THE legacy of Mark Twain, the literary legend who considered Bermuda his second home, might soon become a distant memory.

The Mark Twain House & Museum, which preserves and displays historic photos and artifacts from the writer's life and literary works, is facing financial hard times.

Located in Hartford, Connecticut, the 19-room Victorian mansion was Twain's primary home. Since the construction of a new visitors' centre at the museum, the institution has struggled to keep the doors open to the public. This year, the museum publicly admitted its funding woes and is working around the clock to save the institution for future generations to learn about and enjoy.

In an effort to give back to the man who befriended her grandmother as a child in Bermuda, Judith Wadson, owner and operator of Aggie's Garden & Waterside Café, plans to donate a portion of the proceeds from her upcoming "Plough to Plate" dinner series to the cause.

Teaming up with Wadson's Farm, the dinner benefit series will feature locally grown organic food served family style for groups of 20 people and will "embrace the connection of farming, cooking and eating along with strengthening our island community by helping to raise funds for several charities, including the Mark Twain House & Museum", said Ms Wadson.

Interested diners are asked to organise their own groups of 20 and phone Ms Wadson at 296-7346 to make a reservation.

For more on Mark Twain's work, life and time spent in Bermuda, see full story on Page 5.