The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1901-01-24

The Archbishop of Dublin recently
performed a marriage in the family OF
wealthy Irish distiller. After the
breakfast the distiller thanked the
Archbishop effusively for his share OF
the proceedings, and said to him as he
took leave, THE Lord be with you"
''And with thy spirit" is reported to
have been the rejoinder.
Oscar Wilde's last bequest was char
acteristic of his genius for diversions.
When told that he must undergo an
operation, he said at first that he could
not afford the fee. The point was
pressed by the French surgeons. VERY
WELL" said the patient, with flash
from the ashes of his old spirit, Il
must die beyond my MEANS"
British Museum Newton, the
archaeologist, was capital story
teller" says A. J. G. Hare, in his
STORY of My Life" He was once at a
spiritualistic seance, where an old
cockney was Informed that the spirit
manifested was his deceased wife,
whereupon the following dialogue took
place: us that you, 'Arriet? Eyes, it
is me-" Are you 'appy, 'Arriet?'
"Yes, very 'appy." "'Appier than you
was with me, 'Arriet?' Yes, much
'appier." where are you, 'Arriet?'
"In ELL"
On one occasion, during a visit to
America, Michael Gum, who assisted
Gilbert and Sullivan in bringing out
many of their operas, was trying the
voices of some candidates for the
chorus. One of them sang in sort
of affected Italian rok ell English. The
stage manager interrupted. LOOK
here" he said, that accent won't do
for sailors or pirates. Give us little
| less Mediterranean, and little more
Whitechapel." Here Gum turned and
said, ''Of what nationality are you?
You don't sound Italian" The other
suddenly dropped his Italian accent,
and in Irish said, "Shure, Mr.. Gum,
I'm from the same country as your
self"
Robert Barr relates that once, speak
ing with Bret Harte, he upheld the
rigid life Henry ThOreau had led at
Walden Pond, as compared with the
luxurious surroundings of many mod
ern authors. Barr advocated return
to the simpler habits of our ancestors.
Yes" Harte replied. Giving on parch-
ed peas sounds very fine in a book.
| When l visited Emerson l was aston
ished to find how close Walden Pond
was to the Emerson homestead, and l
commented on this. l had imagined
wilderness. miles from any human hab-
itatiOn. Before Emerson could reply,
Mrs. Emerson spoke UP in the tone of
woman exposing humbug: ooh. yes,
Henry took good care not to get out of
hearing of our dinner horn"
An anecdote of Gladstone is set down
by Sir Wemyss Reid in the new Anglo
Saxon. Reid tells how, on one occa.
sion. ten years ago, he sat opposite Mr.
Gladstone at dinner and noticed that
the side of his face was severely
bruised and cut. The explanation was
interesting. Mr.. Gladstone had been
to call, few evenings before, upon
Lord Granville, who was then very ILL
In returning he took short cut
through some of the alleys of Mayfair
and in passing along one narrow street
he slipped off the pavement and. losing
his balance, fell at full length upon the
road. 81 lay there stunned for min.
ute at least" he added, in his deep
sonorous voice, 'and though a great
many people passed no one came to my
assistance or took the slightest notice
of me. l suppose they thought l was
| drunk"