Smile for Today ~

Erskine [John] was to lecture at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and the president of the university went to the station to meet him.  He had some difficulty in recognizing his guest, however, and told Erskine about it at dinner that evening:  "I asked one gentleman if he were John Erskine and he said, with emphasis, 'I should say not.'  I asked another, and he said, 'I wish I were.'  Which shows that at least one man had read your books."
   "It does indeed," replied Erskine, "but which one?"

~

Eriskine was once asked if he found it disconcerting to see members of the audience looking at their watches during a long lecture, "No," replied Erskine, "not until they start shaking them."

~ERSKINE, John (1879 - 1951), US educator & writer, professor of English at Columbia University.
THE LITTLE, BROWN BOOK OF Anecdotes, Clifton Fadiman, 1985.