Clemens later claimed to have fallen in love at first sight with Olivia based solely on her photograph.

The wedding was in Elmira, and the ceremony was performed by the Congregational ministers Joseph Twichell and Thomas K.

In 1871, the family moved again, to Hartford, Connecticut, where they rented a large house in the Nook Farm[3] neighborhood and quickly became important members of the social and literary scene there.

They were well off due to Samuel Clemens' earnings from his books and lectures, and Olivia's inheritance, and they lived lavishly.

This was mainly prompted by financial need—Samuel's investments in a publishing company and the Paige Compositor lost money, and the family's expenses were catching up with them.

[4] In 1895 and 1896, Olivia and her daughter, Clara, accompanied Samuel on his around-the-world lecture tour, which he undertook to pay off his debts.

In 1896, their daughter Susy, who had remained at home in the US, died of spinal meningitis at age 24, a devastating blow to both Olivia and her husband.

Olivia's health began worsening and, advised to keep a distance from her husband in order to keep from getting overexcited, went months without seeing him.

However, Samuel frequently broke the rule and secretly saw her in order to exchange love letters and kisses.

By the end of 1903, doctors' advice led the Clemens family to move to Italy for the warm climate where they resided in a rented villa outside of Florence But scarcely six months later, on June 5, 1904, Olivia died in Florence from heart failure.