The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1860-09-01
miscellaneous.
From Hoods Memorials,

His tendency to fun showed itself some.
times in playing off harmless practical Jokes
on Mrs. Hood. One of them was very udi-
crons. She was a capital subject for his fun,
for she believed implicitly in whatever he told
her, however improbable, and though serious
ly vowing every time not to be taken in again,
| she was sure to he caught. Her innocent
face of wonder and belief added greatly to the
zest of the joke.
On one occasion soon after their marriage.
my father was suddenly seized with rheumatic
fever OF sever kind. On his partial rccoy-
cry he was ordered to Brighton to recruit hiy
strength. Sea air always produced a bene-
fetal effect on his health ; and for many years
he was in the habit of visiting Brighton, or
or his favorite haunt, Hastings, for few weeks.
Al the time l mention he was so weak as to
be obliged to be lifted into the coach at start
ing, but the next day, refreshed by the first
breath of the bracing air, he was almost him
self. AT breakfast he offered to give my
mother few hints on buying fish, adducing
his own superior experience of the sea, as a
reason for informing her ignorance as young
housekeeper. "Above all things Jane, - said
he, d" as they will endeaver to impose upon
your inexperience, let nothing induce you to
buy plaice that has any appearance of red
or orange spots, as they are sure signs of an
advanced stage of decomposition" My
innocence of her heart, and accordingly when
the fish-woman came to the door, she tlecend-
cd to show of her newly acquired informa-
ton. AS it happened, the woman had very
little except plaice, and these she turned over
and over, prasng their size and freshness
But the obnoxious red spots on every one of
them still greeted my mothers dissatisfied
eyes. On her limiting doubt of their fresh
ness, she was met by the assertion that they
were not long out of the water; having been
caught that morning. This shocked my
mothers doubts for moment, but remember
ing my fathers portrayal of the Brighton fish
woman's inlquitous falschoods, she gravely
shook her head, and mildly observed, in all
the pride of conscious knowledge, " My good
woman, it may be as you say. but could not
think OF buying any plaice with those very
unpleasant red spots!'' The woman's answer
was perfect shout. ssL Lord bless your eyes,
mum! who ever seed any without 'em ?"
suppressed giggle on the stairs revealed
the perpetrator of the joke, and my father
rushed OIL in perfect ecstacy of laughter,
leaving my poor discounted mother to appease
the angry sea nymph as she could, This was
standing joke for many years.
In the Christmas number of" Punch, for
this year (lSi3) appeared the famous "Song
Of the Shirt.' 1t was of course inserted
anonymously, but it ran through the land like
widfre. Paper after paper quoted it, and it
became the talk of the day. There was no
little speculation as to its author, although
several, believe Dickens among the number,
attributed it at once to its right source. AT
last my father wrote to one of the daily papers,
and acknowledged it. He was certainly aston
ished, and little amused at its wonderful
popularity, although my mother had said to
him, when she was folding up the packet ready
for the press: "Now mind Hood mark my
words, this will tell wonderfully! 1t is one
of the best things You ever did," This
turned out true prophecy. 1t is translated
into French ana German, and even l believe,
into Italian. My father used often to laugh
and wonder how they render the peculiar bur-
then, "Stch, stitch, stich!''
and also
" Seam and gusset and band!'
1t was printed on cotton pocket-handker-
chiefs for sale, and has met with the usual
fate ofallpopu lar poems, having been parodied
time without number But what delighted
and yet touched my father most deeply was
that the poor creatures, to whose SORROWS and
sutferlngs he had given such eloquent voice,
seemed to adopt its words as their own, by
singing them about the streets to rude air of
their own admiration