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

SELECTED ANECDOTES

RATTIER TOO COMPLIMENTARY.—Victor Hugo bad a
passion fix ssyipg nice and uncommon things to every
one, and BOMe of his reaponses to casual correspondents
are better than enigmas. The other day he made a
rather unpleaaant mistake. A bricklayer of Roubaix.
who was tormented by the foul fiend poesy, addressed
a poetical epistle to Victor Hugo, who replied to it as
follows: "I distinctly are your image in your verses
- your every idea came out of a head surrounded by •
wealth of blonde ringlets. 06, my child. may you re-
tain for a long time thou, blonde ringlets which the
scissors of age have not yet touched. The poetical
bricklayer, a man of sixty-five years of age, looked de-
cidedly perplexed up,n reading these singular linen.
- .

THE PRIDE OF HIM "The stately step of a
piper" is a proved) io Svatland whinh reminds u of
an anecdote of a certain noble 1 ird when in attendance
upon the Queen at Balmoral a few years ago. Ilavisg
been commissioned by a friend to procure a performer
on the pipes, he applied to her Msjesty's pi esr, a fine,
stalwart Highlanaman ; aid on beiug asked what kind
of performer was required, his lordehip said, in reply,
Just such another as yourself." The consiquential
Celt readily exclaimed, • 'lhere are plenty o' lords like
yoursel', hut very few sic pipers as me."

A Mor,EL PARAGRAPH --In order to accommr..late
newspaper language to the new theory that electricity
ie merely • " mode of motion" aid not of fluid, the
Ch cago Times publishe4 the follewing m"clel of • para.
graph "During the thunderstorm f yesterday the
stable of Mr, John Jones became subjected to electhcil
conditions. There resulted • violent molecular elec'ric
agitation, whereby a hone was undulated, or rotated,
through the roof of the barn. The peculiar motion of
the molecule, was tioally carried to and communicated
through a haymow, setting it on fire, and thence
through the body of a horse, whereby death resulted."

SPirropiis FOR Two !—At a club of which Jerrold
was a member, • fierce Jacobite and a friend as fierce
of the caul. of William 111. were arguing no•ilv, and
disturbing less excitable conversationalists. At length
tiro Jacobite, • brawny Scot, brought his fist down
heavily upon the table, and roared at his adversary,
" I tell you what it is, sir, I spit upon your King
William." The friend of the Prince of Orange was
not to be oubmantereel by more lunge. He emit and
roared bait to tbe Jacobite, 'And I, sir, spit up la
your James II." Jerrold, who bad been listening to
the uproar in silence, hereupon rat.g the bell, and
eboated—" Waiter, spittoons for two."

THE POLITE CRITIC —The following etory is told o
• popular author, respecting whom it will be sufficient
to state that he was educated as an artist, but after-
wards devoted himself to letters. At a friend's honee
he one evening met • young painter, and the next day
was anything but charmed to receive • pizture by
parcels delivery, accompanied by a note requesting •
written criticism On it. The painting was execrable.
and the author at once returned it with an intimation
that he was too busy to attend to the young man's
request. But the painter was not to be put down so
N, x t day back came the picture and another
note, saying he was in no hurry, and would be content
to wait any time for the coveted criticism. A
iii-
"ript intim iti (1 that it stioul I I, etlnTerflr, It 1-

t .lr.d t the lett .w's
author pack,' ott the picture once more, and posted a
letter wonewhat to this effeot : -." I return your paint-
ing, neither baring at present nor being at all likrly
to have time to give you au article upon it; but, a I
write. a line from Tennyson occurs to me which you
may take both as a criticism and • motto. It is from
Tne May Q