New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-10
MIR. LOWELDS JOKE on MR.. FIELDS
THE STORY DECLARED To BE ENTIRELY APoCRY-
PHAI.

THE STORY DECLARED TO BE ENTIRELY APOCRY-
PHAL.
TO the EdifOr Of me Tribune.
SIR: TIE TRIBUNE copied a day or two
ago from The Boston Transcript the declaration of cor
respondent that James Ru 'se Lowell had played
practical Joke The AHdjit,c Monthly by sending in
an essay emitted the Essence of Am 'rican Hunor,"
OF his own composition. which he employed somebody
copy, and signed ". Perry Paine. He panied
the paper with private note, purportng to from
Paine TO the effect that, the essay was a maiden
effort he would be much obliged for editorial opinion
thereof Lowell heard nothing from the magazine for
fortnight when. being in Boston, he stepped into the
Office of The atlantic, and finding James T. Fields then
it, Editor sinedy aud dextrously turned the con-
versatiOn upon American humOr remarking as if in
cidentaly that II singular little had been written
on subject Fields replied III t he received good
deal OF Ms. that topic, but It was not available.
"Ouly the day" he added, 81 threw INTO tine waste
basket art Gle the Essence OF American Humor'
which was so absurd that II ought to have been called
the Essence OF Nonsense" At this Lowell burst into
a roar OF aughter. to the great anazement OF tho
Editor He then proclaimed himself the author Of the
rejected and despsed essay and explained the manner
IN W itch he had managed the thing Fields would not
believe him at first. but. soon convinced OF his truthful
ness, said with much confusion tna he really had never
read the article but threw 1t away because he felt con
ndent that who would sign MS first name with
the initial, aud second name In full, should could
be- a contributor to The Atlantic.
Tns Is "A clever though very improbable story, and
would be decidedly interesting II true But II happens
TO be entirely without foundation. IL originally ap-
De ireh almost exactly phbsod In The Transcript In
The EpeHin0 Maii-nOw The ui and ErpTess-yery soon
a Ter 10 establishment IN 1867. Ii printed as a
report had been time in circulation, hut
vOuohed Tor, and was obviously Intended IA Illus
raon ~ the iabllty OF literary Judgment, when er
efcsed upon the work OF unknown names. The Mai
suuib was widely copied, ana Was relisHed "A very
good Joke ON James T. Fields who. having it, nd
dressed note 70 Mr.. Lowell, asking him II he could
recall any sucn experience. Lowell promptly responded
that no such thing had ever happened; that IL
pure invention. designed perhaps ioI by Of waggery
though questionable taste; ana the correspond
ence was published in the Boston daieB. Notwith
standing such emphatic aud authoritative DENIAL the
story continued circulate III the newspapers and has
been revived after fifteen years, oAempuying the
old that "A falsehOOd VIII travel around tue world
while Truth Is pulling hts boots. liz improbabily
without contradiction Il evident from the TACT
that II there had been such article asserted TO have
been Of LOwelPs best would have been unlikely
To remain Imprinted and unknown considering that
Lowell Is generally conceded 10 be Of the very first
OF living ossaYIsts AY.Z
Asp. York, Oct. 7, 1882.