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First lady focuses on Mark Twain in Connecticut visit

Mark Twain had hoped that a president or two might visit his gothic Victorian home in Hartford someday.

On Tuesday, he got his belated wish _ almost.

First lady Laura Bush, a personal fan of Twain's writings, took a private tour of the home. She is the only first lady to visit the house, according to the Mark Twain Home & Museum officials. No president has yet toured the rooms, designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

"It's a real big deal for us. It's just an honor to have her here, especially since Twain always wanted to have a president visit his home. To have a first lady, he'd be thrilled," said Augusta Girard, marketing and public relations manager for the house.

Mark Twain was among the authors featured in a recent White House literary series hosted by the first lady. Twain wrote some of his most famous works, including "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," in his Hartford home, where he lived from 1874 to 1891.
Read entire article at AP