Uncle Abe a Shaksperian.
When Uncle Abe was making a plea in one of the county Circuit Courts, not far from Springfield, one of the lawyers becoming sensible that he was being out-generaled, remarked to Uncle Abe, as he sat down—
"I smell a mice."
"Why don't you quote Shakspeare correctly?" said Uncle Abe.
"Why," said the other, "I was not aware that I Was quoting Shakspeare at all."
"Certainly you were, and had you done it properly, it would have been more expressive and less vulgar. The correct expression is, 'I smell a device.'"