December 21 Monday – The Boston Daily Globe, p.17 ran this interesting article on Orion Clemens:

MARK TWAIN’S BROTHER

Would be a Good Character for One of the Humorist’s Books.

Mark Twain has a brother living in Keokuk, Ia., who is absent-minded enough for Mark to “put in a book.”

It is related in that town that he drank violet ink for blackberry cordial, and then took an allopathic dose of ammonia instead of his cough medicine; but his latest absent-minded adventure occurred last summer, when he wife had gone to a Sunday-school picnic.

The maid and Mrs. Clemens both being gone for the day, Mrs. Clemens instructed her husband that he would find his lunch nicely prepared in the refrigerator. Upon her return home she inquired of Mr. Clemens as to his bachelorhood and how he had enjoyed his lunch.

“Well,” said Mr. Clemens, “I didn’t think the salad you spoke of was especially good, but I ate it.”

Upon investigation Mrs. Clemens discovered that he had “eaten it,” indeed, that is, the yeast put to raise for the next day’s baking, while the salad proper remained untouched.