TWAIN’S WORLD
BOOK CLEMENS IS AN OPEN THE LIFE OF SAMUEL HOME IN A TOUR OF HIS HARTFORD
I» an adventure, enthusiast and up for f you’re a Mark Twain It may not be the riverside visit Hartford, Connecticut. up, or the Missouri, where he grew town of Hannibal, home from country, but it was his storied California gold the place can say you’ve set foot in 1874 to 1891 — and you and Adventures of Tom Sawyer” where he penned “The Finn.” “Adventures of Huckleberry alone — he Samuel Clemens’ home Guests are not allowed into one can imagine things over the years, as collected many valuable Lizzie Wills, with living history character — so I picked a tour busybody.” Clemens’ maid and “a general mansion of his gigantic, red brick Lizzie led us to the porch wooden door to let us in. and opened its grandiose it,” she said what the architect called “‘Picturesque gothic’ is hall, with inside the impressive entrance once we were standing and silver patterns. painted red with black its walls and tall ceiling part medieval seemed “part steamboat, Clemens’ home indeed Justin cuckoo clock,” as his biographer fortress and part Kaplan described it. a railing we winding staircase, with Lizzie walked us up the she said, floor. Clemens wasn’t home, could touch, to the second the master bedroom. and offered to take us into tell,” she whispered loudly. “I won’t tell if you don’t bedroom 25 rooms, Clemens’ own For such a big house, with featuring But it was full of character, was smaller than I expected. he purchased with carved angels that an elaborate bedstead in Venice. guest room, the other bedrooms, the Lizzie took us through conservatory dining room and a lush the drawing room, the accurately so. called “The Jungle,” and that Clemens’ daughters included, was for many guests, myself However, the highlight floor, above the large space on the third the billiards room. The and entertained is where Clemens relaxed busy parts of the home, the midnight oil the night, and burned friends late into on his literary works. of Tom on here … ‘The Adventures “Oh, the things he’s worked Prince and the Huckleberry Finn,’ ‘The Sawyer,’ ‘Adventures of be interrupted. “And he does not like to Pauper,’ ” Lizzie told us. not even allowed when he’s inspired. We’re He can write for hours to dust!” feel to it. the room had a special Even without Clemens, which Lizzie said was only Our visit ended in the basement, character the home with a living history accessible to guests touring of the period, us some household items like herself. She showed
IF YOU GO
& Museum What: Mark Twain House Connecticut Ave., Hartford, Where: 351 Farmington p.m. daily When: 9:30 a.m.-5:30 $18 seniors, $12 ages 6-16 How much: $20 general, marktwainhouse.org Info: 860-280-3142, take pictures iron, and let us touch and such as a 19th century and books. of Clemens’ manuscripts House real identity as Mark Twain Lizzie then revealed her “are true, including and that all her stories tour guide Barbara Gallow in the house got caught” with a man the fact that Lizzie for with, and had to stop working she ended up getting hitched to work women were not allowed the Clemenses because married maintained their husbands did too. Lizzie in other men’s houses unless to Gallow. with the family, according a good relationship at the Clemens long called home I ended my stay in the place of one of his where I heard a recording accompanying museum, the trip to Hartford as worthwhile. famous quotes that cemented bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, Clemens need it sorely on these accounts,” and many of our people “Broad, of “The Innocents Abroad.” wrote in the conclusion cannot be acquired views of men and things wholesome, charitable earth all one’s one little corner of the by vegetating in lifetime.”