” A True Story, Repeated Word for Word As I Heard It”

“A True Story, Repeated Word for Word As I Heard It”

Gladys Coggswell, Master Storyteller

The Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum celebrated Black History Month in February with an array of books, and historical artifacts in the gift shop as well as a night of two memorable performances. Local storyteller, Gladys Coggswell, Mark Twain Museum Storyteller-in-Residence, and Missouri’s Master Storyteller for nine years performed Twain’s, “A True Story, Repeated Word for Word as I Heard It.” Coggswell said “that it was important to her to play the part of Mary Ann Cord who is referred to as ‘Aunt Rachel’ in Mark Twain’s writing”.

“I have a deep unmitigated sense of pride for the slaves,” said Coggswell. “I especially appreciate those who maintained any degree of sanity through the most horrible of circumstances. ‘Aunt Rachel’ was such a person.”

When Samuel Clemens asks how she lived to be 60 years old and never had any trouble, she paused, and there was a moment of silence. She said, without a smile in her voice: “Misto C-is you in ‘arnest? Has I had any trouble? Misto C- I’s gwyne tell you, den I leave it to you.”

This is where ‘Aunt Rachel’ recounts an incredibly moving story of the pain of the unforgettable separation from her family at the slave auction. “I could feel her heart ripping in agony when she says, “An’ dey sole my ole man, an’ took him away, an’ dey begin to sell my chil’en an’ take dem away, an’ I begen to cry.”

She tells of her youngest son Henry, who whispers in her ear, that he is going to run away. He promises her he’ll work and buy her freedom. Still they got him; she almost tore the cloths off of them and beat them over the head with her chains.

“An’ they give it to me too”.

“Well, dah my ole man gone, an’ all my chil’en, all my seven chil’en an’ six of em I hadn’t set eyes on ag’in to dis day an’ dat’s twenty two years ago las’ Easter “.

To experience that type of defeat and yet hold on to determination and even an ounce of hope the way ‘Aunt Rachel’ did was amazing. I had to portray her so that people would have some understanding of what she felt inside. This story really tells of the sordid injustice of slavery and lets us know just how far we’ve emerged. The word nigger is used in this piece because that is what my ancestors were called; also what they called each other. Ironically today I hear it applied to all races at various times, but it is a word that I don’t use in my daily vocabulary. I don’t have a problem however using it to portray periodic literature.

The story concludes on a morning, some thirteen years after her family was sold. She finds herself in a glorious, reunion with her youngest son, Henry. She didn’t know it, but he had run off to the North, and became a barber who worked for himself. When the Civil War came he gave up barbering and joined the service. He fought in battle after battle, while faithfully looking for and then finding his mother. This story is so moving and so truthful.

Slavery is a very painful subject and it will remain so unless we all develop an unbending sense of pride for those people who made a way for us. It is the slaves whose shoulders I stand on. They endured their families (especially their children) being snatched away. They lived to tell the story. I will always be grateful to them and I will make it my business to keep their memory alive.

Mark Twain’s portrayal of slavery’s brutality was authentic and heart wrenching. I believe that he disapproved of the inexcusable sorrow of the time and to feel the unbearable pain. He tried very hard to recapture the dialect and I think he did it very well. The story does not attempt to white wash the severity of slavery, but it also presents hope.

A True Story audience We had a full house and the audience was really in tune. They gave a standing ovation and the feedback was very positive. The audience was racially mixed and I was pleased that they received “A True Story” so well. The original story first appeared in the November 1874 issue of The Atlantic Monthly.