The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-07-27
He LOST THE RACE
Mark TWain's Futile Chase After
a Tallyho Coach.
MISSED A BIG CELEBRATION.

MISSED A BIG CELEBRATION.
The Way the Famous Humorist In
Company With w. D. HowsIls Did
Not Attend the Centennial Of the
Battle Of The Minutemsn at Concord.
In his "reminiscences Of Mark Twain
In Harper's Magazine w. D. Howells
tells amusingly of the time when he
and Mr.. Clemens missed the anniver-
sary Of the battle Of Concord:
mark Twain came on to Cambridge
In April. 1875. to go with me TO the
centennial ceremonies at 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 said why bother to go to
Boston when we could just as well
take the train for Concord at the Cam
bridge station. He equally decided
that 1t 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
1T 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
| hot Low
upon the roofs like brakemen slain ut
the post Of duty. We remounted the
fame worn steps of Porter's station
and began exploring North Cambridge
for some means of transportation over
land to Concord. for we were that far
on the road by which the British Went
and came on the day of the battle.
The liverymen whom we appealed to
received as. some with compassion.
some with derision. but in either mnal
convinced us that we could not have
hired cat to attempt our conveyance.
much less a horse or vehicle of any
description
i TT was raw. windy day. very un-
like the exceptionally hot April day
when the routed redcoats. pursued by
the Colonials. fled painting back To 4 ~
ton with their tongues hanging "ui
like dogs hut we could not take due
comfort In the vision of their disconl-
future. We could almost envy them
for they had nj least got to Concord
A swift procession Of coaches. car
riages and buggies. all going TO Con
cord. passed us. inert and helpless. on
the sidewalk IN the peculiarly cod
mud of North Cambridge. We began
to wonder II we might not stop one Ol
them and bribe 1t to take us.
Il felt keenly the shame II defeat
and the guilt of responsibility for ou'
failure. and when gay party of stu
dents came toward us on the top nf d
tallyho. luxuriantly empty inside. W.
felt that our chance had come and ouI
last chance He said that II wOtk
stop them and tell them who. ! wa'
j they would gladly, perhaps proudly
. give us passage. | contended that i
. with his far vaster renown he woult
approach them our success would b
assured.
"While we stood. lost In this 'cpntes
of civilities.' the coach passed us. witt
gay notes blown from the horns OF tn
students, and then Clemens started II
. pursuit. encouraged with shouts iron
. the merry party. who could not inl
, agine who was trying to run then
down. to a rivalry Of speed. The IN
equal match could end only IN on
way, and I am glad | cannot reca
, what he said when be came bark t
, me. Since then have often wonders
at the grief which would have wr,in
those blithe young hearts If they coul
have known that they might have ha
! the company Of Mark Twain to Cor
:. cord that day and did not.
1--WE hung about unavailingly In IN
: bitter wind awhile longer and the
!. slowly. very slowly. made our wa
: home. We wished to pass as m',r
!. time as possible In order to give pro'
i ability to the deceit we Intended
practice, for we could not bear to ow
ourselves baffled in our boosted wi
dom -of taking the train al Porter
:. station and had agreed to say thai y
!, had been to Concord and got l,;:c
y Even after coming home TO my l"'i
j. we felt that ollr statement wolld
). wanting In verisimilitu,le without ~
q tber delay, and we crept quietly IN
e. my library and made up roarin. .
y OH the hearth and thawed oirse'v
)f out In the heat of II before we regain
O. our courage for the undertaking WI
III all these precautions we failed.
Il. when our statement was impaired
n the proposed victim she instantly y
ID nounced It unreliable. and we were t
nj with II OH our hands intact. tlii
Of the humor Of this situation was ina
e greater pleasure to Clemens than
actual visit to Concord would hA
been. Only a few weeks before
death he laughed our defeat over W
ct one of my family in Bermuda and
lr- ulted In our prompt detection"
rb On the Move.
or Ascum-Do you think it's true q
Uf, Sss.frror ho. f,<,uUhf =, nlaro ftYr II