On Nov 21, 5:19pm, Carolyn L. Richey wrote: > I am currently teaching Tom Sawyer and my students brought up a question > that I have been unable to answer. We know from the text that Mary and > Tom and Sid are cousins and that Sid and Tom are half brothers and sons > of Aunt Polly's dead sister. But whose child is Mary? I've looked and > looked and have not come up with an answer. There probably isn't one . . > . but I told my students I'd ask. Carolyn, You can tell your students that they know about as much as anyone else on this issue which is examined in_M.T. A-Z_. My personal belief is Twain was simply sloppy on some details; he's also vague about Tom and Mary's ages. larry marshburne [log in to unmask]