Dear Twain Folk;

        Does anyone know of historical/critical discussions of Twain's
friendship with and admiration for James Whitcomb Riley, the "Hoosier
Poet"?
        Oddly, I have not found many mentions of Riley in the vast array of
books on Twain, although the ycorresponded and kept in occasional touch
during the late 1880s and 90s.  As most Twainians probably know, Twain gave
great praise to Riley for his platform style, such as in the brief essay
"How to Tell a Story."
        Thanks for your thoughts,

Harold K. Bush
Konan University, 8-9-1 Okamoto
Higashinada-ku, Kobe 658, JAPAN