Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1889 — The Parson’s Courteous Retort. [ARTICLE]

The Parson’s Courteous Retort.

People named Smith are obliged to encounter the tedious joke about their name very frequently during their lives. “It seems to me that I’ve heard your name before,” is the form this joke usually takes, and, if you notice, you will see that everybody who utters it to any member of the numerous family of Smiths - ’.’3 it with the air of getting off a very original witticism. Once in a while, however, something really good follows this same old joke, and attones to the long-suffering Smith for the complacency with which goodbreeding forces him to smile for the thousandth time at the remark. A young man named Smith was introduced to a famous London clergyman. “Ah,” said the famous man, jocularly, “I think, don’t you know, I’ve heard your name somewhere.” “Possibly,” replied the young man: “but if you’ll pardon me for saying so, I did not expect a man of your character to say that same old thing. Do you really think, sir, that a clergyman should go to heaven who is capable of saying that to one of us Smiths?” Quick as thought came the answer, while the good man’s eyes flashed with a merry appreciation of young Smith’s mirthful sarcasm. “My dear lad,” said he, “don’t you know that heaven is peopled with Smiths ? They’ve been going there for hundreds of vears.”