Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1870-09-30
5fliscellanu.
The Reception at the Presidents.

BY MARX TWAIN.
After ! had drifted into the White
House with the food tide of humanity
that had been washed steadily up the
street for an hour, obeyed the order:
of the soldier at the door and the police.
man within, and banked my bat and um.
brella with colored man, who gave me
a piece of brass with number on it and
said that that thing would reproduce the
property at any time of the night.
doubted it, but was on unknown ground
now, and must be content to take good
many chances.
Another person told me to drop in with
the crowd and I would come to the Pres
ident presently. | Joined, and we drift
ed along till we passed certain point
and then we thinned out to double and
single file. 1t was a right gay scene, and
a right stirring and lively one for the
whole place was brightly lighted, and all
down the great hall, as far as one could
see, was restless and writbing multitude
of people. the women powdered, painted
jewelled and splendidly upholstered, and
many of the men gilded with the insig-
MIA of great naval, military and ambas-
sadorial rank. 1t was bewildering.
Our long line kept drifting along, and
by and by we came in sight of the Pres.
ident and Mrs. Grant. They were stand.
ing up shaking hands and trading civil.
tiles with our procession. l grew some,
what at home little by little, and then ]
began to feel satisfied and contented. ]
vas 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
said;
" Well, | reckon see you at last, Gen
eral. / have said as much as thousand
times, out in Nevada, that if ever / went
home to the States | would just have the
private satifaction of going and saying
to you by word of mouth that 7 thought
YOU was c, nsiGerable of soldier, any.
way. 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
erowding me this way? l am surprised
at your manners"
He was a modest-looking creature. He
said:
"But see the whole procession's sto9
ped, and they're crowding upon 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 a private con.
versation. What the General and me
are talking about amt of the least in.
terest to Them"
Then | resumed with the President:
"Well, we'll, we'll. Now this is fine
This is what call something like. Gay
Well, l should say so. And SO 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
bush. | have been to Governor Nye' S
Injun receptions at Honey Lake and
Carson 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 pot
only that, but he could tell him where he
knew him, and al, about him, family in
cluded, even if it was forty years ago.
Most remarkable man, Jim Nye-re-
markable. He can tell lie with that
purity of accent, and that grace of utter
ance, and that convincing emotion"
l turned again and said:
"My frien |, your conduct astonishes
me. | have come three thousand miles
to have a word with the President of the
United States upon subjects with which
you are not even remotely connected, and
by the living geewhillikins can't pro-
eeed with any sort of satisfaction ON ac-
count of your cussed crowding. Will
you just please to go a little slow, now
and not attract so 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 surg.
ing and showing, and wish was in Jer.
icho, do.
l sa d:
Il wish you was, myself You might
learn some delicacy of feelingin that an
cient seat of civilization, maybe. Drat
if you don't need it.
And then resumed with the Presi-
dent:
ayes sir. I've been at receptions be-