The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-09-27
WIT AND HUMOR.

less enough. Still, in these days, it
might in some cases cause embarrass-
ment to put the question, "Do you
paint.' 7f
Josh Billings says: "There is one
thing about hens that looks like wisdom
they don't cackle much until they
have laid their egg. Some folks are
always Dragging and cackling what
they are going to do beforehand
"Ha,' said little -year-old fel-
low, 81 guess our man Ralph is good
Christian" "How so: my boy" que
ried the parent. "Why, pa, read in
the Bible that the wicked shall not live
out half his days; and Ralph says he
hhas lived out ever since he was little
boy"
A noted horse jockey, "down East
was awakened one night by violent
thunderstorm. Being somewhat timid,
he awoke his wife with: '.Wife! wife
Do you suppose the Day of Judgment
has come" "Shut up, you foolp' was
the affectionate reply. "How can the
Day of Judgment come in the night"
A western musical critic thus speaks
of a prima donna: "She had and we
suppose still retains a magnificent voice
for a fog-whistle. Its compass was
perfectly surprising. She would shake
the chandelier with wild whoop that
made every man instinctively feel for
his scalp, and followed it up with
roar that would shame double bass"
The boy who wrote the composition
on the horse, describing him as an ami
NAL with four legs which goes fast, has
been sadly undeceived since reaching
maturer years. He now finds they av-
erage about three legs apiece, that are
good for anything; and, instead of 60
ing fast, generally stand still, with their
legs in red flannel, consuming oats and
producing doctors bills.
A schoolboy being requested to write
composition upon the subject of Pins,
produced the following: "Pins are very
useful. They have saved the lives
of great many men, women and chill
dren-in fact, whole families" "How
So" asked the puzzled teacher. "Why,
by not swallowing them" This match
es the story of the other boy who de-
fined salt as "the stuff that makes po-
tatoes taste bad when you don't put on
any,
AS some lady visitors were recently
going through penitentiary, under
the escort of superintendent, they
came to room in which three women
were sewing. "Dear me!' one of the
visitors whispered, "what vicious look
ing creatures Pray, what are they
here fors' because they have no
other home. This is our sitting room,
and they are my wife and two daugh-
ters," blandly answered the superin-
tendent.
Taine, in his English Literature"
gives the following description of
word in common use, "Snob," the pre-
else meaning of which few understand,
and fewer still are able to define. He |
says: "The snob is the child of aristo-
cratical societies; perched on the step
of the long ladder, he respects the man
on the round above him, and despises
the man on the step below, without in
quiring what they are worth, solely on
account of their position; in his inmost
heart he finds it natural to kiss the
boots of the first, and kick the second"
THE ARABs.-Persons of the mid
die class have sandals instead of shoes;
they are single soles, or thin pieces of
wood, fastened to the feet with leathern
thongs. Richer people wear slippers,
and the women always use the latter
covering for the feet. Drawers, with
the addition of shirt, always form the
female dress. At Hedsjas, as in Egypt,
they veil their faces with piece of
linen, leaving only their eyes uncov-
cred. In Yemen, the veil is much
larger, and covers the face, SO that even
the eyes are not discernible. At Sana
and Mokha the women wear trans
parent gauze veil embroidered in gold.
They are very fond of rings on their
fingers, arms, wrists and ears; they
stain their nails red, and their hands
and feet of brownish yellow, with
the juice of plant called el henne: they
also paint all around their eyelids, and
even the eyelashes themselves, with ko
hel, which renders them quite black.
Men even sometimes initiate this fash
ion, but it is considered efeminate.
The women of Yemen make black pune
lures on the face, which they consider
improves their beauty. Fashion shows
its influence in this country most par
ticularly in the manner of wearing the
hair and beard. In the states of Sana
all men, whatever their rank, shave
their heads; in other parts of Yemen it
is the universal custom to knot the hair
up behind and wrap it in a handker-
chief. Caps and turbans are not in use
here. In the mountain districts the
hair is left long and loose, and is bound
with small cords. All Arabians of rank
have one curious addition to their dress.
1t is a piece of fine linen upon the
shoulder, which probably was formerly
intended to keep off the heat of the
sun, but is now used only as an orna-
ment. Carreri states that the Arabian
women wear black masks with elegant
little clasps, and Neibuhr mentions
their showing but one eye in conversa-