As Ozias Linley, Sheridan's brother-in-law, was one morning setting out
on horseback for his curacy, a few miles from Norwich, his horse threw
off one of his shoes. A lady, who observed the accident, thought it
might impede Mr. Linley's journey, and seeing that he himself was
unconscious of it, politely reminded him that one of his horse's shoes
had just come off. "Thank you, madam," replied Linley; "will you then
have the goodness to put it on for me?"
Linley one day received a card to dine with the late archbishop of
Canterbury, who was then bishop of Norwich. Careless into what hole or
corner he threw his invitations, he soon lost sight of the card, and
forgot it altogether. A year revolved, when, on wiping the dust from
some papers he had stuck on the glass over the chimney, the bishop's
invitation for a certain day in the month (he did not think of the year
one instant,) stared him full in the face, and taking it for granted
that it was a recent one, he dressed himself on the appointed day, and
proceeded to the palace. But his diocesan was not in London, a
circumstance of which, though a matter of some notoriety to the clergy
of the diocese, he was quite unconscious; and he returned dinnerless
home.
* * * * *