" "Is that a good distinction?" asked the Professor. My
neighbor answered with great confidence, "No, sir," as he
was well warranted in doing from the form of the question.
"Can't you give us some instance of words in the singular
number that end in s?" said the Professor. My friend, who
was considerable embarrassed, stammered, was staggered, and
hesitated a moment. I whispered in his ear, "Hoss," on which
he, without any reflection, blurted out, "Hoss." There was
a roar of laughter from the class, and the poor fellow sat
down, much distressed at his blunder. Channing dismissed
the class, and the next day gave us a lecture. He said our
uproarious laughter had disturbed Dr. Walker's recitation
in the neighboring room, "especially you, Curtis, with your
pit laugh." I ought to have risen up instantly and avowed
myself the guilty cause of my classmate's innocent blunder.
But, much to my own shame and disgrace, I did not do it. But
some forty years afterward, I was engaged in an earnest discussion
in the Senate Chamber with Butler of South Carolina, at the
time of the passage of the first Civil Service law.
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