The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-09
MARK TWAIN 5 COUSIN
g.
Tells About the Great Humor-
ISIS Childhood.
SOME BRAND-NEW STORIES
the Family Trait
of Absent Mindedness.
SOME BRAND-NEW STORIES

Twain is hob nobbing with the European
nobility and being wined, dined and lion
led by Lods ond Ladies, it may be iner-
esting to know that the glamor of royal
ty has not made him forget the friends
and companions of his boyhood days.
Mrs. ]. W. Greening, Mark Twain's
first cousin, and the close companion OF
his childhood days, lives in this city. They
were born within a few weeks Of each
other in the little village of Florida, Mon
roe County, andfor years were fast friends
and playmates Marks father and Judge
John Quarrels, Mrs. Greetings father,
married sisters, the Misses Martha and
Jane Hampton, and the two families NOV
ed together from Tennessee to Monroe
County in 1885, when Clemens and Quar-
rels engeged in the general merchandise
business. In November of the same year
the two children were born, in houses with
in a stones throw of each other. Wnen
Mark was three years old his father NOV
ed his family to Hannibal, but until ne
was large enough to set type in the Han
nibal Journal Office, most of the famous
hurnorest's time was spent with his un-
Gle on his Monroe County farm, where ne
had moved after retiring from the mer-
camille bcsiness at Florida.
Mrs Greening lives with her husband,
railroad man, in a comfortable little
home in this city. She is a retiring, pleas
ant little woman, nd strongly resembles
her Aunt Jane, Marks mother, hand
some crayon portrait of whom adorns the
wall of the cosy little parlor. On the ia
bic in the same room is collection of
photographs of various members of the
family, among them a recent one of her
famous cousin, on the back of which is
written in the humorist's bold and well
known chirography, ITO Puss, from COus-
in Sam" 'sPuss" is Mrs. Greetings
girlhood nickname, and in family circles
she still bears It,
That Mark has not forgotten his boy
evidenced by the fact that regularly every
month she receives a substantial check
from him, at itervals letter and occcas-
ionally a new photograph Tit checks
ity for many years, excepting brief per-
iod several wears ago, when the publish
ing house in which he was heavily in
terested failed and Clemens was financial
ly embarrassed.
"Sam doesn't write very often now"
said Mrs. Greening recently. eve used
to keep up a regular correspondence,
though, except when he was writing a
book, and until that was finished, the on
ly news any of the family had from him
was through his wife During these per-
iods he quit writing letters altogether,
and his best friends couldn't get a word
from his directly"
Mrs. Greening relates many interesting
anecdotes of her childhood days and is
very fond Of talking of her illcstrious
cousin. When a bop, Mark was inclined
to be rather delicate, and for this reason
his father permitted him to spend much
of his time, especially during the summer,
on his uncle's farm. The two cousins
spent their days together fishing, nutting
and romping over the farm and the
frienship of these days has not been OBJ
liberated by the years that have wrinkled
the brows and frosted the heads of both
Sam was always fell Of fun," said Mrs
Greening. HE could play more pranks
and escape with less punishment than any
boy I ever knew. He was always so frank |
and good-humored that everybody liked
him, and while they all knew he was as
full of mischief as an egg is of meat, they
made great allowance for him, and where /
most boys would have suffered severely |
When a boy he was a victim Of somnam-
bulism, and a close watch had to be kept |
on him to keep him from meeting with /
some mishap. He was frequently found 4
wandering arocnd the house or yard in /
his sleep an don several occasions had a /
narrow escape from serious falls. Sam /
had the family characteristic of absent !
but II was not nearly so |
strongly developed in him as it was in his /
father or his brother Orion.
Speaking of observation-disclosures, con-
tinued Mrs. Greening, reminds me of how I
Uncle John forgot TO take Sam along /
when he moved TO Hannibal. The house /
hold goods had all been loaded in one wag- |
on, and after it had started the family all /
piled into another wagon. After Uncle /
1oiii idN Httltu up tIS uooiS anu "4iAoNS \
Of the deserted house he mounted the seat /
CLICKED to the horses and drove Off, leav- /
ing little Sam making mud pies on the !
opposite side of the house. A half hour I
later my grandfather, Wharton hampton, I
father Of the Reverend f. ]. Hampton, /
formerly pastor Of the Christian Church +
in Palmyra. came riding along and found I
sam busily engaged in his culinary work. /
He appreciated the situation. and. lift 4
ing the boy up in front Of him, rode after I
the movers. and when he had travelled /
seven or eight miles caught up with them.