The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-08-03
Neat Rebukes.

A rebuke may sometimes be very ef-
lectively put into practical form. Thus,
at time when there was a heavy duty
upon French gloves, packet addressed
TO the French Ambassador having &C
cidentally come undone, the Custom
house authorities discovered that it
consisted of gloves, whereupon they
sent it on as an unpaid post-letter; and
though the double postage amounted to
more than the single duty, it was paid
without comment. Very neat and
characteristic, in the way of pratical
rebukes, was that of Talleyrand, to a
faithful but too inquisitive confidential
servant, whom he saw from the window
of his apartment coolly reading letter
instructed to him to deliver. On the
next day similar commission was con-
hded to the servant, and to the second
letter was added a postscript, couched
in the following terms: "You can send
a verbal answer by tho bearer. He is
perfectly well acquainted with the
whole affair. having taken the precau-
ton to read this previous to its de-
livery"
Dean Ramsay, in his "reminiscences,
tells similar and equally characteristic
story of an old Forfarshire lady. She
knew the weakness of her man-servant,
and when she wished note to be taken
without delay, held it open, and read it
over to him, saying: There moo,
Andrew, We ken a that's int. moo
ninna stop TO open it, but just send it
off,"
Not bad in its way either was Lord
Chestertield's practically humorous re-
Duke of the craze for having far-reach-
ing portrait galleries of ancestors. In
his own gallery he placed two old
heads, inscribed respectively Adam de
Stanhope and Eve de Stanhope.
Of the rebuke indirect, one of the
finest examples is that attributed to DIR.
South. Once when preaching before
Charles the Second, he observed that
the monarch and several of his attend
ants had fallen asleep. Presently one
of the latter began to snore, whereupon
the Bishop broke off his sermon, and
exclaimed: ''Lord Lauderdale, 1 am
sorry to interrupt your repose, but let
me entreat YOU not to snore so loud lest
you awaken his Majesty" Less indi-
rect, but more severe, was rebuke said
to have been spoken from the pulpit by
dissenting minister of modern times.
While he was preaching he was annoyed
by some young people in the congrega-
ton whispering and giggling. He
paused, looked at the disturbers. and
said: Il am always afraid to reprove
those who misbehave themselves for
this reason: Some years since, when ]
was preaching, a young man who sat
before me was constantly laughing,
talking and making uncouth grimaces.
l paused and administered severe re-
buke. After the close of the service
gentleman said to me: Sir, you have
made great mistake. That young luan
whom you reproved is an IDIOT Since
then l have always been afraid to re-
prove those who misbehave themselves
in chapel, lest I should repeat that mis-
take and reprove anotheridiot." During
the rest of the service, the story con.
cludes, there was good order.
1ncisive and dry, as becomes its La
was the rebuke of the Scotch
shepherd to Lord Cockburn of Bonaly.
That nObleman was sitting on the hill
side with the shepherd, and observing
the sheep reposing in the coolest situa-
ton, he said to him: John, if | were
a sheep. 1 would lie on the other side of
the hill" The shepherd answered:
AYE, my lord, but if We had been a
sheep, We would haze had mair sense"
Less epigrammatically neat but more
richly deserved was the following Ie-
Duke to an unnamed lord, quoted in
Selden's Table Talk "A great 10 I'd
and gentleman talking together, there
came boy by leading calf with both
his hands. Says the lord to the gentle
man, You shall see me make the b ~
let 90 his calf with that he came 10
ward him, thinking the boy would have
put off his hat, but the boy took no o.
ice of him. The lord seeing that,
'Sirrah,' says he, do you not know me,
that you use no reverence" Yes says
the boy, if your lordship will hold rly
calf, L will put off my hat. '"-AN tie
Year around.