The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-10-04
BRET HARrE's JOKE.
Chicago Sunday Telegram.l


 Perhaps it is the influence of the climate, perhaps merely the exhiIaration attendant upon well-earned literary fame, but whatever the cause quite certain it remains that Bres Harte has recently de- yeloped penchant for practical jokes which all the royalty of the tight little isle " will find it difficult to suppress.
 Only one American joke can be set down to the credit Of Harte during his entire sojourn in the United States, the details of which are as follows: Harte, at one time, used to plunder the people from the rostrum, in the way of 5o-cent lectures. During trip over the Penn sylvania circuit, he found himself one evening in a small town, the very atmos- phere of which was depressing. Turn ing to the committeeman who awaited on him at his room in the hotel, uarte said:
 Is this healthful climate?"
 Passably," responded the committee man.
 What's the mortality of this cisy!"
 About one day"
 About one, eh, said Harte. "Come this way minute" and he drew the committeem an into the recess of the bay window, and then said to him. solemnly
 .Is the man dead for to-day: I am going to lecture here tonight, and it would be great relief to me to know that could get through alive"
 But the great London joke of Bret Hartes which he perpetrated yesterday, is now the talk of the town. Dressing himself in the threadbare, frayed, fringed and faded garments which would, quite likely, be worn by cross between a Bo- hemian journalist and a tramp, Bret Harte visited the office of Labouchere's Trnfh, and asked to see the eminent journalist He was ushered into the holy of holies, the inner ofiice of the newspa- porial Nj. F, and told him that he had poem which he would be pleased to sell, and asked Mir. Labouchere to look it over. But the famous lance-hurler of the London press at first refused to glance at the offering, but upon Harte's earnestly pleading his immediate need of money, MT. Labouchere hastily ex- amined the production. Then he re- turned it with the remark:
 "l cannot use this trash"
 But, my God.' exclaimed Harte, I'm starving"
 He locked like it, for his make up for the occasion was superb.
 What do you want for it!' inquired Labouchere.
 Is 1t worth a pound:n :n said Harte, with an expression indicating that his heart was crawling up in the vicinity Of his larnyx.
 Want pound. It is not worth the paper it is written on" ragged Labouchere. If you want charity, can give you few shillings, but it would only be accom- panied by advice to the effect that strong, able-bodied man like you can make more money and give less cause of offense by seeking employment at hop picking, or shipping before the mast. h. stead of attempting to worm your way into journalism, why did you not join the expedition for the relief of General Gordon? Who are you, anyway"
 Bret Harte," was the answer, as the l major portion of the disguise was re- moved, and the astorished Labouchere beheld club companion whom he had known for years. The poem, however, will soon be published to the world, and | it is one of Harte's greatest efforts. But its introduction to the great world will | not be through the columns of London | TrnfI