Mark Twain needs help

"The holy passion of Friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime, if not asked to lend money."    — Twain

Perhaps an exception to Mark Twain's adage about money and friends can be granted on behalf of the master himself.

Imagine our disappointment yesterday when, shortly after writing about Twain's travel literature, we learned that his former house in Hartford, Connecticut, is in danger of being closed to the public because it's running out of money.

Unfortunately, as yesterday's New York Times' headline puts it,
"This Time, Rumors of Demise May Be True."

The Mark Twain House & Museum is where Twain reached the pinnacle of his success, holing up in the third-floor billiard room to pen by hand, among other masterpieces, Huckleberry Finn.

Twain and his family lived in the Hartford home from the time it was built in 1873 until financial difficulties forced the family to move to Europe in 1891. Freakonomics points out the irony: "Will Mark Twain Lose the Same House Twice?"

In fact, it was Twain's continued financial troubles that forced him to travel the world and write Following the Equator—this blog's namesake—six years after leaving Hartford.

Which brings us back to Twain's take on giving money to friends. The Mark Twain House & Museum's official website is now asking for help—"MARK TWAIN NEEDS YOU," it pleads—soliciting donations to help save the historic house.

We just hope our literary Friendship will endure despite our small, personal donation last night on behalf of Following the Equator.

Photo: manyhighways via Flickr