where he capitalized on timing for purely serendipitous purposes? How much did brooding on the facts of space actually figure in his thinking. For example, in Captain Stormfield's heaven setting, the numbers given as to acreage for Earth residents in heaven are too vast. Was he just blowing smoke to entertain, or did he have a temporarily suspended sense of proportion? Do some of his writings show a good understanding of the actual astronomy known in his time? Which ones? !!!!!!!!!!!! 2 !!! !!!!!!!!!!!! What analysis has been done on the actual amounts, doseage and quality of the booze and tobacco Twain used? It's clear he was able to function very well on some levels and we are richer for it. Mike