Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1867-05-01
ARTEJEUS WARD.

A WRITER in the Weekly Review tells
some amusing and Characteristic anecdotes
of the late Artemus Ward, which have
never before, We believe, appeared II
print When Mr.. Browne first came tc
New York, whittier he had been invited
to take charge Of Vanity Fair, his quaint
ness OF appearance and merry manners
won at once upon the regard Of young
journalists into whose society he natural
" drifted At that time certain young
writer's, among, whom were George Ar
mold. G.. ?. D. Wilkins, Fitz James
O'Brien, Frank Wood, and others now
deceased, called themselves Bohemians,
and Acknowledged the designation from
the public. They met at dinner at one
Of the Broadway restaurants, where a
table was especially reserved for them ;
and here one evening came Charles f.
Browne stranger to most Of the per-
sons present-aDd. brought with him an
acQuaintance Addressing his companion
as thev sat down. he said, with cordial
hospitalitv: Don't YOU he afraid
Y You re in good company. These are Bo-
hemians here. Don't you know what
Bohcmians are? A Bohemian is an ed
ucated horsc-thici." And so he ratified
on, with good nature that nothing could
dampen, and that made him welcome to
everybody. On more than one occasion,
Brown has been known to 60 up to a
respectable stranger he might chance to
meet upon the street. shak his hand fer
ventlv. remind him of his early days in
some far-oif country town, speak Of the
"old folks" and describe the sorrow Of
" poor Aunt Hannah - at her boys com
inc to the "wiIl and whirliDg metro
polis. and advise the astOunded stranger
to return at once to home and virtue
" All viii be forgiven john he would
exclaim. and all forgotten Take my
advice and 90 back" The writer in the
Review saws he went with Browne to his
hotel. late one night, not long before his
departure for England. A waiter was
summoned, with view to convival re
freshment. "James,' the humorist said,
taking off his overcOat, has Mr.. -
Cnaming the proprietor of the hotel,)
" has Mr.. -- gone to bed Z? Yes,
sir" "Thcn. james, Will You just go
to him and wake him up, and tell him
with my sincere regards that the price Of
liberty is eternal vigilance Remember
that message. James, and-don't wait.
And the waiter retired in n convulsion Of
suppressed merriment. Such trihing in
cidents show the habit of his mind He
was always straying into ludicrous words
and actions. Que of his most intimate
and dear friends was the comedian Set
chcll. himself "a fellow of infinite jest,
and himself also gone hence beyond the
river of death
Thee two made trip together, through
one Of the New England States, one sum
mer month. riding in carriage, and
sporting with the rural residents whencv-
er encountered The record OF that
month can never be known, but such sto-
ries as have been told Of it show That 1t
was one of the merriest of all joyial times.
IN another occasion these two humorists,
assuming to be storekeepcrs from "up
tbe river. went to Barnum's Museum
and consulted a phrcuologiSt who was
then nj that place, and who-ignorant of
their identity, but bounteously responsive
to their qucst;ons-told AItemus Ward
that he might possibly understand a Joke
but could never make one, and told Set