The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-05-01
HENRY w. PAINE.

Anecdotes of Man Celebrated For His
Wit and Wonderful Memory.
The writer heard, one day this week. some
new stories about that wonderful man, Henry
". Paine, whose acute sayings are numbered
among the worlds best epigrams. says a con-
tributOr TO the Le1ris0p Me- Journdl. The
narrator was once pupil of Painss in the Bos-
ton university law school, where Paine lectured
on real property.
Zone day." said the gentleman, 'Nr. Paine
made this remarkable statement TO me: 4 was
born on the bank of the Kennebec river and
grew up there; yet j never went in swimming,
put on skate, played game OF cards, or Dor
Towed a dollar"
will leave it to my readers who are ac-
guainted with the customs of kennebeckers to
decide which Of these four specifications of alb
stinence is the more remarkable.
Il will tell you an incident" said this gentle
man, ito illustrate the wonderful power Of
Paine's memory when he was in his prime
They were exhibited almost daily, but never
more eOnspicuously or dramatically than in this
case.
"In 1879 he visited England, and with party
of ladies and gentlemen, went to Windsor cas-
lie. Although Paine had never been there be-
fore, he seemed to be perfectly acquainted with
all the objects of interest on the road and in
the vicinity, which he pointed out to his friends
with cOpiOus comments. One of the buildings
90 which he called their attention was a house
which he said once belonged to Lord Coke, the
great English jurist.
Beg your pardon, SIR said an EngIishman
standing by, who overheard. Lord Coke never
lived there
al think I am right said Paine, quietly
III my memory serves me, Lord Coke acquired
that house by his marriage with his second
wife. Ann HattOn.'
You're wrong, sir persisted the English
man. I'm member OF Lord COke's profess
zion, and know
"'Well, we won. dispute it further said
D,fn ,,Ia IL l. n
as two lawyers ever do
Nothing more was said, but the next day as
Paine was walking on the Strand in London
whom shOuld he meet but this gentleman The
latter took off his hat on seeing him, handed
him bis card, and said: Il wish to beg your
pardon, sir. Lord Coke did live in that house
You were right and | was wrong
Ihis was the beginning of an agreeable &C
quaintanee.
II remember riding home in horse-car with
Paine one day." continued this gentleman.
Paine was reading sheepskin-bound volume
of law reports. mutual acquaintance hailed
him and said: See here, Paine, do you have
70 study law still?
"This isn't law said Paine. It's only a col
lection OF decisions of the Massachusetts, SUI
preme court
'"The great lawyer" the gentleman went on.
"once quoted some singularly beautiful and APP
propriate verses in an impromtu tribute to the
memory OF distinguished jurist the spontane-
Gus eloquence of which kept his hearers spell
bound. Somebody asked him where he found
the lines.
az only know said he, that my father re.
peated them to me over sixty years ago when
] was lad. | never have seen or heard them
since"
Paine inherited his waggish spirit from his
father, who an inveterate joker.
One day a Waterville citizen, noted for his
misery character asked Paine, the elder, to
write an epitaph 10 be placed on his grave-stOne
after be should have gone. Paine agreed to do
ii, and sent him the following:
If heaven be pleased when sinners cease 70 sin,
II hell be pleased when sinners enter in,
If earth be pleased when dies the arrznt knave,
Then all were pleased when John Jinks filed this
gravei