The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-11-29 00:00:00

' And it IC c Anos three times I take IL for • sign '"

" C o0I) AFTERNOON." In the end of the last and
beginning of the ireeent century, whenever there was
a dinner party, after the ladlee had withdrawn, the
gentlemen gave toasts at every romml of the b dtle, till
at lard the toast uf " Good afternoon" was given, upon
which the !Arty broke up. A new play was brought
out at the E iiubrirgh •bere re, writmn by Robert Rerun.
It was r slot Thr Jol y Toper, and was exceedingly
absurd and dull, trougu intended to be witty. The
first four acts were heard out, though with a few groans
and hiesen. Wean the curtain drew up for the tif th
act, the stage was occupied by a large party at table,
with bottles And glasses before them. The gentleman
in the chair then flourielaing his glees, said : "All
charged? Gyeus • Meat I" when a tall stripling in
the pit stood up =a exclaimed, "I humbly propose
'Good afternoon.'" He then made for the door, waving
his hat, and the cry of "Good afternoon" being re-
peated by boxes, pit, and galleries, there was • general
dispereion. The stripling was Henry Brougham, the
future Lord Chancellor.

THE REASON WHY.—" Doctor," said an cll womat
to • medial man, "kin you tell me how it is tha
some folks is born dumb'"—" Certainly, madam,
replied the doctor ; it is owing to the fact thst they
cams into tbs world withaut ths power of speeoh !"
" La me," remarked the old lady, 'now jest see what
it is to have a phyeic education! I've axed my old
man more nor a V uudred times that 'ere same thing,
and all that I could ever get out of him was, 'Kase
they is
QUITE RIGHT.—A travelling Yankee lecturer hay-
log been robbed, while takmg a nap in • railway car-
riage, e on a,ter received his pocket-book through the
post-office with the following note from the disgusted
thief :—" Y u misreabil Amok, hears your poCkit•
book—l don't keep no etch. For a man dressed as well
as you was to go round with • welt with nothin' in
but • lot of Doospaprr serape, • ivory tooth-comb, two
post rge starope, an' • paaa from • ralero ie director, is
• contempterbel imperetition on the publlc. I return
your trash. I never robs any only gentlemen."

HIS ONLY SPICECIL—At a banquet given in honour
of an Australian magnate, his health was proposed ;
but be declined to make a speech in return. "Gentle-
men," he said, "what you have said is doubtless true.
and certainly agreeabl. ; but I never made but one
speech in my life befoie any large mum'ser of people,
and abort as it was, the result was as unfortunate that
I made up my mind never to make ate Sher." Os
further iequiry, it was found that the speech in ques-
tion was made in a Court fi Justice. It consisted of
"Not pluilty, my lord," and the rest bNfl been transpor-
tation for life.

A VAIN REGRET. —There ii nothing like arming one's
self sgionet contingencies. Robert Henley, au able
barrister, raised in the woolsack in the early toad of
the reign of George 111., had been in his youth a bard
drinker. Shdß•ng into his place in the House of
Lwde, tortured by the gotit, one day, he was heard
to mutter, 'Oh dear If I had known that these legs
were one day to tarty • lord chancellor, I'd have taken
better care of them when I wail young.