Morris tribune., 1913-04-04
CONCEALED PUNS.
James Russell Lowell CIeverIy Hid
One In a Review.
QUAINT HUMoR IN A SNEEZE

He Won While In the PuIpir-A
Buried Pun by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Horace E. Scudder in some reminis
cences of James Russell Lowell point
ed out that the poet critic even in his
soberest essays would sometimes hide
away jest for the delectation of spe
cially discerning readers Thus in
review of Richard Grant Whites edi-
ton of Shakespeare, Lowell remarked
incidentally:
ITO every commentator who has
wantonly tempered with the text or
obscured it with his inky cloud of para
phrase we feel inclined to apply the
quadrisyllabic name Oh the brother OF
Agis, king of Sparta"
Professor FELTON, Of Harvard, we are
told, was the first to remember or dis
cover that the name of Agis' brother
was Eudamidas.
A more Opaque justification is con
tanned in a 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 consuPs office at Liver
pool. where he was stationed during
the presidency Of Franklin Pierce,
Hawthorne dwells with special pleas
ure on the visits OF a young English
friend, "a scholar and literary amateur.
between whom and myself there sprang'
up an affectionate and, trust, not
transitory regard
This friend used to come and sit or
stand by the Hawthorne f1reside, with
such kind endurance OF the many
rough repubIicanisms wherewith as
sailed him and such frank and amiable
assertion Of all sorts OF English preiu-
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
if | could remind him without offend
ing him, or letting the public know it,
to introduce his name upon my page.
Bright was the illumination OF my
dnsky little apartment as often as he
made his appearance there"
The casual reader never suspects
that Hawthorne has deftly accomplish
ed his purpose 1t does not occur to
him that Bright, the apparent adjective
that so cunningly begins 4 sentence
and therefore achieves the right to a
capital initial, may be alternatiyely
read as a proper noun.
Henry A. Bright was, in fact, Haw-
thorne's only intimate friend in Liver
pool. He was a man of wealth and po-
sition in that town, dilettante who
had published for his own amusement
botanical manual, THE English
Flower Garden" With Hawthorne he
would frequently call upon the local
| bookseller, Henry Young, making use
of little nook in the rear of the shop
to examine and discuss the recent pub
| lications. This came to be- known as
| Hawthorne's corner. Ir-
There is a story told about Sydney
Smith that represents him as carrying
concealed pun into the pulpit with
/ him. The most familiar version is that
which Lord Houghton used to tell.
When settled at his small living in
Yorkshire, Sydney willingly assisted
his brethren III that neighborhood in
their clerical duties. On one occasion
he dined with the incumbent on the
preceding Saturday. The evening
passed in great hilarity, the squire,
kershaW by name, being conspicuous
by his loud enjoyment Of the visitors
| jokes.
Il am very glad that I have amused
| you" said Sydney Smith at parting,
''but you must not laugh at my. sermon
tomorrow"
L should hope I know the difference
between here and church" remarked
the squire little tartly perhaps.
''I'm not so sure Of that"
"Ill bet you guinea on It."
Take you" said the divine.
Next day The preacher assembled the
steps Of the pulpit apparently suffering
from severe cold, with his handker-
chief to his face, and at once sneezed
but the name ''Kershawr' several times
in various intonations. This ingenious
assumption Of the readiness with which
a man would recognize his own name
in sounds unintelligible to the ears of
others proved accurate. The poor
squire burst into guffaw, to the scan
/ dial of the congregation. The minister
after looking at him with stern re-
| proach proceeded with his discourse
and won the bet.
Another version makes the victim
Of Sydney's jest a certain Sir Archi-
bald Macdonald, equerry to the Duke
of Sussex. Sir Archibald said to the
prelate. who was then a canon at ST
Pauls cathedral:
Il will come some Sunday 10 heal
you preach"
II you do | shall name you from the
rNS[ 4 L