1849年我14岁的时候,我们家还在密西西比河畔的汉尼堡,住在我父亲五年前刚盖的木房子里。家里有几个人住新屋,剩下的还住后面连着的老房子。那年秋天,我姐姐主办了一次晚会,邀请村里所有到结婚年龄的男女青年参加。我还太小,不够参加这种社交活动的年龄。再说我也过于腼腆,跟年轻姑娘们合不到一块。总之,他们没有邀请我——至少没让我整个晚上都参加。我得以进场的全部时间只有十分钟,在一 When I was 14 years old in 1849, our family was still in Hannibal, on the Mississippi, living in a wooden house just built by my father five years ago. There are a few people living in new homes, the rest still live behind the old house. That fall, my sister hosted a party, inviting all young men and women of marriageable age in the village. I’m too young to be at the age of such social activity. Say I too too stupid, with young girls together less than one. In short, they did not invite me - at least not for the whole night. The whole time I was able to approach was only ten minutes at one