Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-04-16
HENRY w. PAINE.
Anecdotes Showing tho Jurists Wit a
 Wonderful Memory.

anecdotes Showing tho Jurists Wit and
 Wonderful Memory.
 A writer for the Lewiston (Me) Journal recently heard some new stories about that wonderful man, Hen-y W. Paine, whose acute sayings are numbered among the worlds best epigrams. The narrator was once pupil of Paines in the Boston Uni versity Law School, where Paine lectureG on real property.
 "One day." said this gentleman, "Mr Paine made this remarkable statement to me: I was born on the bank of the Ken nebec river and grew up there; yet never went in swimming, put on skate, played game of cards, or borrowed dollar.'"
 l will leave it to my readers who are acquainted with tho customs of Kennebeck- CTS to decide which of these four specified tions of abstinence is the more remarkable.
 'I will tell you an incident" said this gentleman, "to illustrate the wonderful power of Paine's memory when he was in his prime. They were exhibited almost daily, but never moro conspicuously or dramatically than in this case.
 ''In 1879 he visited England, and with a party of ladies and gentlemen went to Windsor Castle. Although Paine had never been there before, he seemed to be perfectly acq tainted in the vicinity, which he pointed out to his friends with copious comments. One of the buildings to which he had called their attention was a house which he said once belonged to Lord Coke, the great English jurist
 "'Beg your pardon, sir,' said an En- glishman standing by, who overheard, Lord Coke never lived there.'
 "'I think am right said Paine, quietly. If my memory serves me, Lord Coke ac. quired that house by his marriage with his second wife, Ann Hatton.'
 ,t,.oV srS ictn hn Ey,- glishman. I'm Q member of Lord Coke's profession, and know
 Jewell, we won't dispute it further said Paine, pleasantly. We probably agree as we'll as two lawyers ever do.'
 "Nothing moro was said, but the next day as Paine was walking on the Strand in Lon don, whom should he meet but this gentle man. The latter took off his hat on seeing him, handed him his card, and said: | wish to beg your pardon, sir. Lord Coke did live in that house. You were right and was wropg.'
 "This was the beginning of an agreeable acquaintance.
 "I remember riding home in horse-car with Paine one day." continued this gentle man. Paine was reading a sheepskin- bound volume of law reports. A mutual acquaintance hailed him and said: See here, Paine, do you have to study law still! 9 1nlS lSn | law, SalC falnc. US only a collection of decisions of the Massachu- setts Supreme Court
 "The great lawyer" the gentleman went on, "once quoted some singularly beautiful and appropriate verses in an impromptu tribute to tho memory of a distinguished jurist, the spontaneous eloquence of which kept his hearers spell-bound. Somebody asked him where he found those lines. "'I only know said he, that my Seher | repeated them to me over sixty years ago when was n lad. I havo never seen or l heard them since.'"
 Paine inherited his waggish spirit from his father, who was an inveterate joker One day Waterville citizen, noted fol his miserly character, asked Paine the elder to write an epitaph to be placed on his l gravestone after he should have gone Paine agreed to do it and sent him the fol | lowing:
 "If Heaven be pleased when sinners cease tt 1 sin
 | If hell be pleased when sinners enterin | If earth bo pleased when dies the arrant knave | Then all were pleased when John links filled | this graveu'