Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-04-27

r. INSPIRATION lIaI JOKE Culh'
into my mind. ] am not .
punster: | am not given to
making jokes; still less am given to
repeating other peoples jokes or news
paper wittciSms.
But when, without preliminary
study or fOrcthought, that joke came
into being in my brain. | knew it was
the best joke | had ever heard, or
rather, since | had not spoken it,,
ana therefore had not yet heard it, !
knew it was better than any joke /
had ever heard or read
And it was absolutely original. No
train OF thought had led up to it, no
previous conversation had suggested
from a great head.
Being my own joke, and such an cy-
ccptionally good joke. began to
think over my acquaintance with Il
view of selecting one worthy to be its
first nearer.
Bcauchamp was my dearest friend.
but then Beauchamp WAS an English
man, and so, Of course, could not he
expected to see the point of purely
American joke like mine. Dorothy
well, that pretty curly head Of hers
really had no room in it for anything
but her frivolous pleasures and her
love of me. Dawson was the editor
of Il comic paper, so he was out of
the question. Parker, my brother in
law, was minister. and a man of
really good TASTE in jokes, bnt some
how, felt sure my joke was in Il
class above him. And so | thought
over all my friends until | came to
Ferris.
Just the one" I said 10 myself
"Fcrris writes such delicate. witty
verses, he'll appreciate the full flavor
of an exquisite joke like this of mine"
l had just concluded that | would
go at once to Fcrris's house, and give
him the trcaE | had in store for him,
when my sister Eleanor entered the
library, where | was sitting. Now, my
sister is an extremely up-to-date young
woman, and as the day was a trihc
cloudy. she was wearing n trim cloth
skirt, which held itself proudly aloof
from all earthly contact, and hat,
gloves. and boots which l would have
been glad to own.
l was unable to resist the tempta-
ton to try my joke on her, although
Eleanor is so very progressive that
She takes even her own mentality
seriously.
"Sister,' said I. with touch of Sc
verify in my tone, "for street wear
nothing is more improper than a rainy
day skirt
Eleanor's eyes bazcd GLOW ignor-
ant you are." she exclaimed. "Ecvry-
body wears them, and they are entire
~ correct. l have no patience with
Il woman who would drag Il cloth trail
along a muddy sidewalk, or tire her
self out trying to hold it up. Neither
have | any patience with man who
can approve of such an Oldfashioned,
mistaken notion" And with a pro-
SresSivc slam of the trcet-door, she
was gone.
] Chuckled softly to myself over the
humor-blindness of women, and with
a certainty of a more successful cX-
pertinent, | betoOk myself to Ferris's
house.
"Ferris. old man." said l, without
preamble, 1--WE made a Joke, and, as
it's the best joke over made. I'm go
ing to tell it to you first of anybody"
DO" said Ferris looking intelligent,
as he often does.
well" said I, slowly and very sob
erly, its Il fashion note, you know, Il
burlesque fashion note, and it's this:
For street wear nothing is more I'M
proper than rainy-day skirt"
"Go on" said Ferris.
"Go on:' l cried. "There's nothing
more; that's all there Is to it."~
But you said it was joke,r,sad
Ferris. the intelligent look dying out
Of hs face
cit is joke. Oh, don't you see the
point"
"Thcrc isn't any point" said Ferris,
calmly. "and, besides, it isn't true.
Lots of things are far more improper.
Look at the ladies' evening-drcss of
Today
"Evening-dress isn't Worn in the
daytime | said. cuttingly. and with
great disgust at Ferris's stupidity, !
went away
AS l walked down the street I met
Daisy Day, and. with sudden de-
termination to tell that joke to every
person | should see until somebody
appreciated it, l turned, and walked
by her side.
Good morning. Miss Day" I said,
and glanced severely at her smart
rainy-day skirt. Don't you know that
for street Wear nothing is more i'm.
proper than a rainy-day skirt? It's Il
joke l added hastily, for l saw an
expression of mortal offcnse stealing
over her pretty. babyish face.
"Oh. it's a joke" she exclaimed. her
face clearing. and her dmples spring.
ing into life. And what Il good one!
Oh. Mr.. Abbott. you are so clever, |
just love your jokes. DO tell me an.
other. But wait until learn this one,
so that | can quote II correctly. 1T