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.

Butler favored the law and his whole bearing in the discussion was exceedingly proper and creditable.