Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-10-06
Mark Twain at q Presidential Recep.
tiOn.
HE HAS A PRIVATE CONVERSATION WITH
THE PRESIDENT.

ton.
HE HAS A PRIVATE CONVERSATION WITH
The PRESIDENT.
After / had drifted into the White
House with the food tide OF humanity
that had been washing steadily up the
street for an hour, obeyed the orders OF
the soldier st the door and the policeman
within, and banked my hat and umbrella
with a colored msn, who gave me piece
of brass with a number on it and saio that
that Thug would reproduce the property
at arytime OF the night. doubted it,
but was on unknown ground now, ana
must be content TO take a good many
chances.
Another person told me to drop in with
the crowd and would come TO the Presi-
dent presently. joined, and we driited
a aong till we passed certain point, and
then we thinned out TO double and SINGLE
file. 1t was right gay scene, and right
stirring and lively one; for the whole
place was brightly lighted, and all down
the CREST hall, as far as one could see, was
restless and writhing multitude of
people, the women powdered, painted,
ieweled, and splendidiy upholstered, and
many of the men gilded with theinsgnla
of great naval, military, and ambassador
ial rank 1t was bewildering.
Our long line KEEP. drifting afong. anc
by and by we came in sight of the Presi-
dent and Mrs. Grant. They were stand
ing up shaking hands and trading civili-
ties with our procession. grew some
wins: at home little by little, and then /
began to feel satisfied and contented.
wss getting to be perfectly alive with in.
terest By the time it came my turn to talk
with the President. took him by the
hand and looked him in the eye, and eaid !:
"Well, 1 reckon ! see you at last, Gen
eral. I have said as much as @ thousand
times, out in Nevada, that If ever went
home to the States / would just have the
private satisfaction Of going and saying to
you by word Of mouth that Thought you
was considerable of q soldier anyway.
Now, you know, out there We"
turned round and said to the fellow
behind me:
"Now, look here. my good friend, how
the nation do you suppose can talk with
any sort of satisfaction, with you crowd
ing me this way? am surprised atyour
manners"
He was modest looking creature. He
said:,
"But you see the whole PROFESSIONS
stopped, and they're crcwding up on
me-"
/ said:
"Some people have got more cheek.
Just suggest TO the parties behind you to
have some respect for the place they are
in, and not try to shove in on q private
conversation. What the General and me
are talking about amt of the least inter-
est to them"
Then resumed with the President:
"Well, well, well. Now this is fine.
Well. should say so. And 80 this is
what you call Presidential reception?
I'm free to say that it just lays over any.
thing that ever saw out IN the sage.
brush. I have been TO Governor Nye's
Iniun receptions at Honey Lake and Car
son City, many and many time-he
that's Senator Nye now-you know him,
OF course. / never saw man in all
my life that Jim Nye didn't know
and not only that, but he
could tell him uhsrs he knew him,
and all about him, family included, even
If il was forty years ago. Most remarka-
BILE man, Jim Nye--remarksble. He can
tell lie with that purity of accent, and
that grace of utterance, and that conVinc'
ing emotion"
I turned again, and said:
"My friend. your conduct surprises me-
I have come three thousand miles 10 have
a word with the President Of the United
States upon subjects with which you are
not even remotely connected, and by the
living gecwhiliikins, can't proceed with
any sort of satisfaction on account OF your
cusscd crowding. Will you just please to
20 little slow, now, and not attract 80
much attention by your strange conduct'
If you had any eyes you could see how
the bystanders are staring"
He said:
"But tell you, sir, it's the people be-
hind. They are just growing and surging
aud showing, and wish was in Jericho,
lido"
said:
"I wish you was, myself You might
learn some delicacy Of feeling in that
ancient seat of civilization, maybe. Drat
il you don't need it."
And then I resumed with the Presi-
Eyes, sir, I've been to receptions be-
al nv IF xhouo-rlH Nva'o Ivrtt "a