The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-12-13 00:00:00

SELECTED ANECDOTES.

SHORT SIGHT.—Dean Cowper, of Durham, who well
very cconondual of his wine, descanting one day after
the cloth had been removed on the eitracrdinary psr.
forrnonce of a man who WAS blind, he remarked the
poor fellow could see no more than "that bottle "—"I
do not wonder at it at all, sir," replied a miner canon
at table, "for none of no have seen more than that
bottle all the afternoon."
JAMES SMITH'S EPIGRAM.,. -- Those who liked
a witty remark, .r pun, eat epigram, would join the
table at which James Smith eat, and any common-
place remark of the day woe immediately converted by
him iuto verse. I reinamber Once asking him if he
W.. going to the ball at the Mansion House, got up in
aid of the unfortunate Polish refugees, "No," said
Ma. Dien, calling fora ,het of piper and a pencil,
he wrote the following lines :
" aloft in rotary motion hurled,
The p des ate cAlled on to support the world;
In ttn-se our day. a different tow controls,
The worla are called on to support the Poles."
Again, when asked "Wv hose are the beet guns,
Alwanleg or EN fee ?" he replied, "Egg's for poach-
ng."—" f y Re,,illectio Lt." by Lord William Lennox.
STRIKING REPR OE,—lt being reported that La ,
Caroline Lamb hod, m a moment of passion, knocked
down one of her pages with a stool, the poet Moore, to
whom this was ta M by Lord Strangtord, observed :
"02! nothing is more natural for a lit-rory lady than
to double down a page.' "I would rather," replied
his Lordship, "advise Lady Caroline to turn over a
new leaf.

SOGGESTION.—" Da you know what made my voice
so ? " said a celebrated vocal rforme of
awkward moaners to Coulee Banister. "No," replied
the other. "Why, then, I'll tell you: when I was
about fifteen, I swallowed, by accideut, some train
oil." " I don't think," rejoined Bannister, "it would
have done you any harm if, at the same time, you had
swallowed • danc,ag-roaster "

Da YOUNG'S INPROIIPTU.—One day as Dr. Young,
the author. f the "Night Thoughts," was wa'king in
his garden at We4wyn, in company with the two
oaughters of the Ler' of Lichfield, one of whom he
aiterwarde married, ttie servant came to tell Mtn that
a gentleman wished to see him. 'Tell him," replied
the doctor, "that I am too agreeably engaged to
change my situation." The ladits insisted he should
go, but as perenasion had no effect, one took him. by
the right arm, the other by :he left, and led him to
garden gate ; when, hiding resistance in vain, Young
bowed &adapt, ke the following lines :
"Thu. Adam louk'd when from the gard n driven,
And thus disputed ord-re s t from heaven
lA, him I go, but let to go erul to -
Lilo him L go, for angels drove us noth
Hard was ht. fate. bet mine still more unkind :
818 Kee we, $ wl,ll him, but mine stays bellied.'

A FAIR COMPLIMENT —}'rancin de Harley. Arch-
bishop of Paris mph r Louis XIV., was remarkably
handsome, and zifisbis in his manner. When he was
appointed to his dioce,e, with teveral Duchesses who
waited upon him in a body. to congratulate him, wee
the Ducheei of Mecklsnhurgn, who addressed him in
the hallowing words :—" Though the weakest, we are
are the most zealous portion of your flock." The Arch-
answer-i. •• I regard you as the fairest porti.
of it." The Duchess de B-ntlion, who understood
Latin, and WSW writ read in Virgil, then repeated this
line from the poet :