Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1876-01-04
From the late biographical sketch of John James
The Wit and Wisdom of George
y. Prentice.

The Wit and Wisdom of George
-. Prentice.
With regard to Mr. Prentice's hap
py thoughts. his biographer SAYS
Enough Of them have kept well,
however, to justify the reputation for
abundant wit and humOr which MIR.
Prentice so long enjoyed enough of
them worthy to rank with the best
good sayings which nre quoted from
Hook and Lamb and Sidney Smith
aud Douglas, Jerrold, or others of the
famous wits of England. Let me
venture to repeat n few, (but it is so
easy to miss the best In such collec-
ton, even when one thinks he finds
them as happen to turn to them in
the volume:
"The editor Of the -- Statesman
says more villiauy is Oh foot. We
suppose the editor has lost his horse. -
James Ray and John Parr have
started lOcofoCo paper in Maine, cali
ed the Democrat. Parr, in all that
pertains to decency. is below zero } and
Ray is below Parr."
Have | changed p exclaims Gov.
p. -. We don't know. That de-
pends on whether you ever were an
honest man."
The (Washiugton) GIo6e says that
such patriotism AS Mr., Clay's will not
answer. True enough, for it can't be
questiOned.'
The editor OF the .-- speaks of
his lying curled up in bed these cold
mornings This verities what we
said of him sometime ago-'he lies
like dog
The Philadelphia Ledger says that
Clay, Calhoun and Webster are be-
hind the age. Then the age must be
tail foremost
"a young widow has established a
pistol gallery in New Orleans. Her
qualifications as a teacher of the art of
dueIIing are of course undoubted she
has killed her man"
"Mr. William Hood was robbed near
COrinth, Alabama, on the 18th inst
The COrlnth paper says the name of
the highwayman is unknown, but
there is no doubt that he Was Robin
Hood. -
"A new Democratic paper ia North
Carolina is called. The Kissing Ddy. 1t
ought rather he called the Night, for
it is the shadow Of the Globe "
"Mr. John Love was recently lost
during a passage from Texas to MeXi-
co. We had supposed that no Love
would ever be lost between those
cOuutTipsn ~
"The Globe says Mr. Clay is a sharp
politician No doubt about that, but
the editor Of the Globe is a sharper"
"MeSsrs. Bell and Topp. of the North
Carolina Gazette, says That "Prenticcs
are made to- serve masiers.' Well,
Bells were made to be hung and Tops
to be whipped,
OF 4 more general character, a few
wIttICisms and eptgranIs may beEiVen.
"Wiid rye and wild wheat grow in
some regions spontaneously. Ne be
lieve that wild oats are always sowu." "
Men are deserters in adversely ;
when the sun sets, and all is dark, our
very shadows refuse to follow us.
"A well known writer says that "A
fine coat covers multitude OF sihs.-
1t is stlll truer that such coats cover a
multitude of sinners"
"When mans heart Ossifies, or
turns to bone, he dies at once hut If
1t petriiies, or turns to stone, he inVa-
riasIy lives too long for any useful
purpose"
what would you do, madam, if
you were gentleman Sir, what
would you do if you were one"'
"Whatever Midas touched was
turned into gold ; IN these days touch
II man with geld and he'll turn into
anything"
Possibly the following extract from
letter In answer to IA challenge is the
most valuable legacy which Mr.. Prem
tice left TO pOsterity, and it will be
well for young and old idiots with
duelling procliVities TO read il atten-
lively
~ am not believer in the duelling
code. | would not call man to the
field unless he had dOuG me such IA
deadly wrong that | desiIed to kill
him, and | would not obey his call to
the field unless | had done him so
mortal an injury rs to entitle him, in
my opinion. to demand an OppOTtuni-
ty of taking my life. | have not the
least desire TO kill you, or to harm Ii
hair of your head, aud | am not con
sciOus of having done anything to en-
title you to Kill me. | do not want
your blood upon my hands, and | do
not want my own upon anybOdy's.
might yield much To the demands of
"a strong public sentiment, but there is
no public sentiment, nor even any dis
interested individual sentiment. that
requires me to meet you, or would
Justify me in doing so.
II look upon the miserable code,
that is said to require two men To go
out aud shoot at each other for what
one of them may consider violation
of etiquette or punctitiO in the use of
language, with scOrn equal to that
which is getting To he felt for IL by the
whole civilze world of mankind.
am not afraid to eAp such views in
the enlightened capitol Of Arkansas,
or anywhere else, | am not 80 cow
ardly astO stand n dread CT any impu-
tatiOn on my courage. have always
had courage enough TO defend my
honor and myself, and | presume
always shall have.
Your most, etc,
GEO ID. PRENTICE" I"