St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-10-05
Selected Stnrn.
THE PROFESSOR OF SIGNS.

strange ideas of the importance of
the language of action and signs.
He claimed that these could fill the
place of language of sounds, and
that there should be in each univers-
ity professor of signs. One day
this diplomat was complaining to
the king of the neglect with which all
countries treated the cultivation of
this means of communicat ton, and of
the absolute lack OF professors Of
this admirable science. The king
responded smilingly:
II have professor such as you
speak of; he is very able man. He
is stationed however, at the most
distant university in my kingdom,
about six hundred miles from here,
in Aberdeen.
Though he should be in China, :"
answered the ambassador, II must
see him. | will start this very
morning"
He set out, and the king, not wish
ing to be thought a cheat, sent a
messenger to the University of
Aberdeen to announce the arrival Of
the curious traveller, and to charge
the professors to receive him with all
due ceremony, and to dispose of him
as soon as possible.
The ambassador was welcomed
with great pomp, but he announced
that he wished to see nobody but
the professor of signs, whom he was
awaiting with the greatest i'm
patience. He was told that the pro-
lessor was absent, having gone to
exercise his art among the noun
tains of Scotland, and that the date
OF his return was unknown.
We'll, l will wait him here" re-
piled the ambassador, although he
should delay for year"
The professors, seeing that this
subterfuge had not produced the
desired result, and that they should
be forced to entertain his excellency
for long period, resolved to employ
some other means of Kidding them
selves of him.
There was in the city one-eyed
butcher named Geardi, a good
natured man, fond of joke, who
consented to play the part of pro-
lessor of signs. Having been suit
ably instructed, he promised to
maintain the most profound silence
and not to explain himself save by
signs.
The ambassador, being notified
that the professor had. returned,
showed the greatest delight, and at
once appointed a day for a con-
ference with him. At the time set,
Geard dressed in a doctors gown
and adorned with an enormous wig,
was introduced to His Excellency
the ambassador, who was expected
to explain himself as best he could
TO the wonderful man who had been
presented to him.
The other professors withdrew to
the next room and awaited, not
without great trepidation, the re.
suit Oh tne interview.
The ambassador approached
Ceardi and lifted one finger; Geardi
answered this gesture by lifting two
the ambassador raised three fingers
Geardi clenched his fist and shook it
with a menacng air. The ambas-
sador then drew an orange from his
pocket and showed it to Geardi,
who in his turn drew from beneath
his robe an enormous loaf.
The ambassador showed himself
entirely satisfied, made a profound
reverence, and withdrew.
The professors, DESTROYS of know
ing how their colleague OF the one
eye had acquitted himself, questioned
his excellency regarding the inter
view with the professor of signs.
"Ah," he exclaimed, she is Won
derful man! He is worth all the
treasures of the Indies. began by
showing him one finger, to give him
to understand that there is but
one God; he showed me two, to
answer that there were the Father
and the Son. | raised three, to in
dicate the Father, Son and Holy
Ghost, whereupon he showed mt
the shut fist, to tell me that these
three formed but one. Then | show
ed him an orange, which denoted
that the kindness of God not only
bestows the necessaries of life, but
also the sweet and pleasant thing:
that beautify existence. That mar
vellous man held forth a piece O.
bread, in order to say to me that
that was the essential thing anc
preferable to all the demands o
luxury and vanity"
The professors, enchanted at the
happy termination of the matter
babe the ambassador farewell, ano
sought Geardi, i'll order that he might
give his version of the interview.
That ambassador" he said, III
an insolent man. He showed mt
one finger, to criticise me because
have but one eye; showed him two
fingers, to indicate that my one ey'
was worth more than his two; ther
he insulted me by lifting three fingers
meaning that we had but three eye
het weep ,c Irr;+ q ted NV his hmm