It's only one o' them funny paragraphs ye kin read in a minit in the papers that takes YOU an hour to tell." To her surprise Dan'l only looked at his sister with complacency.
"That," he said, "is jest what the New York publisher sez.

'The 'Merrikan people,' sez he, 'is ashamed o' bein' short and peart and funny; it lacks dignity,' sez he; 'it looks funny,' sez he, 'but it ain't deep-seated nash'nul literature,' sez he.

'Them snips o' funny stories and short dialogues in the comic papers--they make ye laff,' sez he, 'but laffin' isn't no sign o' deep morril purpose,' sez he, 'and it ain't genteel and refined.

Abraham Linkin with his pat anecdotes ruined our standin' with dignified nashuns,' sez he.

'We cultivated publishers is sick o' hearin' furrin' nashuns roarin' over funny 'Merrikan stories; we're goin' to show 'em that, even ef we haven't classes and titles and sich, we kin be dull.