Life on the Mississippi

Though traveling in the South, Twain is not able to celebrate Mardi Gras. He laments missing the festivities in this chapter, and also comments on the celebrity and popularity of Sir Walter Scott, whose writing about the Middle Ages enthralls Southerners. 

Twain introduces Uncle Remus, an acquaintance of his who is a writer. Uncle Remus is shy. It is revealed that he is a white man with red hair, which befuddles everyone due to his name and association with the Uncle Remus character. Twain also mentions his history with Mr. Cable. He and Mr. Cable collaborated on a book and chose a unique name for the project, but had to later change the name due to a libel suit that was brought against them over the title of the book. 

In this chapter, Twain has the fortune of running into Mr. Bixby. Twain is elated to find that Mr. Bixby has not changed. Twain relates a curious tale about a man who receives messages from the spirit world, though Twain himself is skeptical of the claim.