The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-01-13

student OF the curO5lties Of literature Is aston
isbed at its wonderful Susceptibility TO odd
pranks in the way Of orthog,aphy, syntax. pros.
ody, pronunciation, rhyme aud transaton.-
Some curious effects are sometimes produced by
al ingenious arrangement Of pronunciation
device has often been used in political and other
partisan songs, called " echo verses" in which
the sounds Of the last words of line are re-
peated after the manner Of al echo, the whole
| being 50 cOntriyed a. 10 express some insguh-
Cant meining. Tns although a short specimen,
is a good illustration
What they who pay three guineas
To hear a tune OF Pagana'sf
(EchO) Pack o. ninuies '
PLAY UPON WORDS.
Ofcourse the Whole innumerable host Of puns,
bad and good, which floating about 10 books
and newspapers. a. well as in -ocal circles, are
all predicsted upon similarites il pronunciation
pun that has in it sharp ard witty meaning
is a good thing; but the immei sc deal Of trash
aud Of lar fetched constructions that are put in
circulation by laborers after the pun, which is
worth nothing il il IS not spontaneous, has given
this kind OF literature bad reputation, so that
few good authors " IN use il. The similarity of
souud has given rise to such scnseless prOduc
tious is the following, which may be queer, but
are certainly not witty;
"Mr. Popp, Of Poppvnlr, Of Popp county,
faacying himself to be very popular with his
ladylOve, popped the question TO her under
poplar tree, when she referred him 10 her poppy,
who, when asked for his Consent laboring under
the influence of ginger pop, popped him out Of
the door to the tune Of Pop goes the Weasel >"
Or this:
You have no business 10 have anv business
with other peoples business, but mind your own
business, aud that s business enough"
The following is given as a statement OF fact
which may possibly add something to its value
"There is a young man in the army who was
born July fourth at four o'clock p. m., at No.
A at a street in this city, 1914, fourth child,
has four names, enlisted into company D. of the
fourth Battalion, 34th regiment, fourth com
pany, on the fourth day OF September was ap-
pointed fourth corporal, and is now going forth
TO defend bis country"
Here is travellers report Of conversation
with a backwoodsman
"Whose house ?" "Mogs" "Of what
built" "Logs ANY neighborss" ?" "Frogs"
What is the soile" Boys" "The climate ?"
"Fogs." 4" Your diet?" "Hogs" - How do
you catch them?' dogs"
An original instance is given of answering two
questions at a time
Here, Bddy my dArlint, what's the time o
night, and wher's she pertaty pua;n'?"
"It's eight, sir"
Which may az well be followed by an accoun;
Of curious misunderstanding
come for the saw, sir, said al urchD.
"What saucer:'
"Why, the saw sir, that you borrowed"
Il borrowed 10 saucer"
"Sure you did sir-5orrowed Our stw, sir"
"Be of, never saw your saucer"
But you did, sir-there is the saw, cir, now,
sir"
Oh you want the sa,r,'
Here ;s a Quaker toast that has a thought in
il:
"This is NE and mine, to thee and thine.
wish when thou and thine come TO see me and
mine, that me and mine will treat thee and
thine as kindly as thee and thine have treated
me and mine"
This is new version of the old compliment,
which runs something in this wise:
" wish thee and thy folks loved me and my
folks as well as me and my folks loved thee aud
thy folks For ,~~o- 'ho-~ - -, en- -,
folks was folks that ever loved folks half so well
ss me and my folks love thee and thy folks"
WORDS WITHOUT RHYMES.
Poets have been often greatly puzzled to 6ud
rhymes for particular words II is sa d that
there is no word in the English language which
fairly RHYMES with ." step or mouth Byron
saws that il is impossible to md rhyme for the
word silver" Every little while some inquis-
tive genius promclaims that some particular
word is without rhyme, and challenges the
world to disprove bis assertion. Forthwith
many people cudge their brains, and sometimes
do produce the desired word. Some years age
the Knicker6ocker offered biass quarter dollar
to the person VINO would find rhyme TO the wOrd
window. The prize was earned by the following
effort, which furnishes the rhyme aud has some
fun in il as well
A cruel man a beetle caught
And 10 the wall him pinned oh
Then said the beetle 10 the crowd,
Though I'm stuck up, am not proud
! Aud his soul went ont Of the window.
Somebody has challenged rhyme for "car
pet" and the following is the best production
elected, styled Lines to Pretty BarmaId:" :"
Sweet maid Of the inn,
'Tie surely sin
To toast such a beautiful bar pet.
Believe me, my dear,
Your feet would appear
At home on a nobleman carpet.
A line ending with " harp it " also came nea
10 the mark. rhyme was found for Timbuc
too as follows
Iwent a hunting on the plsins
The plains Of TmbuctoO
shot one buck for all my pains
And he a slim buck too
And also for " garden"
Though Africa's lion be not here
In showman's stoutly barred den
An .' Irish lion " you may see,
At large, in Winter Garden.
Hood, in bis numerous poems, either origil
ated or adopted the idea Of dividing words {
the end Of line for the sake of rhyme. Th
e following, which is floating about, is specme
of that kind of composition
Avear old today IS little Molly
Romping noisy fat and jelly
Too young 10 walk, and Ike polly
wog excited she goes froli-
= cking about the fcor. and goly
What laugh
Lsouine verses are those in which the term
natious rhyme with the central words. An Il
scriptien in the Chapter House OF ork Cath
dral is a beautiful specimen OF this:
:, TT Rosa aos forum, SIC est domus ista domoFum '
= FOREIGNERS AND THE KN6LIsH LANGUAGE.
E The English language must appear fearful
e and wonderfully made 10 a foreigner. One
i them, looking at picture of number Of We
: sels, said, "See what a flock of ships"
b He was told that flock of ships was called
d feet, but that feet Of sheep was called foe
And It was added, for his guidance. in masterir
' the iutricacics Of our language, that flock
Of girls is called a bevy, and iaa. bevy OF wolv
N is called pack, and pack OF thieves is called
gang, and a gang Of angels IS called host, al