One of the funniest men in America, Twain chose to marry a sweet, earnest intellectual slow to grasp his jokes. Their differences, however, did not prevent Twain from cherishing his wife Olivia throughout 34 years of marriage. As a father, Twain was so devoted to his three daughters that when the oldest, Susy, went to college he longed to deliver her laundry just so he could be near her.