The list of alterations records every change made by Mark Twain in the manuscript. The only exceptions are essential corrections that he made as he wrote or reread his work. These fall into six categories: (1) letters or words that have been mended, traced over, or canceled and rewritten for clarity; (2) false starts and slips of the pen; (3) corrected eye skips; (4) words or phrases that have been inadvertently repeated, then canceled; (5) corrected misspellings; and (6) inadvertent additions of letters or punctuation that have been subsequently canceled—for instance, an incorrect “they” or “then” altered to “the,” or superfluous quotation marks canceled at the end of a narrative passage.

The first words of chapters appear in this list as Mark Twain wrote them, although they are styled in the text of this edition with an ornamental capital followed by small capital letters. If an altered reading has been emended, that fact is noted in the entry here.

In descriptions of Mark Twain’s revisions, the word “above” signals that new writing is interlined, while the word “over” means that something is written in the same space as the reading it supplants, covering it. The term “wiped out” signifies that Mark Twain obliterated a word by smearing it with his finger. “Follows” and “followed by” are spatial, not necessarily temporal, descriptions. A vertical rule indicates the end of a line in the manuscript; a slash separates alternative readings. For a description of the paper used in the manuscript, see the description of texts.

Papers Used:

Written on Keystone Linen (1) paper from 47 title (‘A Word’) through 160.14 (‘needed’), except for the pages inserted at 83.15–84.17, 126.11–134.1, and 158.34–38.

Written on light green paper from 83.15 (‘could’) through 84.17 (‘was,’).

Written on light green paper from 126.11 (‘I excused’) through 134.1 (‘country for’).

Written on Keystone Linen (2) paper from 158.34 (‘I said’) through 158.38 (‘government.” ’).

Written on Keystone Linen (2) paper from 160.14 (‘was’) through 174.3 (‘best,’).

Written on Keystone Linen (1) paper from 174.3 (‘too,’) through 181.26 (‘Camelot.’).

Written on Keystone Linen (2) paper from 184.1 (‘If’) through 187.23 (‘Taile, and’).

Written on Keystone Linen (1) paper from 187.23–24 (‘sorrowed’) through 191.20 (‘said:’).

Written on Blairs Keystone paper from 191.21 (‘ “La’) through 191.29 (‘see.” ’).

Written on Keystone Linen (1) paper from 191.30 (‘The guards’) through 237.25 (‘madman.’).

Written on Blairs Keystone paper from 237.26 (‘The’) through 259.30 (‘all’).

Written on light green paper from 259.30 (‘Christendom’) through 282.33 (‘along.’).

Written on Blairs Keystone paper from 284.1 (‘When’) through 305.34 (‘profound’), except for the pages inserted at 300.20–301.28.

Written on light green paper from 300.20 (‘You’) through 301.28 (‘hurt.’).

Written on light green paper from 305.34 (‘profound’) through 320.15 (‘confident. The’), except for the pages inserted at 311.8–320.9.

Written on Blairs Keystone paper from 311.8 (‘I found’) through 320.9 (‘said:’).

Written on Blairs Keystone paper from 320.15 (‘cares’) through 339.2 (‘expecting’).

Written on light green paper from 339.2 (‘it to betray’) through 493.18 (‘it.’).

Inks Used:

Written in blue-black ink from 47 title (‘A Word’) through 72.9 (‘said:’).

Written in black ink from 76.1 (‘It’) through 409.12 (‘it.’).

Written in blue ink from 409.12 (‘It’) through 493.18 (‘it.’).