Chapters 1-2 Summary

Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in the village of Florida, Missouri in 1835. Most of the houses there were made of logs as was the schoolhouse that doubled as church on Sundays. Twain's Uncle John owned one of the two stores in Florida. Everything was cheap, including the hire of slaves from nearby farmers.

Twain's Uncle John was also a farmer. When Twain was four years old, his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri. Twain spent part of every year, until he was 11, visiting his uncle's large family at their farm outside Hannibal.

Although he had never met a better man than John, Twain never used him in a book, although he used the farm a couple of times. He describes is as a heavenly place for a boy. He loved the double log house and all the good country food...