eath. The world owed a large debt of gratitude to Mark Twain's
wife, who from the very beginning--and always, so far as in her strength
she was able--inspired him to give only his worthiest to the world,
whether in written or spoken word, in counsel or in deed. Those early
days of their close companionship, spiritual and mental, were full of
revelation to Samuel Clemens, a revelation that continued from day to
day, and from year to year, even to the very end.

The letter to Bliss and the proofs were full of suggested changes
that would refine and beautify the text. In one of them he settles the
question of title, which he says is to be:

THE INNOCENTS ABROAD
or
THE NEW PILGRIM'S PROGRESS

and we may be sure that it was Olivia Langdon's voice that gave the
deciding vote for the newly adopted chief title, which would take any
suggestion of irreverence out of the remaining words.

The book was to have been issued in the spring, but during his
wanderings proofs had been delayed, and there was now considerable
anxiety about it, as the agencies had become impatient for the canvass.
At the end of April Clemens wrote: "Your printers are doing well. I will
hurry the proofs"; but it was not until the early part of June that
the last chapters were revised and returned. Then the big book, at
last completed, went to press on an edition of twenty thousand, a large
number for any new book, even to-day.

In later years, through some confusion of circumstance, Mark Twain was
led to believe that the publication of The Innocents Abroad was long and
unnecessarily delayed. But this was manifestly a mistake. The book went
to press in June. It was a big book and a large edition. The first
copy was delivered July 20 (1869), and four hundred and seventeen
bound volumes were shipped that month. Even with the quicker mechanical
processes of to-day a month or more is allowed for a large book between
the final return of proofs and the date of publication. So it is only
another instance of his remembering, as he once quaintly put it, "the
thing that didn't happen."--[In an article in the North American Review
(September 21, 1906) Mr. Clemens stated that he found it necessary
to telegraph notice that he would bring suit if the book was not
immediately issued. In none of the letters covering this period is there
any suggestion of delay on the part of the publishers, and the date
of the f