The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-02-10
A MARK TWAIN STORY
Showing What May Be Achieved
by Nerve and Reiteration.
A LESSON IN PERSEVERANCE.
Going to Prove That Repetition VIII
Work Wonders Il a Man Hes Only
the Necessary Amount Of Cheek to
Stand Up and Keep on Talking.


ten enough people will begin to lister
70 him.
"Now." said the great humorist
'there was that story about Haul
Monk, That was the oldest staIest
driest. deadest bit Of alleged humoi
that any man ever heard II had beer
circulated around Nevada and Cali
fornia until there wasn't a man lefl
who would even listen TO It bad
heard It so many times that knew Il
by heart. II told how Hank Monk goi
I Horace Greeley over the Glennhrooh
grade to Placerville.
Il was about TO deliver my second
lecture at Platfs hall in San Fran
cisco the second one had ever de
liyered. II occurred to me that
might begin TINT lecture with the
worst story l had ever heard and By
telling It often enough start the lee
ture with big laugh ] took that
story and memorized It 50 that Il
would not vary ia the telling, and
made II just as poiniless and just as
dun and just as dry as could
when ii came time FOR me 10 talk
I stood up and with few introduce
tory remarks began that story. r
rememhas It went something ike this:
Horace Greeley once went over
the Glennbrook grade 20 Plaeeryiile.
When he was leaving Carson City he
told the driver. Hank Monk. that be
had an engagement to lecture at
Placcrville and was very anxious to
20 through quick Hank Monk crack
ed his whip and started or ct an aw-
ful pace The stage bounced up and
down IN such a terrific way that Il
jolted the button all OF Horace's coat
and nnally shot Ifs head elean through
the roof Of the stage. and then be yell
ed 70 Hank Monk and begged him to
20 easier said he warn't ID as much
of hurry as be bad been awhile
ago. But Hank Monk said. Keep
your seat. Horace. aud IIl set you
there % timer And be did, too what
was left or him..
rNow, that was an there was to tile
story It was bad enough 70 begin
with. but ] made 1t worse in the tell
ing. I droned It out in dat. mon0to-
nous tone. without d gesture to mar its
depressing effect The people received
It % deqd silence. had insulted every
man IN the audience had graYeled
them with a story that vas not only
stale ana polntless. but one which they
had heard at least Thousand times.
waited a few seconds for the laugh
ter. and then I began 10 hem and haw
and shift my feet | tried e appear
just as embarrassed as / could, and
after noundering about heIplessly fer 4
few sentences ] eheerea up little and
said that would ten funny anee-
dote which might be new To them. Il
began:
Horace Greeley went over the
Glennbr0ok grade to placerrilie'
Il told Ii n exactly the same miser-
able, pointless way TINT I bad told il
before. and when got through walt
ca a longer time for the applause. but
there wasn't any applause. / could see
that several men 10 the house were
growing quite indignant. They bad
paid money to hear a humorous lee
ture ] took a long breath and plunged
m third lime, more embarrassed and
hustered and worried than ever, aud
by and By ! worked around again 70
the time when Horace Greeley wept
over Glennbrook grade to Plaeervilie
aThis time some Of the smarter ones
began 70 laugh. and this encouraged
me SO much that l thanked them aud
started right III to tell the story over
again. never varying the delivery So
much as a pause e take breath. The
fourth time fetched EN- and II the
end Of the story they stood up and
whooped ana yelled and eheered Cor
some time
'You see. / thought that II mgn
had sand enough to stand up before an
and tell the oldest, stalest
and most uninteresting story IN the
world he could make people laugh Il
he had the nerve to tell the story often
enough. The rest Of my lecture went
very well They were willing 70 laugh
at my anecdotes the first time told
them. Maybe they were afraid ! would |
tell them a second time
y felt so sure that had discovered |
4 new phase in human character that
! tried the same thing Ii New York.
years afterward There was IN 80
thors reading bee one afternoon. and /
most Of the authors read selections
from their works sat or the plat
form beside James Russell Lowell
He asked me what was going ia
read. / said that j wasn't going to
read anything. intended To ten M
rs It a funny oneg be asked
Il said 1t would BE If / lasted long
enough
Il started ont without any preamble,
Ind / told the Hank Monk aneedote
There was an awful silence at the f
Ind. took drink Of water moppea {
my forehead and told the story again.
Same effect Young man, ] told that
story Eve times before landed en-
When / sat down at last Alr. Lowell
to me;
You have cost me dear have
,een sitting here and wasting sympa
hy on YOU
That's the point young man Repe
ition win do anything If j man has
he sand % stand up and keep on talk.
ng New York American.