Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1870-12-15
A LOT OF PUZZLES.

1.-TWO brothers." began the professor
impress;vely addressing the hostess ..were
walking together down the street and one
of them stopping at a certain house,
knocked at the door, observing, / have a
niece here who is i'll. Thank Heaven. -
observed the other. II have got no niece. "
and he walked away, Now, how could
that be -
Why, its riddle" exclaimed Mr..
Funnidog, delightedly.
"And one that you will not guess in a
hurry. simple as it is" observed the pro-
fessor confidently Come ladies and
gentlemen, solve the problem.
Il Sec" calculated Mrs. House
wife.
Hush whisper in my ear" cried Puz-
zleton, with all the excitement of child
with toy. :. Dent let 'em hear it,
Niece by marriage? Stuff and nonsense
The thing is not any foolish kind of catch
at all, and once more he glanced with
hostility at Funnidog, as much as to saw.
''such as he would ask you" Nothing
can be simpler than my question. I've
got niece here, that's ill.," says one
brother Thank Heaven, / have no. got
a niece" says the other. "How can that
be? You all give it up? Well, the in
valid was his daughter"
"Oh, sce," said Mrs. Housewife des-
pondingly. How very stupid in us not
TO find il out"
Yes, indeed, ma am, answered the re-
morsclcss servant 1.-The failure only shows
how difficult it is for ordinary minds to
grasp more than one idea at tho saars t;s..c.
The attention is solely fixed on the differ
ent varieties of nieccs."
And also" observed Mr.. Aloes (who
was much displeased at being elassed
among ordinary minds,'') land also, the
attention is naturally distracted from the
point at issue by the brutality of the faith
er's remark. Now. that is in itself "a
catch" in my opinion"
We'll, sir, | will give you another
simple exercise for the understanding. that
has no such distracting element" observed
the professor coolly. "a blind beggar
had brother. The brother died. Wha;
relation were they to one another. Come,
tell me that"
''Why. they were brothers." exclaimed
the colonel. with the rapidity of . small
boy at the bottom of his class, who hopes
TO gain promotion.
No, SIR, answered the professor. re-
garding Thunderbomb with interest us n
significant type of some low order of in
teiligence: ''they were not brothers, or
| should scarcely have asked the ques-
ton
They high. be brothers in law" sug-
gested Funnidog.
''Cndcubtcdly. they might be-" re-
piled Puzzleton, with plying smile !;
..but they were not"
Stop Bit" said Macpherson hurried
ly, like one who has not got his answer
quite ready, but yet doesn't wish to be
anticipated. The blind beggar, YOU say,
had brother. and the brother died
Wen, of course, if one was dead YOU
know they could not be brothers any long
er."
The idea is novel;" observed the pro-
fessor gravely. .'but YOU have not hit unon
the exact solution. The fact is. gentle
men and ladies, blind beggar may be
either male or female. In this instance.
she was female. They were brother an i
sister"
Il call that catch,'' said Aloes gloom
lily.
We'll, at all events, i. was an easy one
and you all missed it," returned the pro-
fessor, with quiet triumph. ..Ncw
will give you one more example Of social
arithmetic, which viii be in all respects
bona fde. 1, is simple question in sub
traction. and all I shall ask of you is
since two or three Cuesses would arrive a,
;ae truth by mere elimination-to write
down the reply on paper. A man wen,
into cobbier's and bought pair of boot.
for sixteen shillings. He put down soy.
ereign, and the cobbler, having no change,
sent to neighboring public house. aud
gave il to him. Later in the day, tho
landlord of the inn sent in to say that th.
sovereign was bad one, and insisted upor
the cobbler making it right; which he ac.
ecrdingly did Now, how much did the
ecbhler lose by the whole transaction .-
There is no play upon words. or anything
but eOmmoa sum in arithmetic.
"Why it's the easiest thing in Oh,
werld. calculated Housewife. "Ofeours,
the cobbler lost just"
"Be quiet, sir.' cried ?uxxbsteu, yer,
angriiy. write it down win yoc-i
yca can write"
Scratch Professor, and you find
Tartar" whispered Aloes. '.You hss
better do IS he wishes.