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hens, and makes 'em lay right along. Doan't cost nothin' either." I had been asked to give a lecture in a neighboring town, and, to change the subject, inquired if he thought many would attend. Jake looked rather blank, took off his cap, scratched his head, and then said: "I dunno. Ef you was a Beecher or a Gough you could fill the hall, or may be ef your more known like, and would talk to 'em free, you might git 'em, or if you's going to sing or dress up to make 'em larf; but <i>as 'tis</i>, I dunno." After the effort was over I tried to sound him as to my success. He was unusually reticent, and would only say: "Wall, the only man I heard speak on't, said 'twas different from anything he ever heard." This reminded me of a capital story told me by an old family doctor many years ago. It was that sort of anecdote now out of fashion with <i>raconteurs</i>--a long preamble, many details, a gradual increase of interest, and a vivid climax, and when told by a sick bed would sometimes weary the patient. A man not especially well known had given a lecture in a New Hampshire town without rousing much enthusiasm in his audience, and as he rode away on the top of the stage coach next morning he tried to get some sort of opinion from Jim Barker, the driver. After pumping in vain for a compliment the gentleman inquired: "Did you hear nothing about my lecture from any of the people? I should like very much to get some idea of how it was received." "Wall, no, stranger, I can't say as I heerd much. I guess the folks was purty well pleased. No one seemed to be ag'in it but Square Lothrop." "And may I ask what he said?" "Wall, I wouldn't mind it, if I'se you, what he said. He says just what he thinks--right out with it, no matter who's hurt--and he usually gets the gist on't. But I wouldn't mind what he said, the public was purty generally pleased." And the long whip lash cracks and Jim shouts, "Get an, Dandy." "Yes," persisted the tortured man; "but I do want very much to know what Squire Lothrop's opinion was." "Now, stranger, I wouldn't think any more about the Square. He's got good common sense and allers hits the nail on the head, but as I said, you pleased 'em fust rate." "Yes, but I must know what Squire Lothrop did say." "Wall, if you will have it, he did say (and he's apt to get the gist on't) he did say that <i>he</i> thought 'twas <i>awful shaller</i>!" Many epigrammatic sayings come back to me, and one
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