Among the writers of humorous poetry today, undoubtedly the most popular is Mr. Ogen Nash. People hunt out poems of his in the New Yorker or the Saturday Evening Post and read them to guests. His books have now and then made best-seller lists. At times, too, he has been starred—as a reader of his own pieces—on radio programs which entertain millions of people.
One of the pieces in Mr. Ogden Nash's book, I'm a Stranger Here Myself, deals with a lawyer named Ballantine, whose life was blighted by his failure ever to receive any valentines. Talking the matter over with his law partner, Mr. Bogardus (who got plenty of valentines and found them boring), Mr. Ballantine bitterly pointed out that, come St. Valentine's Day, all he found on his desk were a pile of affidavits. "Affidavit," said Mr. Bogardus, "is better than no bread." Then—to quote Mr. Nash—"Mr. Ballantine said that affidavit, affidavit, affidavit onward rode the six hundred." Some more chitchat followed, during the course of which Mr. Bogardus mentioned that he did not know "who was the king before David, but Solomon was the king affidavit."
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