The news & observer., 1896-12-11
An eager. imnecunious swain


Yonkers Statesman.
An eager, impecunious swain
Wooed prudent Phyllis, but in vain;
In vain he sang his ardent tune
The maiden sighed and shook her head.
.sYour feryent promises" she said,
when judged by sober second thoughts,
Are like the men in balloon
That is TO say, they're airy-naughts!'
The Time for Protest.-"Now, look
here" said the old man TO the daughter
who had spent some time at the East,
II guess | can manage to stand it when
you call iifty-cent piece hoff dollar,
but when you speak of slab as slob,
want it understood that / will permit no
such language. ."-Cincinnat Enquirer.
The rchbishop-designate of Canter-
bury tells this story of HIMSELF He en-
tered during popular service in an East
End church one night, and standing in
a back pew Joined in the singing Of a
Moody and Sankey hymn. Next to him
stood a workingman who was singing
Justify in tune. The bishop sang Justify
also, but not in tune. The workingman
stood the dissonance as long as he could,
and then mudging the bishop, said in a.
whisper, Here, dry up, mister; you're
spelling the show
A Pittsburg, Pa, judge the other day,
examining an applicant for naturalization
papers, asked: How are United States
Senators chosen" Il don't know" an
swered the candid foreigner Il do not
blame you," said the judge; Il do not
know either. We used to think the
representatives of the people selected the
Senators, but just now it appears that
the representatives of the people have
nothing to do with it; that the Senators
are selected and elected by one or two
men,
VIM E. Curtis writes from Washing
ton: "A gentleman who has recently
visited Canton brings with him what he
claims is an authorized announcement
that the present office-holders will be al
lowed to serve out the terms for which
they were appointed by President Cleve
land, except in cases where they occupy
confidential relations with the executive.
The same gentleman asserts that Maj.
Mckinley approves Of the action of Pres
ident Cleveland in extending the Civil
Service rules over so large q part of the
executive branch Of the government, and
that he would not shed a tear if he had
been deprived of all the patronage that
pertains to the office to which he has been
elected"
Mrs. Theodore Tilton is home again,
hoping to live in Brooklyn in the privacy
which surrounded her in Paris, says the
n n L. IL Ila~ %hnaa
she did score Of years ago. Memory
of the great trial has made no mark
upon her face, which is as winsome as it
ever was. She has been here since last
October, and might have maintained the
secret of her presence but for the neces-
sity of her having to go TO the custom
house yesterday to have her household
effects passed duty free. Her card SIM
ply read: Elizabeth Tilton." The entry
clerk who attended to her case was
Sunday school lad at Plymouth church
before the great scandal shocked the
congregations.
In a letter soon to be sold at London,
George Washington, writing from Mount
Vernon, under date of August 6, 1856,
to Arthur Young, author of the famous
Travels in France" makes this quantity
characteristic remark; Agriculture has
ever been amongst the most favorite
amusements Of my life" This statement
suggests two inquiries-hrst, what the
other most favorite amusements Were,
and second, why man so sensible should
: have preferred to make the not too beau
tiful word, among" into one of needless
ly hideous ugliness by adding ''st'' to it.
either of these questions would furnish
material for a considerable essay, but the
latter is especially important, since there
are many stupid people in England and
few in America who still cling to the
same wretched habit. Amongst doesn't
have even the merit of being DID, The
Anglo-Saxons who committed most of
the possible sins against harmony, were
guiltless Of that one, nor did it prevail in
either Early or Middle English The afix
is a mere gratuitous insult to sensitive
ears. adding absolutely nothing to the
meaning of among" in any case. 1t is
easy to forgive Washington for finding
amusement in farming, but that he should
have given the weight of his authority
tor word ending in four consonants is
unpardonable.-New York Times.