were alive to the ludicrous, we fully appreciated, and
properly valued their many excellent and sterling qualities.
My countrymen, for whose good I published them, had the
most reason to complain, for I took the liberty to apply
ridicule to them with no sparing hand. They understood
the motive, and joined in the laugh, which was raised at
their expense. Let us treat the English in the same style;
let us keep our temper. John Bull is a good-natured
fellow, and has no objection to a joke, provided it is
not made the vehicle of conveying an insult. Don't adopt
Cooper's maxims; nobody approves of them, on either side
of the water; don't be too thin-skinned. If the English
have been amused by the sketches their tourists have
drawn of, the Yankees, perhaps the Americans may laugh
over our sketches of the English. Let us make both of
them smile, if we can, and endeavour to offend neither.
If Dickens omitted to mention the festivals that were
given in honour of his arrival in the States, he was
doubtless actuated by a desire to avoid the appearance
of personal vanity. A man cannot well make himself the
hero of his own book."

"Well, well," said he, "I believe the black ox did tread
on my toe that time. I don't know but what you're right.
Soft words are good enough in their way, but still they
butter no parsnips, as the sayin' is. John may be a
good-natured critter, tho' I never see'd any of it yet;
and he may be fond of a joke, and p'raps is, seein' that
he haw-haws considerable loud at his own. Let's try him
at all events. We'll soon see how he likes other folks'