The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-03-04
PARALLEL
ANECDOTES
The Way in Which Good Stories Are Apt to
Repeat Themselves

The Way in Which Good Stories Are Apt to
Repeat Themselves
When Napoleon was student at Brienne
he happened to be asked by one of the
examiners the following question: Sup
posing you were in an invested town
threatened with starvation, how would
you supply yourself with provisions"
From the enemy" replied the snb-lieu-
tenant of artillery, and this answer so
pleased the examiners that they passed
him without further questioning. Now
Napoleons answer, says the London
Standard, was by no means original, for
one of Suvorofs sergeants obtained pro-
motion from the ranks by giving the very
same answer when asked the very same
question. Whether it was that Napoleon
had read his story somewhere, and luckily
remembered the Nsergeant's answer at the
right moment, or whether. as Mr.. Puff
says in the Critic anent the speech of the
beefeater, ''All that can be said is that
two people happened to hit upon the same
thought" we are unable to say but the
similarity of the anecdote is, to say the
least of it, q strange coincidence.
There is a story told of Paul PetrovitZ
Gar of Russia to the effect that one day.
when reviewing some troops, he was so
indignant at the bad Workmanship of
one of his officers that he commanded
him to resign his commission on the
spot aid to retire to his estate. A staff
officer who was riding by the side of the
monarch informed him that the gentle
man in question had no estate to which
to retire, whereupon the eccentric Gar is
reported to have said: Then give him
one.' Like Napoleon's answer, this re-
mark of the Car, sadly lacks originality,
for many years before the son OF Gather
inc II was born, the following story was
told of Betterton, the actor: One even
ing Colley Cibber, by missing his cue and
giving message at the wrong moment,
spoiled one of Betterton s best scenes. So
soon as he passed the wings Betterton, in
aa rass c ssS to the an be f9Ffe
piled the prompter, Master Colley has no
salary well, then, put him down for
ten shillings a week, +" cried the enraged
manager, "and forfeit him five.
Mrs. Sa isbury, the mother of Hetty
Thrales never tired of telling the follow
CURED to a lady friend of her acquaint-
ance. This lady was engaged to Lord
Harry Powlett, and one day in his pres
ence expressed wish for a couple of
monkeys of particular kind, whereupon
Der fiance at once offered to obtain them
Lord Harry, who happened to be an in
different scribe and worse speller, wrote
him to obtain two monkeys and send
them to England. According to the story
he spelt the word two "too,' but the st"
was uncrossed and so badly formed that
his friend read it 100. Accordingly, he
wrote back to Lord Harry to the effect
that he had that day shipped fifty OF the
monkeys, and that these would be fol-
lowed by another fifty in weeks time
We have no wi b to cast suspicion upon
the veracity of Mrs. Salisbury by doubt
ing this story, the truth of which she
vouches for. All we would point out is
that, century before, Sir George YER
ney, in. letter to his son, has
news Of your fish l will tell as good tale
from hence, and as true. A merchant of
London, that writ to factor of his be-
yond the sea, desired him by the next
ship to send him or apes. He forgot
the r. in the .'or' and then it was 203
apes. The factor sent him four score, and
says he shall have the rest by the next
ship, thinking he had written for 203. y
Yet still more marvelsus is the follow
ing coincidence if such it be: Sir William
Drummond, finding himself one evening
outside tavern-perhaps the historic
acknowledgement in to see if by any
chance, wit combat" as Fuller has 1t,
spied him and dragged him into the room
where he found assembled around the
table Ben Jonson, Michael Drayton, Sir
Robert Kerr and Sir William Alexander.
In such excellent company he passed sew
eral hours, and when the time came to
pay the reckoning the company fell to
rhyming about it. OF all the rhymes the
following, by Sir William Drummond, was
voted the BEST
II, Bo-peep.
Saw you four sheep,
And each OF you his fleece,
The reckoning is five shillings
If each of you be willing,
It's fifteen pence apiece"
More than n hundred wears afterwa rd g