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Thoughts through Space – Sir Hubert Wilkins and Harold M Sherman

Mark Twain, in the year 1906, had need of an article he had written for the Christian Union, published in 1885. He searched his files, but could not find a copy.

Mark’s desire for the article was great. He wished to base a new series of articles upon it. He had to get a clipping of it somewhere. But there was not even a copy to be secured from the office of the publication. Mark went exhaustively through all his papers. No result.

Some days later America's greatest humourist had to be in New York City on business. He was walking down Fifth Avenue, and was stopped at Forty-second Street by traffic.

While he was standing, waiting, a stranger rushed up, and addressed him.

"Mr. Clemens!" said this man. "You don’t know me-but here is something you may wish to have!"

With this, the stranger pressed some clippings into Mark’s hands.

"I've been saving these for more than twenty years," he went on. "But this morning, it occurred to me to send them to you. I was going to mail them from my office-but now I'll give them to you."

Mark thanked the man, who disappeared in the crowd of passers-by. Then he looked down at the clippings.

They were the very ones he wanted - from the Christian Union of 1885.

A coincidence? The chances are millions to one against it.