The bee., 1901-08-01
MARK TwAlNS LETTER
DECLINING INVITATION.
he Mingles pathos and humor in Ad.
dressing Old Friends.

tl0 hulrOuudCh ldhSo ocuuS Il
Characteristic letter, regretting
his inability TO be present in
Kansas City on August 10, when
the anniversary of the admission
of Missouri into the Union, will
be celebrated. He was born in
Munroe county, and was one of
the first to be asked to take part
in the celebration of the States
eightieth birthday.
His letter is full of pathos, for,
while there is ever present his
rollicking, mirthful humor, one
sees the tears fall and hears the
choke in the voice. His letter is
like an April day, with the sun
shining in spite of the clouds and
rain. An extract from the letter
was printed in Tuesdays Com
mercial Tribune. In full it reads:
BY an error in the plans things go
wrong end first in this world and so
much precious time is lost and mat
ters of urgent Importance are fatally
retarded. Invitations which brisk
young fellow should get, and which
would transport him with joy, are
delayed and impeded and obstructed
until they are fifty years overdue
when they reach him. 1t has hap
pened again in this case. When 1
was boy in Missouri 1 was always
on the lookout for invitations, but
they always miscarried and went
wandering through the aisles of time
and now they are arriving when 1
am old and rheumatic and can't
travel and must lose my chance.
L have lost a world of delight
through this matter of delaying in
vitations. Fifty years ago would
have gone eagerly across the world
to help celebrate anything that
might turn. 1t would have made no
difference to me what it was so that
1 was there and allowed chance to
make noise.
The whole science of things is
turned wrong-end-to. Life should
begin with age and privileges and
accumulations, and end with youth
and its capacity to splendidly enjoy
such advantages. AS things are
now, when in youth dollar would
bring you a hundred pleasures, you
can't get it; when you are old you
get it, and there's nothing worth |
buying with it then. It's an epitome
or life. The first half of it consists
of the capacity to enjoy without the
chance, the last half consists of the
chance without the capacity.
j am admonlshed IN many ways
that time is pushing me inexorably
along. am approaching the thresh-
hold of age; in 1877 1 shall be l42.
This is not the time to be fitting
about the earth / must cease from
the activities proper to youth and
begin to take on the dignities and
yravities and inertia proper to that
season of honorable senility, which
Is on its way and imminent-as in
iicated above.
Yours is a great and memorable
occasion, and as a son of Missouri
[ should hold it a high privilege to
be there and share your just pride
In the States achievements, but /
must deny myself the indulgence,
while thanking you earnestly for the
priced honor you have done me in
asking me to be present.
The noted humorist, passing
,oward the end of the path which
has been strewn with flowers of
public appreciation and applause
puts into words a thought which
comes to us all. The youth, he
iays, has the capacity to enjoy
ife without the chance, while
lge brings the chance without
he capacity.
If some mighty brain could de-
yise the happy medium, life
would be one glad, sweet song.
But until this happens, it is the
who points out the
,est way. He says to take things
IS they come, be they chance or
and to make the best of