Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1913-03-07
CONCEALED PUNS.
James Russell Lowell cleverly Hid
One In a Review.
QUAINT HUMoR IN A sNEEzE.

Tho story That 10 Told Of the Witt
Cleric, Sydney Smith, and the Wage
He Won WhiIa In the Pulpit
Buried Pun by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Horace q. Scudder in some reminis
cences of James Russell Lowell point
ed out that the poet critic even in hi
! soberest essays would sometimes hid
away jest for the delectation of spe
cially discerning readers. Thus In
review of Richard Grant Whites edi
tion Of Shakespeare, Lowell remarked
Incidentally:
TO every commentator who hal
wantonly tampered with the text OF
obscured It with his inky cloud Of para
phrase we feel inclined to apply the
GuadrisylIabic name OF the brother Of
AgIs, king OF Sparta"
Professor FELTON, Of Harvard, we are
told. was the frst to remember or dis,
cover that the name OF Agis' brother
was Eudamidas.
A more opaque mystiacation 10 con-
sained In passage In the first chapter
Of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Our Old
HOme"-opaque only because he pur-
posely seeks to conceal every clew to
the fact that pun Is buried beneath
the surface.
The chapter is headed Consular Elk
periences." Speaking of the lights and
shadows OF the consul's Office at Liver
pool, where he was stationed during
the presidency of Franklin Pierce.
Hawthorne dwells with special pleas
ure on the visits Of young English
friend, "a scholar and literary amateur,
between whom and myself there sprang
up an afrectionate and. trust not
transitory regard"
This friend used to come and sit or
stand by the Hawthorne fireside, with
such kind endurance Of the many
rough republicanisms wherewith as
sailed him and such frank and amiable
assertion of all sorts Of English preju-
dices and mistakes, that / understood
his cOuntrymen infinitely the better for
him and was almost prepared to love
the intensest Englishman Of them all
for his sake. 1t would crafty my cher
ished remembrance of this dear friend
IL ! could remind him without offend
Ing him, or letting the public know 1t.
to introduce his name upon my page.
Bright was the illumination of my
dusky little apartment as often as he
made his appearance there"
The casual reader never suspects
that Hawthorne has deftly accomplish
I'd his purpose. It does not occur to
him that Bright, the apparent adjective
hat 80 cunningly begins a sentence
md therefore achieves the right to a
,apital initial, may be alternativeIy
'ead as a proper noun.
Henry A. Bright was, in fact, Haw-
horne's only intimate friend in Liver
Dool. He was a man of wealth and DO
iticn in that town, a dilettante who
lad published for his own amusement
botanical manual, "The English
Flower Garden" With Hawthorne he
you'd frequently call upon the local
BOOKSELLER, Henry Young, making use
I little nook In the rear of the shop
examine and discuss the recent pub
cations. This came to be known as
Lawthorne's corner
There Is story told about Sydney
NTH that represents him as carrying
concealed pun into the pulpit with
Inn. The most familiar version is that
'hich Lord Houghton used to tell.
hen settled at his small living in
orkshire. Sydney willingly assisted
q brethren in that neighborhood in
'eir clerical duties. On one occasion
} dincd with the incumbent on the
'eccding Saturday. The evening
'ssed in great hiIarity, the squire,
ershaw by name. being conspicuous
his loud enjoyment Of the visitors
hes.
Il am very glad that l have amused
a." said Sydney Smith at parting,
'ut you must not laugh at my sermon
4 should hope l know the difference
tween here and a church." remarked
Q Aquire a little tartly perhaps.
I'm not 30 sure Of that"
'I'll bet you a guinea on It."
Take you" said the divine.
Sext day the preacher ascended the
~ Of the pulpit apparently suffering :
I'M a severe cold. with his handker-
lef to his face. aud at once sneezed :
the name "KershawT' several times
various intonations. This Ingenious
Of the readiness with which D
nan would recognize his own name =
sounds unintelligible to the ears OF
iers proved accurate The poor
lire burst into guffaw. to the scan
OF the congregation. The minister p
er looking at him with stern re- N
ach proceeded with his discourse
won the bet
mother version makes the victim a
Sydney's Jest a certain Sir Archi-
q Macdonald. equerry to the Duke
SUSSEX SIR Archibald said to the
late. who was then a canon at St
IFS cathedral: d
WIN come some Sunday to hear .
preach" a
4 you do shall name you from the
pit" was the reply.
ndauntsd By this threat. Sir Arch.
J went 10 ST. Paura
Tdney entered the pulpit. looked Ai
at the oaronet and was SEIZED -
q wonderful a. of sneezing. ~
Ir-ehie. Archie. Archer was how "
'unded In Sir Archibald's earz. and a.
,ould noi help a sudden laugh Of
gnition-Willam s walsh IN Bos- 81.
Pest -.
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