"Years ago," he said, "an old Cornish fisherman at a similar class was asked how he would treat the apparently drowned.
"'Well,' he replied, 'the first thing we always did was to empty the man's pockets.'"—Westminster Gazette.
When Archibald Clavering Gunter began the series of novels which was to make him famous, he tried in vain to find a publisher. As none of them would have anything to do with his books, he was obliged to bring them out himself.
Shortly after the appearance of "Mr. Barnes of New York," he met the head of one of the big publishing houses, who inquired how his last book was selling.
"Fine," responded the cheerful commercialist; "I've sold two tons of it already."
Thackeray chanced to be dining at his club when a pompous officer of the Guards stopped beside the table and said:
"Haw, Thackeray, old boy, I hear Lawrence has been painting yer portrait!"
"So he has," was the reply.