The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-29
STUDIES IN FLATTERY.
COMPLIMENTS BECAUSE OF THEIR
APTNESS AND DELICAOY.

I
Into g Moments Speech
From the London STANDARD.
Here is delicious story told of an old
minister Of the Church of Scotland, who
was often obliged to employ assistants dur
ing the latter part of his life. One of these
was rather vain of his qualifications as
preacher, but affected to be quite embar-
raised by any compliments he received on
that score. On his first appearance after
the sermon the old divine want up TO the
probationer and was going to shake hands
with him. Anticipating nothing short of
high flown praise the young man ex-
claimed:
MY good sir, no compliments; no COM
plimeats, beg"
Ma, na," replied the parson. nowadays
Pm glad o. anybody"
How far this decidedly left-handed COM
pfment fell short of the recipients antici-
| patton be alone could tell; but his feelings
must have been somewhat similar to those
OF that tedious orator, who, having been in
vain told by Henry ". OF France that he
would be Obliged to him if he would make
bis fiattery as brief as possible, was at length
crushed by the king rising and saying:
~ GU must be kind enough to say the rest
In the worlds history compliments have
ofsentimes played an important part-sov-
ereigns, statesmen, courtiers, scholars and
| all Others of the great human family, dis
| daining not the use Of f1attering speech to
| gain their ends
No one knew better the power possessed
by really polished compliment than Sheri-
dan, and on innumerable occasions during
that rather stormy theatrical management
OF his did he extricate himself from diff
Guilty by means Of one.
BRAINS IN A SENTENCE.
A good instance is the following:
An e. glish nobleman, who, after the
manner OF other of his peers, had married
beautiful actress, once applied with much
| dignity in the green room TO MIR. Sheridan
for the arrears of her salary, and vowed he
would not stir till they were paid. my
| dear lord, y said the impecunious manager.
this is too bad; you have taken from us
| the brightest jewel in the world, and now
| you quarrel with us fer the little dust she
has left behind her," The nobleman inn
mediately burst out laughing. and over
bottle Of wine the debt was Cancelled.
OF famous compliments paid to the fair
| sex the supply is so large and dazzling that
| it is a matter of no small difficulty to pick
out the brightest gems; but If the following
one was unlocked for 1t certainly deserves
place among the best. Fontenelle, when
| 80 years old, passed before Nine. Helvetius
| without perceivipg her.
"Ah," said the lady, that is your GAL
lantry, then! To pass before me without
| ever looking at mel"
'If had looked at you, madam" replied
the old beau, II never could have passed
you at oil.
AS neat a one was uttered by Gen, Ro-
mainne Meeting Lady de Brlentz, whom
he had known and admired in the loneliness
of her youth, he commenced complimenting
her.
'You forget that am an old woman"
| she said at length.
| MADAM, !" returned the gallant soldier.
when our eyes are dazzled by a diamond
it never occurs to US to ask a minerslogist
| for its history"
WIT THAT TURNRTH AWAY WRATH
Different from this was the reply of a
| gentiem an once who was day compIi-
menting Nine. Denis on the manner n
which she played the character of
"Ygaire."
But" objected the lady, San actress. to
play the part well, should be young and
20. no." exclaimed the candid eulogist
"you are proof to the contrary"
1t is an old reproach against Orientals
that they are unable to say pretty things to
ladies; but daughter Of Louis XIV, the
Princess de CONT, inspired a Moorish am
bassador with as gracefully turned COM
pliment as can be imagined. She had rallied
| against the Mohammedan custom of polYg-
amy when the Moor thus defended the prac-
tice.
MADAM he said, "a plurality of wives
is allowed among US because in our country
we must seek In several women the charm
ing qualities which are here to be found in
| one."
The poet Moore. who never let an oppor-
tunity slip of complimenting the fair sex,
was in the present instance hardly kind to
the husband. Being one day in the company
of beautiful woman who wore on her
bosom miniature likeness of her spouse,
who was the reverse of handsome, he was
asked by her "whom he thought the por-
trait resent led.n
~ think, !" said the poet, st is like the
Saracen's head on Snow Hill"
A bold str IKE TO obtain liberty by means
of a compliment was that made by M de
Maupertius, who, when a prisoner in Aus =
tria, was presented to the empress, who said
to him:
You know the Queen Of Sweden, sister
to the King OF Prussias'
YES, madam"
81 am told that she is the most beautiful
princess in the world"
Madam, replied the cunning prisoner.
II always thought 50 until now"
This was as diplomatic as the words and
action Of the Marquis Medina, Spanish
nobleman. Queen Elizabeth, who had been
admirlng his elega zee and complimenting
him on lS, at the same time begged to kno "
who possessed the heart of SO accomplished
a cavalier
MADAM" said be, "a lover risks too
much on such an occasion, but your majes-
TVS will is law. Excuse me, however if ]
fear TO name her, but request your majes~
tvs acceptance OF her portrait He sent
her a looking glass.
| BAD SIAMESE ILLUSTRATION.
While upon the subject of royal compli-
ments, the one paid to the present queen by
the sovereign of Zanzibar is worth repeat
ing. 1t is fine piece of Oriental poetry.
He said that he mentally likened
her "to that mountain OF loadstouee
mentioned in the Thousand and
One Nights which drew the nails
out of the ships that passed that way Even
SO did the hearts of the Englishmen / have
hitherto met seem drawn on by a magnet
to her majesty" A pretty compliment in
deed.
The folio wing, however, is still better, If
some" hat grotesque in its termination. 1t
is credited to a Slamese ambassador, who
wrote of the queen thus: "One cannot but
be struck with the aspect of the Queen OF
Enga or fail to observe that she must be
or pure descent from race of good and
warlke kings and rulers of the earth, in
that her eyes, complexion and, above all
her bearings are those of beautiful and