Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-10-12
Origin OF Popular Phrases.
GIObe-DemOcrat.

Wring.-A correspondent of the
London Notes and q u cries gives the fol-
lowing concerning the origin and use
of this word: "Wring is a plain Eng
lish word. The words, Let the CALLED
jade vince our withers are unwrung,'
in the play sense precisely caps and
explains the poor Kenthis woman's er-
roneous theory regarding the cause of
bed-sores. Whenever | come across a
controversy about a Grabbed English
word, such as feud, kex, lap, or cynsr,
l take down my Walker and rarely
fail to find it there. A K entish man,
educated at Merchant Taylor's, who
was very active pedestrian. used TO
complain that new boots wrrng hisifeet.
He thus preferred the Elizabethan
word to gall, or blister, or fret; and he
and Walker were agreed in thinking
that among the meanings Of the word
to wiring are to "squeeze. to press TO
prick" [ have frequently
heard this word applied to clothes
My clothes wiring me-" to denote that
they occasion suffering from the pres
sure, or from being twisted, or too
tight. 1t is applicable to other cases
of suffering. l quote a few instances
from Shakespeare Of the use of the
word to express suffering: "He wrings
at sose distress" "Let me wiring
your heart, etc." "The poor jade is
wrung in the withers out of all cess"
Three Blind Mice-This well-known
and favorite nursery song dates back
| to 1909, during which year it originally
appeared in a music book, the author
ship of which cannot be traced.
Little Jack Horner. familiar
nursery rhyme was written in the six
teeath century, though by whom can
not be ascertalned.
| GabrieEs HOYn.-Lorepz0 Dow was
on his way to preach in South Carolina,
as the story goes, and On reaching a
large spruce tree he overlook colOred
lad, who was blowing a tin horn, and
could send forth a blast with rise and
swell and cadence which walked the
echoes of the distant bills. Calling
aside the blower, Dow said to him,
"What's your name, sir?" "My name
is Gabriel, SIR" said the brother in
ebony. "Well, Gabriel, have you ever
been to Church HIP eyes, massa,
= sc uSSH hdl ~ JCN
remember big spruce pine tree On
the hill?,' con, yes, massa, knows
dat pine tree" "Did you know that
Lorenzo Dow had an appointment to
preach under that tree tomorrow"
''Oh, yes, massa, everybody knows dat
"Well, Gabriel, I'm Lorenzo Dow,
and if you'll take your horn
and 90 to morrow morning
and climb up into that tree and hide
yourself among the branches before
the people begin to gather, aod wait
there till [ call your name, and then
blow such blast with your horn as |
heard you blow minute ago, I'll give
you dollar. Will you do it, Gabriel?"
Gabriel, like Zacheus, was hid away IN
the tree-top in due time. An immense
concourse of persons of all sizes and
colors assembled at the appointed
hour, and Dow preached on the judg-
ment of the last day. By his power of
description he wrought the multitude
up to the opening of the scenes of the
resurrection, and grand assize at the
call of the trumpet peals which are to
wake the sleeping nations. "Then," !"
said he, Suppose, my dying friends,
suppose that this should be the very
hour? Suppose now, that you should
hear at this moment the sound of
Gabriel's trumpet" Sure enough, at
this moment, the trumpet of Gabriel