Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-05-10
FAISTAFF'S SUCCESSORS.
The Pat Sir JohR Declared to be the Prote-
type Of our Amsriean Arts.

tYrem Johu weiss' Lectures on Shakespeare.
Falstaff may be regarded az the mighty
progenitor Of the Anerican knack Of ex-
aggcrating In such way as TO mako
thing ridiculous. Indeed, l am OF the
opinion that emigration, which has In
parted his physical fullness 10 man, has
also In a great measure impaired his
humor. We have not fallen away vilely.
We do not dwindle. Mr.. Dickens de-
clares that the national habit Of expecto-
ration Is on the scale Of the country's
streams. The flashes OF saliva hew out
Of the car windows In = way that looked
a. though thsy were ripping open feather
heds. There Is q genaine descendent OF
Fallstad who msst always have lived a.
Gads Hill. You recall when Grip was
sick Toward IL o'clock he was 90
much worse that Il was fouud necessary
TO IN affie the stAble-lock." That lie very
simple, compared with our way. We
have made improvements in the Falstaf-
aan =, stem. Almost any newspaper
might furnish examples. We are told OF
grass IN colorado that is so short that
you have got 10 lather II before you can
NOW II.
/ be I'd ola man who moved about so
lelsurely that when be works in the gar
den the shade Of his hat kills all the
plants Another man wakes up In the
morning after day. spent In hunting
strawberries; he finds he can use only
one eye, the other being engaged In hold
ing bis chesk, which had marched over
IL. II was a case OF dogwood. There
was \ man once who stood on bis head
to have a pair Of tight boots driven on
his feet. He found himself shortly after
In China, perfectly naked and without
cent in his pocket. There was Captain
Jones on board Of his schooner, one
summer afternoon, observed heavy
cloud rising from the land before he
could take In sail millions Of mosquitoes
broke upon his vessel, and part OF the
dock went through the sail, leaving
nothing but the ropes. Another skipper
who heard the story compared dates
with Captain Jones. The skipper de-
elared that be vas boarded by the same
nock, two days afterwards, and they all
wore canvas breeches.
Aprupos Of this, recall a pair Of pant
aioons which was distributed TO one Of
the sufferers by the forest fire. II was
found upon trial 10 be ridlculously small.
The mans wife wanted 10 know " there
lived or breathed man who Lad legs no
bigger. If there did, he ought TO be
taken up for vagrancy ae having no ylsi-
bic means of support. II was discussed
In the family whether or not TO use them
for gun cases. Falstsff says you might
have thrust shallow In a nell-skin. II is
the same shRkspearean tone and style
which we have all inherited. Sometimes
this breadth Of Imagination produces the
effect OF wit by bringing two homogeneous
Ideas under one statement. During 4
political procession q remarkably dirty
man stepped in front Of SINAI. boy sit
ting on the fence, expecting TO have some
fun by chatting him. He said, How
much do you weigh I" The answer was,
swell, about as much as you would II
you were washed" The boys wit rtcalii
to you Charles Lambs remarks 10 another
person :-"Martiu If dirt was trumpsi
what hands would you hold 2"
have always noticed that American
imagination would be quite capable oil
composing fables in the spirit Of the East
Like. for instance, a baud BOX which
attributed TO animals the possession Of
the motives Of men. just "a y travele
was writing his name on the register Of !
Leavenworth hotel, certain insect tool
It's way across the page. Laying down
the pen, the man remarked vi hRTl
been bled by Kansas City spiders anS
iutery .ewed by Fort Scott gray-bAeks
but d-n me If was ever in a hote
where these insects look over the registe
to take the number Of your room"