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upon　his　feet　like　a　cat。　　He　him　had　accomplished　in　the　art　of　to
gobble　the　flies　（gober　des　mouches）；　and　him　there　exercised　continually
so　well　that　a　fly　at　the　most　far　that　she　appeared　was　a　fly　lost。
Smiley　had　custom　to　say　that　all　which　lacked　to　a　frog　it　was　the
education；　but　with　the　education　she　could　do　nearly　alland　I　him
believe。　　Tenez；　I　him　have　seen　pose　Daniel　Webster　there　upon　this
plankDaniel　Webster　was　the　name　of　the　frogand　to　him　sing；　〃Some
flies；　Daniel；　some　fifes！〃in　a　flash　of　the　eye　Daniel　30
had　bounded　and　seized　a　fly　here　upon　the　counter；　then　jumped　anew　at
the　earth；　where　he　rested　truly　to　himself　scratch　the　head　with　his
behind　foot；　as　if　he　no　had　not　the　least　idea　of　his　superiority。
Never　you　not　have　seen　frog　as　modest；　as　natural；　sweet　as　she　was。
And　when　he　himself　agitated　to　jump　purely　and　simply　upon　plain　earth；
she　does　more　ground　in　one　jump　than　any　beast　of　his　species　than　you
can　know。　　To　jump　plain…this　was　his　strong。　　When　he　himself　agitated
for　that；　Smiley　multiplied　the　bets　upon　her　as　long　as　there　to　him
remained　a　red。　　It　must　to　know；　Smiley　was　monstrously　proud　of　his
frog；　and　he　of　it　was　right；　for　some　men　who　were　traveled；　who　had　all
seen；　said　that　they　to　him　would　be　injurious　to　him　compare；　to　another
frog。　　Smiley　guarded　Daniel　in　a　little　box　latticed　which　he　carried
bytimes　to　the　village　for　some　bet。

One　day　an　individual　stranger　at　the　camp　him　arrested　with　his　box　and
him　said：

〃What　is　this　that　you　have　them　shut　up　there　within？〃

Smiley　said；　with　an　air　indifferent：

〃That　could　be　a　paroquet；　or　a　syringe　（ou　un　serin）；　but　this　no　is
nothing　of　such；　it　not　is　but　a　frog。〃

The　individual　it　took；　it　regarded　with　care；　it　turned　from　one　side
and　from　the　other；　then　he　said：

〃Tiens！　in　effect！At　what　is　she　good？〃

〃My　God！〃　respond　Smiley；　always　with　an　air　disengaged；　〃she　is　good　for
one　thing；　to　my　notice　（A　mon　avis）；she　can　better　in　jumping　（elle　pent
battre　en　sautant）　all　frogs　of　the　county　of　Calaveras。〃

The　individual　retook　the　box；　it　examined　of　new　longly；　and　it　rendered
to　Smiley　in　saying　with　an　air　deliberate：

〃Eh　bien！　I　no　saw　not　that　that　frog　had　nothing　of　better　than　each
frog。〃　　（Je　ne　vois　pas　que　cette　grenouille　ait　rien　de　mieux　qu'aucune
grenouille。）　＇If　that　isn't　grammar　gone　to　seed；　then　I　count　myself　no
judge。M。　　T。＇

〃Possible　that　you　not　it　saw　not；〃　said　Smiley；　〃possible　that　youyou
comprehend　frogs；　possible　that　you　not　you　there　comprehend　nothing；
possible　that　you　had　of　the　experience；　and　possible　that　you　not　be　but
an　amateur。　　Of　all　manner　（De　toute　maniere）　I　bet　forty　dollars　that
she　better　in　jumping　no　matter　which　frog　of　the　county　of　Calaveras。〃

The　individual　reflected　a　second；　and　said　like　sad：

〃I　not　am　but　a　stranger　here；　I　no　have　not　a　frog；　but　if　I　of　it　had
one；　I　would　embrace　the　bet。〃

〃Strong　well！〃　respond　Smiley；　〃nothing　of　more　facility。　　If　you　will
hold　my　box　a　minute；　I　go　you　to　search　a　frog　（j'irai　vous　chercher）。〃

Behold；　then；　the　individual；　who　guards　the　box；　who　puts　his　forty
dollars　upon　those　of　Smiley；　and　who　attends　（et　qui　attend）。　　He
attended　enough　long　times；　reflecting　all　solely。　　And　figure　you　that
he　takes　Daniel；　him　opens　the　mouth　by　force　and　with　a　teaspoon　him
fills　with　shot　of　the　hunt；　even　him　fills　just　to　the　chin；　then　he　him
puts　by　the　earth。　　Smiley　during　these　times　was　at　slopping　in　a　swamp。
Finally　he　trapped　（attrape）　a　frog；　him　carried　to　that　individual；　and
said：

〃Now　if　you　be　ready；　put　him　all　against　Daniel　with　their　before　feet
upon　the　same　line；　and　I　give　the　signal〃then　he　added：　〃One；　two；
threeadvance！〃

Him　and　the　individual　touched　their　frogs　by　behind；　and　the　frog　new
put　to　jump　smartly；　but　Daniel　himself　lifted　ponderously；　exalted　the
shoulders　thus；　like　a　Frenchmanto　what　good？　　he　not　could　budge；　he
is　planted　solid　like　a　church　he　not　advance　no　more　than　if　one　him　had
put　at　the　anchor。

Smiley　was　surprised　and　disgusted；　but　he　no　himself　doubted　not　of　the
turn　being　intended　（mais　il　ne　se　doutait　pas　du　tour；　bien　entendu）。
The　individual　empocketed　the　silver；　himself　with　it　went；　and　of　it
himself　in　going　is　it　that　he　no　gives　not　a　jerk　of　thumb　over　the
shoulderlike　thatat　the　poor　Daniel；　in　saying　with　his　air
deliberate（L'individu　empoche　l'argent；　s'en　va　et　en　s'en　allant　est…
ce　qu'il　ne　donne　pas　un　coup　d　pouce　par…dessus　l'epaule；　comme　ga；　au
pauvre　Daniel；　en　disant　de　son　air　delibere）：

〃Eh　bien！　I　no　see　not　that　that　frog　has　nothin　of　better　than　another。〃

Smiley　himself　scratched　longtimes　the　head；　the　eyes　fixed　upon　Daniel；
until　that　which　at　last　he　said：

〃I　me　demand　how　the　devil　it　makes　itself　that　this　beast　has　refused。
Is　it　that　she　had　something？　　One　would　believe　that　she　is　stuffed。〃

He　grasped　Daniel　by　the　skin　of　the　neck；　him　lifted　and　said：

〃The　wolf　me　bite　if　he　no　weigh　not　five　pounds：〃

He　him　reversed　and　the　unhappy　belched　two　handfuls　of　shot　（et　le
malheureux；　etc。）。　　When　Smiley　recognized　how　it　was；　he　was　like　mad。
He　deposited　his　frog　by　the　earth　and　ran　after　that　individual；　but　he
not　him　caught　never。


Such　is　the　jumping　Frog；　to　the　distorted　French　eye。　　I　claim　that　I
never　put　together　such　an　odious　mixture　of　bad　grammar　and　delirium
tremens　in　my　life。　　And　what　has　a　poor　foreigner　like　me　done；　to　be
abused　and　misrepresented　like　this？　　When　I　say；　〃Well；　I　don't　see　no
pints　about　that　frog　that's　any　better'n　any　other　frog；〃　is　it　kind；
is　it　just；　for　this　Frenchman　to　try　to　make　it　appear　that　I　said；　〃Eh
bien！　I　no　saw　not　that　that　frog　had　nothing　of　better　than　each　frog〃？
I　have　no　heart　to　write　more。　　I　never　felt　so　about　anything　before。

HARTFORD；　March；　1875；






JOURNALISM　IN　TENNESSEE　＇Written　about　1871。＇

　　　　　The　editor　of　the　Memphis　Avalanche　swoops　thus　mildly　down　upon　a
　　　　　correspondent　who　posted　him　as　a　Radical：　〃While　he　was　writing
　　　　　the　first　word；　the　middle；　dotting　his　i's；　crossing　his　t's；　and
　　　　　punching　his　period；　he　knew　he　was　concocting　a　sentence　that　was
　　　　　saturated　with　infamy　and　reeking　with　falsehood。〃Exchange。

I　was　told　by　the　physician　that　a　Southern　climate　would　improve　my
health；　and　so　I　went　down　to　Tennessee；　and　got　a　berth　on　the　Morning
Glory　and　Johnson　County　War…Whoop　as　associate　editor。　　When　I　went　on
duty　I　found　the　chief　editor　sitting　tilted　back　in　a　three…legged　chair
with　his　feet　on　a　pine　table。　　There　was　another　pine　table　in　the　room
and　another　afflicted　chair；　and　both　were　half　buried　under　newspapers
and　scraps　and　sheets　of　manuscript。　　There　was　a　wooden　box　of　sand；
sprinkled　with　cigar　stubs　and　〃old　soldiers；〃　and　a　stove　with　a　door
hanging　by　its　upper　hinge。　　The　chief　editor　had　a　long…tailed　black
cloth　frock…coat　on；　and　white　linen　pants。　　His　boots　were　small　and
neatly　blacked。　　He　wore　a　ruffled　shirt；　a　large　seal…ring；　a　standing
collar　of　obsolete　pattern；　and　a　checkered　neckerchief　with　the　ends
hanging　down。　　Date　of　costume　about　1848。　　He　was　smoking　a　cigar；　and
trying　to　think　of　a　word；　and　in　pawing　his　hair　he　had　rumpled　his
locks　a　good　deal。　　He　was　scowling　fearfully；　and　I　judged　that　he　was
concocting　a　particularly　knotty　editorial。　　He　told　me　to　take　the
exchanges　and　skim　through　them　and　write　up　the　〃Spirit　of　the　Tennessee
Press；〃　condensing　into　the　article　all　of　their　contents　that　seemed　of
interest。

I　wrote　as　follows：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SPIRIT　OF　THE　TENNESSEE　PRESS

　　　　　The　editors　of　the　Semi…Weekly　Earthquake　evidently　labor　under　a
　　　　　misapprehension　with　regard　to　the　Dallyhack　railroad。　　It　is　not
　　　　　the　object　of　the　company　to　leave　Buzzardville　off　to　one　side。
　　　　　On　the　contrary；　they　consider　it　one　of　the　most　important　points
　　　　　along　the　line；　and　consequently　can　have　no　desire　to　slight　it。
　　　　　The　gentlemen　of　the　Earthquake　will；　of　course；　take　pleasure　in
　　　　　making　the　correction。

　　　　　John　W。　Blossom；　Esq。；　the　able　editor　of　the　Higginsville
　　　　　Thunderbolt　and　Battle　Cry　of　Freedom；　arrived　in　the　city
　　　　　yesterday。　　He　is　stopping　at　the　Van　Buren　House。

　　　　　We　observe　that　our　contemporary　of　the　Mud　Springs　Morning　Howl　has
　　　　　fallen　into　the　error　of　supposing　that　the　election　of　Van　Werter
　　　　　is　not　an　established　fact；　but　he　will　have　discovered　his　mistake
　　　　　before　this　reminder　reaches　him；　no　doubt。　　He　was　doubtless　misled
　　　　　by　incomplete　election　returns。

　　　　　It　is　pleasant　to　note　that　the　city　of　Blathersville　is　endeavoring
　　　　　to　contract　with　some　New　York　gentlemen　to　pave　its　well…nigh
　　　　　impassable　streets　with　the　Nicholson　pavement。　　The　Daily　Hurrah
　　　　　urges　the　measure　with　ability；　and　seems　confident　of　ultimate
　　　　　success。

I　passed　my　manuscript　over　to　the　chief　editor　for　acceptance；
alteration；　or　destruction。　　He　glanced　at　it　and　his　face　clouded。　　He
ran　his　eye　down　the　pages；　and　his　countenance　grew　portentous。　　It　was
easy　to　see