This shows the perils of ignorance. If Charlie had had a thorough classical training, he wouldn't have made such a mistake. It was a curious fact that the boys who had never studied Latin, and to whom the blunder had to be explained, laughed at him more unmercifully than anybody else.
But Holman's literary masterpiece (if it was his) was in rhyme, and in some respects it remains a mystery to this day.
One evening he called to see me, and intimated that he had some confidential business on hand, for which we would better adjourn to the printing-office, and accordingly we went there.
"I want a job of printing done," said he, "provided it can be done in the right way."
"We shall be glad to do it as well as we possibly can," said I. "What is it?"
"I can't tell you what it is," said he.
"Well, let me see the manuscript," said I.
"There isn't any manuscript," said he.
"Oh, it isn't prepared yet?" said I. "When will it be ready?"
"There never will be any manuscript for it," said he.