in this story Twain describes how one river fades away in the light of his feelings and thoughts. He praises the river being magnificent and beautiful when he was a captain. However, as a steam boat captain Twain devalues its beauty. The process of observation shows the author's change in the perspective when the river is lost before his eyes. The general conclusion is that the knowledge and the experience change the way you look at a river, first you look at its beauty then you look at the river as a source of information.
