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Story
November 16, 1866
Public Ledger
Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee
What is this article about?
In New York, Fanny Fern banters with a womanizing bachelor journalist about his single life; he claims to occupy himself with fish, but she later spots him kissing a woman and teases him with a pun on 'feeding the fish.'
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Fanny Fern and the Journalist.
A New York letter-writer says: A story is told of a young unwedded journalist in this city, who enjoys the reputation of having an unusual fondness for women, corroborating the truth of the French apothegm—"They who love much never marry." He met Fanny Fern one day in Broadway, and she, disposed to jest with him on his celibacy, remarked:
"I do not see, my dear friend, how you contrive to pass the hours in your bachelor quarters, pleasant as they may be, without a wife and the comforts of a home."
"Oh, I find no trouble, madam, I have recently taken quite an interest in fish, and pass much of my time in feeding them and playing with them."
About a fortnight after this conversation, Fanny happened to meet the piscatorial bachelor, when she said:
"I passed your house the other day, my friend, and I saw a very pretty fish sitting in the window reading, and, if I mistake not, you were endeavoring to feed it out of your own mouth. I quite agree with you. It must be, on the whole, rather an agreeable mode of passing the time."
The gentleman blushed, and expressed a desire to discuss some other branch of natural history.
A New York letter-writer says: A story is told of a young unwedded journalist in this city, who enjoys the reputation of having an unusual fondness for women, corroborating the truth of the French apothegm—"They who love much never marry." He met Fanny Fern one day in Broadway, and she, disposed to jest with him on his celibacy, remarked:
"I do not see, my dear friend, how you contrive to pass the hours in your bachelor quarters, pleasant as they may be, without a wife and the comforts of a home."
"Oh, I find no trouble, madam, I have recently taken quite an interest in fish, and pass much of my time in feeding them and playing with them."
About a fortnight after this conversation, Fanny happened to meet the piscatorial bachelor, when she said:
"I passed your house the other day, my friend, and I saw a very pretty fish sitting in the window reading, and, if I mistake not, you were endeavoring to feed it out of your own mouth. I quite agree with you. It must be, on the whole, rather an agreeable mode of passing the time."
The gentleman blushed, and expressed a desire to discuss some other branch of natural history.
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
Romance
What themes does it cover?
Deception
Social Manners
Love
What keywords are associated?
Fanny Fern
Journalist
Bachelor Life
Witty Banter
Fish Pun
Celibacy Jest
What entities or persons were involved?
Fanny Fern
Young Unwedded Journalist
Where did it happen?
New York
Story Details
Key Persons
Fanny Fern
Young Unwedded Journalist
Location
New York
Story Details
A bachelor journalist fond of women evades Fanny Fern's jest about his single life by claiming to pass time feeding fish. Later, she sees him kissing a woman in his window and wittily calls it feeding the fish, embarrassing him.