The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-11-17

most peculiar aptness in the saying OF
things that wound; and the most litter
ate peasant can put more scorn into re-
tort than the most highly educated of an
other race. A good specimen OF this lat
ter species of wit is in Richard Ashe
Kings anecdote of the coachman and
the beggar. As the latter was whining
approximately at the carriage door, the
coach man. turned around to Cry, "Corce
my good man, take your rags out of
thatr:. Whereupon the Ieggar, with q
withering glance at the coachmau's liv-
cry retorted: ME rags! They're me
own, me man!''
Irish literary wit is more good natured
than that of the pesantry. There are
exceptions to that, however. Sheridan,
at times, could not resist a cutting re-
mark. Currsn gave way to this impulse
on many occasions and no one can deny
that the rasping personalities of "Father
Prout'' were bitter and harsh. The po-
htical satirists of this and the last cen-
fury may be forgiven their gall-oipped
arrows. The writings of Stannard Bar
1et. Watty Cox, DR.. Brenan, William
Norcott and T. D. Sullivan used the
lance of satire TO defend cause. Prout
had no such excuse His cruel thrusts
were made rom his pure love of malice.
A remarkable collection Of extracts
from the writings Of the Irish humorists
has just been published by D J. O'Don-
oghue, the talented Irish literateur,
whose "Dicti nary of the Irish Poets"
created such stir in literary London
recently; The title of the volume is
'1tThe Humor Of Ireland walter Scott
London; Charles Scribner's Sons, i'm
Horters; New York; and is an admirable
collection of humorous tales, poems,
proverbs and extracts from tho comedies
df Sheridan, Boucicault, O'Keefe, Gold
smith aud others. One of the tales is
translation by Kuno Meyer, from q man
1script 81 the twelfth century. DR..
Douglas Hyde and Francis A. Fahey al.
50 contribute me translati1ns. The
former renders the following story iutU
English, which, although a very ancient
Joke, is better than most new ones and
not so well known.
There was IAN old crow teaching.
young crow one day, and he said to him:
"Now, my son, listen to the advice I'm
going to give you. If you see person.
coming near you and STOPPING, mind
yourself, and be on your keeping; he's
STOPPING for stone to throw at you"
"But tell me-" says the young crow,
s'what would do if he had stone al
ready down in his pocket?'
"Musha, 60 long out of that" says the
old crow, you've learned enough; the
devil another learning I'm able to give
you."
There is clever little epjgram, by
the same translators, on surly porter:
What pity Hells gates are not kept by
OFlinn;
The surly eld dog woul let nobody in
Several OF Henry Luttrell's witicisms
form one little section of the volume.
His epigram on Samuel Rogers poem,
"Italy," the success of which was won
by the magnificent illustrations of Turn
or, is good one: -.
| OF Rogers Italy Luttrell relates
! That 'twould have been dished, were it not for
the plates.
Many of Luttrell's sayings were very
bright and it is pity that so few of
them have been preserved. At one of
the crowded receptions at Holland
House, Lady Holland was requested by
the guests,to "make room" ut must
certainly be made, for it does not exist, I"
said Luttrell
Edmond Downey, author Of Through
Green Glasses . "Anchorwatch Yarns
and other stories, is we'll represented in
From Portland to Paradise The
Waterford peasant has been immortal.
lied in Mr.. Downey's short stories, and
the selection in the book is very fair
specimen OF his unctuous humor. One
of his chief delights has been to ridicule
! English history in his own inimitable
way. His stories Of the King with the
rope tied crown, the man who was COM
PEELED to undergo the ''Ordeal by Grid
dle,s the early British sovereign who
considered it bad taste in man not to
don fresh coat of whitewash every
year, and others of his fantastic perver-
sions Of history have counterpart in q
story by William Percy French, which
is the only one Of it's kind that Mr.. DON
oRhue has selected. It is entitled '.The
Fret Lord. Liftinant, as related by An
drew Geraghty, Philomath." ]"
/ ELIZABETH AND ESSEX.
Essex said Queen Elizabeth, as the
two Of them satsat breakfast IN the back
lparlor q Buckingham palace. Essex,
me hero I've got ajob that I think
would snit You. Do you know where
Ireland i? r.