Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 December 1858 — How a Boston Publisher was not Taken in. [ARTICLE]

How a Boston Publisher was not Taken in.

! Mr. Fields, the Boston publisher, has a ' wbnderiul memory, and his knowledge of English literature is so avail u>le that when a trrend wishes to know where inv particular passage may be lound he steers at once lor the corner and consurts; the man who is ver}’ likely to give that desired information. A pompous would-be-wit not long ago thinking to puzzle him and mike sport fora company at dinner, informed them prior to Air. F.’s arrival that he had himself that morning written some poetry, anil intended to subm t to Mr. F. us Southey’s and inquire in which ol his poems the lines occurred. At the proper moment, therefore, after i the guests were seated, he began, "Friend I F., I have been a good deal exercised ol late I trying to find in Southey’s Poems his well- ■ known lines running t us—can you tell us u'lout «li >t t me lc wrote tm iii!” “I do - not remember to have met with them before,” I replied Mr F., “and there were only two j periods in Southey’s life when such lines could possibly have been w ritten by him.” ■•When were .those,” gleefully asked the wittv questioner. “Somewhere,’’ said Mr. F., ‘‘about that early period of his existence when he was having the measeles and cutting Iris first teeth; or, near the clo e of his lile, w hen he had alien in'o ridiocy. The versification belongs to the measeles period, i but the expression clearly betrays the idiot!ic one.” The tunny questioner smiled faint I ly, but the compay roared. (L!7'At a political meeting in Indiana, the ) other day, a speaker named Long responded to a loud call and t >ok the stand; but a big strapping fellow persisted in crying out, in a stentorian voice, “Long! Long!” This caused a little confusion-, but after some difficulty in making himself heard, the President succeeded in stating that Mr. Long the gentleman honored by the cal), was now addressing them., “Oh, he be d d!” replied the fellow; “he’s the little skeezicks that tohl me to cull for Long l ” This brought down the house.