Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-10-22
SOME FLASHES OF WIT.
HUMOROUS SELECTIONS FROM
VARIOUS SOURCES.
Putting on Style--A Wet Saddle--
He Knew How Old He Was--A
Change In the Tune--Got
His vacation--very
Greedy.
A Wet Saddle.

lights twinkling from every room.
Long tables groan beneath the loads
of good things the busy housewife
has been days preparing.
From the barn come merry voices,
Joyous laughter.
Let us stand, unobserved, in the
open door.
What a happy, merry lot Of young
folks=-stalwart, handsome young men
and healthy maidens!
They are ranged around the walls
with rapidly diminishing piles of corn
before them, which they husk and
throw upon the golden heap which is
growing in the centre.
All! That young man has found
red ear in his pile! He leaps to his
feet and dashes at one of the prettiest
girls! A short chase-a struggle re-
sounding smack-and it is over. He
has kissed her maybe on the collar or
her back hair; but that doesn't mat
ter; she counts it all the same.
How happy they all seem.
But no. Over there in dark cor
ner sits tall, powerful, handsomefel-
low all alone. He speaks to nobody
unless addressed, and then his answers
are short and sullen.
Ever and anon he casts piercing
glance at a young man of about his
own age who sits at the end of the row
opposite, chatting with q pretty young
girl. His face darkens. There is MUIR
der in his eyes. He is in love, perhaps,
and Jealous.
The bell rings for supper just as the
husking is done, and the huskers jump
up and scamper pell-mell toward
the house, but the tall, handsome
young man remains seated and drops
his face in his hands with something
that sounds like sob.
For a long time he sits thus alone;
then light, hurried step is heard, and
a sweet voiced girl asks:
"Joe, what is the matter? Had
trouble with Mary? You haven't
spoken to her to-nig ht hardly. Sick?
Better come in to supper. It will do
you good, maybe"
"No, sis, it amt that"
"Tell me, Joe," said his sister kind
ly.
"Well," he answers, give got on
my thin pants-I rid Dobbin over
thar wuz a nail or chafe in tn sad
de-"
And the stalwart young hayseed
Adonis broke down and shed q
drenching shower of salt and bitter
tears.-Short stories.
Putting on Style.
Several days ago couple of we'll
dressed country jakes strolled into a
celebrated New York restaurant sat
down to a table and looked all around,
making a remarkably unsuccessful ef-
fort to appear at home.
"Gentlemen, what do you wish?"
said the waiter, handing them bill
of fare.
They looked at each other, and then
at the bill of fare, but they could not
find out what they wanted. The
waiter became a trideimpatient. Just
at this crisis a gentleman, probably a
F'renchman, who was eating his din
ner, called out:
"Waiter, I'm verre d'eau"
"Give me one of them, too," said
one OF the countrymen, not knowing
1t meant glass of water.
Zone of what?"
"a verdo."
The waiter smiled, disappeared, and
returned with glass containing some
transparent fluid.
''The same for me-" said country
jake number two. II want a verde
too"
"Once more the waiter disappeared,
and in a short time brought the desir-
ed refreshment.
The two strangers looked at their
glasses then slipped the contents, and
looked at each other.
III calculate you have to drink this
here stuff a good while before you like
it, +" remarked number one.
cit don't brace a Teller up worth q
cent, but here she goes"
The two glasses were emptied, and
then with very majestic air, one OF
them thumped on the table. The
waiter came
Whats the damage?'
Nothing, sir; nothing at ALL"
eve amt doing New York on the
cheap plan," and he squeezed nickel
into the walters palm.
When they got out on Broadway
one OF them smacked his lips and
said:
"Jedediah, if I didn't know that ere
stuff was verde, Id swear it was
nothing but water" Texas Siftings.
He Knew How Old He Was.
a negro said to be l16 years old
was buried in New York last week.
His wife, said to have been Ito, died
a few years ago. I have always been
suspicious OF these stories of negro
longevity since I met with Barney
McCaffery. Barney Travelled exclusive
" through the south for many years
selling tanning mills. Whenever he
met an aged looking darkey he en-
deavored to make him believe he was
extraordinary ancient. I saw him
work it once.
How old are you, uncle?' he said
toa decrepit negro in Nashville
Deed, sub, dunno
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