Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-03-19
The Conjugatinx Dutchman.

We know not where the following story
came from but, as 1t gives droll picture ol
. methodical and persevering Dutchman, it
may not prove unentertaining. frs
Two English gentlemen once stepped into
1 . coffee house in Paris, where they observed
a tall odd looking man, who appeared not to
be native: sitting at oae Of the tables, and
looking round with the most stone like gravi-
ty of countenance upon every object. Soon
after the two English gentlemen entered, one
of them told the other that celebrated
dwarf had arrived in Paris. At this the grave
looking parsonage above mentioned opened
his mouth and spoke: II arrive" said he,
| ''thou arrivest, he arrives, we arrive, you ar
rive, they arrive
The Englishman, whose remark seemed to
have suggested this mysterious speech, step
ped up to the stranger and asked, ibid you
speak to me, sir ?''" speak," replied the
stranger, "thou:.speakest, he speaks, we speak
you speak, they speak"
"How is this" said the Englishman, do
you mean to insult me % ,-.., g... 81, RI.
J. The other replied, 'T insult, thou insultest,
he iisdits, we Insult, you insult, they In
suit" - .%iHta' 5.'.E III.
q" This is too much, !" said the Englishman |;
81 will have satisfaction if you have any
spirit with your rudeness,. come along with
me-" ...' y, -''!..-. .......' - -.-" -" -',t
To this defiance the imperturbable stran-
ger replied, 81 come, thou comest, he comes,
we come you come, they come; )" and there
upon he rose with great coolness, and follow
ed his challenger i-'"
In those days, when every gentleman wore
a sword, duels were speadily dispatched. -
They went into neighboring alley, and the
Englishman unsheathing his weapon, said to
his antagonist "Now, sir, you must fight
me-"
81 fight" replied the other, drawing his
sword, "thou fghtest, he fights, we fight
here he made thrust-"you fight, they
fight land here he disarmed his adversa-
" Wel," said the Engshman, "you have
the best of it, and now I hope you are salts
fed"
"I am satisfied" said the original, sheath
ing his sword, "thou art satisfied, we are
satisfied, they are satisfied, you are salts
fed"
"I am glad everybody is satisfied" said
the Englishman; 'but pray leave off quizzing
me in this strange manner, and tell me what
is your object, if you have any at all, in do
ing so -
The grave gentleman now, for the first time,
became intelligible. 81 AIN Dutchman,"
said he, " and am learning your language. l
find it very difficult to remember the peculi-
arities of the verbs, and my tutor has advised
me, in order to fix them in my mind, to con-
jugate every English verb that l hear spoken.
This have made it rule to do. don't
like to have my plans broken in upon while
they are in operation or would have told you
of this before"
The Englishmen laughed heartily at this
explanation, and invited the conjugating
Dutchman to dine with them.
81 will dine" replied he, "thon wilt dine,
he will dine, we will dine, you will dine
they will dine, we will dine together"
This they accordingly did, and it was diff
cult to say whether the Dutchman ate or con-
jugated with most perseverance.