36 A VERY YOUNG MAN IN PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE. 



were each given a concentricity which it would be im 

 possible to imitate. The nice old gentleman collapsed 

 at once, and cast his eyes round at every decently-dressed 

 person in search of commiseration, but every soul burst 

 out in laughter, and the driver seemed to be hailed as the 

 true type of American independence. 



While on this topic, I must also relate a most amusing 

 anecdote of the Broadway in New York, which befell a 

 young gentleman gathering useful notes for an historical 

 publication during his stay in the city. He had heard of the 

 immense number of " Boh-hoys " who were supposed to 

 be not only in New York, but extensively and numerously 

 scattered all over the United States, and having been 

 very truly but slyly informed that they were, in times 

 of political excitement, a very influential body, he very 

 naturally wished to learn something of their social history. 

 For the better information of my readers, it may be 

 necessary to state that an American Boh-hoy is about equal 

 to one of the lowest English cabmen. To this end, and in 

 search of agreeable knowledge, the young historian 

 walked into a large " store," its contents being utterly 

 disguised by the innumerable lettered annunciations sup 

 posed to explain them on its front, and saw at the further 

 end of the shop the back of a chair and a portion of the 

 figure of a tall man, as from the waist to the feet, stand 

 ing, as it appeared to him, after the manner of a fly upon 

 the ceiling. There was no head nor shoulders to be seen 

 on account of the chair's back, but the portion of the 

 figure before alluded to was, as it seemed, appended from 

 above. There was a dead silence in the shop, rather 

 oppressive to the young hunter after knowledge, when, 

 though he trod on purpose loudly and coughed repeatedly, 

 the upside-down portions of the human figure, arising 



