Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-12-07
HE LOST the RACE
Mark Twain's Futile Chase After
a TaIlyho Ccach.
MISSED A BIG CELEBRATION.

The Way the Famous Hunnorist In
Company With w. o Ro~slis Did
Not Attend the Centennial CT the
Battle Of the Minutsnen AZ Concord.
In his "reminiscences Of Mark Twain
in Harper's Magazine W ID. Howells
tells amusingly OF the time when he
and Mr.. Clemens missed The anniver-
sary OF the battle Of Concord
''Mark Twain came on 70 Cambridge
in April. 1919. to SO with me 10 the
centennial ceremonies IT Concord In
celebration OF the battle OF the minute
men with the British troops hundred
years before. We both had special in
vitations. Including passage from Bos-
ton. but 1 said why bother TO so to
Boston when we could Just as well
take the train for Concord at the Cam
bridge station. He equally decided
that II would be absurd. so we break
tasted deliberately and then walked To
the station. reasoning of many things.
as usual.
when the train stopped we found
ii packed inside and out. People. stood
dense on the platforms OF the cars.
To our startled eyes they seemed TO
project from the windows. and unless
memory betrays me they lay StreWn
upon the roofs like brakemen slain 1T
the post Of duty. We remountei the
fame worn steps Of PorteT's STATEN
and began exploring North Cambridge
for some means Of transportation over
land TO Concord. for we were ihat FAR
on the road by which the British went
and came on the day OF the battle.
The liverymen whom we appealed go
received Us. some with compaSSinn
some with deriSion. but in either n. q
convinced US that we could not h.. ,.
hired cat TO attempt our conveyance.
much less horse or vehicle ~ at'v
description
1t was a raw. windy dly. very an
like the exceptionally hot Apri cav
when the routed redcoaiS pursued a.,
the Colonials. fed painting back 20 ~.
ton. with their tongues hanging ,r-
like dogs but we could aui vase dus
comfort I'm the vision of their 1is-O;u
future. We could almost envy thral
for they had AT least Eot 90 ttuyuri
A swift procession OF coaches. CA
riages and buggies. ali going ;o Con
cord. passed US. inert aud helpless. en-
the sidewalk ia the peculiarly -oit,
mud Of North Cambridge We heran
TO wonder IL we might not stop one ol
them and bride It TO take US.
81 felt keenly the shame of defeat
and the guilt Of responsibility for uuF
failure. and when gay party OF stu
dents came toward Us 90 the top ~ Il
tallyho. luxuriantly empty inside We
felt that our chance had come and our
last chance. He said that II won,
stop them aud tell them who was
they would gladly. perhaps proudly.
give US passage. Contcnded that II
with his far vastcr renown he would
! approach them cur success would bo
assured
while we stood. lost in this contest
| OF civillties.' the coach passed Us. wiki
gay notes blown from the horns OF tn,
students. and then Clemens started III
pursuit. encouraged with shouts from
the merry party. who could not I'm
agine who was trying 10 run them
WV IL " - ~ etAt "a FAf''N AN AAA
equal match could end only IN one
way. and am glad l cannot recall
what he said when be- came back Z,
me- Since then have often wondered
at the grief which would have wrung
those blithe young hearts IL they could
have known that they might have ha,
the company OF Mark Twain 10 Con
| cord THAI day and did not
I'VE hung about umvailingly In IN,
| bitter wind awhile longer and thel
| slowly. very slowly. made our wal
home. We wished TO pass as mucl
time as possible in order TO give prob
| ability 10 the deceit we Intended Z,
practice. for we could not bear 10 owl
| ourselves batiied in our hOaS.ed wis
dom of takiug the train al Porter
| station and had agreed 20 say that W,
had been 10 Concord and GOT back
| Even after coming home 30 my houS'
| we felt thar our statement would b'
/ wanting I'm vertSimilitnde without fur
Their delay. and we crept quietly int,
my library and made mp a roaring FIR
| on the hearth and thawed ourSelve
| out In the hes.. OF 10 before we regaine,
our courage for Ihe undertaking Wit
all these precautions we failed. 70
| when our statement was impaired &
the proposed victim she instantly pre-
nounced il unreliable. and we were lef
with II on our hands intact thin
the humor OF this situation was finall
a greater pleasure 10 Clemens than n
actual visit 10 Concord would hav
been. Only a few weeks before hi
death he laughed our defeat over wit
one OF my family in Bermuda and eS