The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-21

to the fact that Il Il no wonder At all This
saying is based on the fact that kittens
and puppies are born blind. and their eyes
open at the end Of nine days. and implies
that people are blind with astonishment for
nine days, and then their eyes open and
they are undeceived
An "apple-pis bed 70 one in which the
sheets are 40 folded that person cannot
get his legs down. the foot end Of tho sheet
being brought I'D to the head end Of the
bed This head to FOOT arrangement being
implied. the expression may have sprung
from corruption Of cap-a-pied or cap-a-
pie. as 1t IL frequently written
Mine tailors make . man. grew out OF
the old custom Of bell-ringing. The ringing
Of bells was formerly practiced from De-
lief in their eficacy to drive away evil
spirits. The "tailors'' In the above phrase
is corruption Of the word ''tellers." or
strokes tolled at the end Of knell. In
some places the departure Of an adult was
announced by nine strokes In succession;
six were rlng for o woman: three for q
child. Hence It came to be said by those
ers make q man." AZ this custom became
less general. and the allusion less generally
understood. there was an easy transition
from the word "tellers' to the more ia
miliar one 'tailors." That Inevitable Joker.
Curran. took advantage of this popular say.
ing to poke fun in q good-natured way at
his hosts on the occasion Of his being enter
tanned at dinner by eighteen OF the Guild
Of Tailors. Curran. on leaving. rose and
said: Gentlemen. wish you both good
evening"
To drink q bumper to q person. mean.
ing to pledge him. Is Q corruption Of the
French phrase. "Au bon PEREZ" that Is. ITO
the Pope" toast drunk by the monkA
Hold the Fort" In October. 1854 Ala
toona Pass. . denle in the mountains Of
Georgia, was guarded by General Corse
with 1,500 men. It was a strong strategic
point. and. moreover. 100000 rations were
stored there Ffesich, the Southern General
with 5000 men. attacked the garrison and
drove the defenders into q small fort on
the crest Of the hill Tho battle was fierce;
tho Northern soldiers fell In such numbers
| Of Corse's Officers caught sight Of Q white
signal nag duttering in the breeze on the
top Of the Kenesaw Mountain. across the
| valley. fifteen miles away. The signal was
answered. and then came the inspiring mes
sage from mountain to mountain: Hold
the fort; I an coming-w. T. Sherman"
| Cheer after cheer went up. and though
hopelessly reduced IN numbers, they did
hold the fort for hours until the advance
guard OK 6hsrman's army came to their
relief. Six years later P. p. Bliss. the evan
| gelist, heard the story in all its vivid detail
from Q soldier friend. and then wrote the
words and music Of this famous hymn.
Beating the bounds II an expression
used in England to designate periodical sur
| veyA which are made for the preservation
Of the ancient boundaries Of the parishes.
The clerEymen Of the parish, with the
parochial Officers and other parishioners,
followed by the boys Of the parish school,
headed by their master, 90 in procession on
Holy Thursday or Ascension Day, to the
different parish boundaries. which bounda-
ries the boys strike with peeled willow
wands. that they bear in their hands,
Il
In olden times the beating was not. how
ever. always confined to the boundaries.
but when It was desired to preserve svi-
dence Of particular boundaries. the boys
themselves. or one Of them. was beaten.
and received stated fee for the castisation
out Of the parish funda II was thought
that the impression made on the boys mem.
DRY by the whipping was calculated to have
q beneficial effect in the preservation Of hi
evidence.
Tho expression sent to Coventry. mean
: ing to ignore . persons existence totally
originated as follows: The citizens Of Gov
entry. England. had at one time 70 great
. dislike to soldiers that . woman seer
speaking to one was regarded - outside tn
pale Of respectable society ever after. NJ
intercourse was ever allowed between III,
garrison and the town; hence. when Q mai
was sent to Coventry he was cut OF from
all social enjoyments.