The Meeker herald., 1904-02-27
Some Tongue 5angls,.

! Some Tongue Jangiss.
: Mistakes Made by Diplomatic Rep
resentatives and others.
1t is told OF an American ambassador.
freshly arrived at st. Petersburg--his
wife reluctantly left In America because
of an expected addition TO the family
that when asked in public audience. And
how are things Mt homer" 1.-THE car
meaning. OF course. affairs Of state,. re-
pra that 1t is navs wien the other
ambassadors giggled he looked foolish:
and believing that his mistake consisted
in not asking In return after the health
of the czarina, who at the moment was
also the more beloved because n child was
expected. ran after his majesty. ana,
shoulder. asked. "And-your wIfe-is 1t a
girl or n hoy?"
A Japanese near to the throne was once
appointed minister to Belgium. Upon
arriving he was puzzled to understand
why the street urchins OF Brussels.
were continually sticking thumb to
their nose. Finally. he asked his In
terpreter the reason of IT,. This latter.
In sympathy with the worthy Japanese's
feelings. told him IL was the highest
possible mark of respect one could give
in Belgium. Some time later. while the
bassador his highness wos mortified to see
the Japanese stick his thumb to his nose
and wrigsle his fingers. The poor In
terpreter, however. was equal to the oc>
casion, and before his hfghness could
order the yellow Celestial from his pres
ence. he explained that In Japan it was
the highest known mark of respect one
could pay another.
were appointed less for fitness than for
political reasons, one who could under
stand Just enough French to be nisun-
derstood was sent to Frensh citx H. H Us
please her. On starting for promenade
one afternoon he was asked by her to
please buy ''quntre merinRues' for din
ner. Entering n cake shop on one of the
boulevards. he asked the mademoiselle
who came to serve him; "Avez-vous
Then give me six. please he said.
Later. when he had learned French NIL
merals. he often told the joke on him
self.
Some years ago Frenchman was sent
as consul to America. He. like all other
and was proud that 1t stuck up high,
Unfortunately, he was not too familiar
with the French language. and. upon en-
tering drug store one morning. ex-
pressed himself as anxious to buy
stick for his mustache.
A woman now living in Washington.
where her husband lis closely connected,
with affairs of state. once ordered two
pounds OF churches at a fruit stand in
forgotten that 'kirche'' is not the o'er-
man word for cherry. The sames lady.
while living in Russia. In reply to the
he cooked for dinner. said: "Oh. we will
cook the master to-day" meaning NUT
ton, which word In Russian is very like
Some months ago entered n CONNER
Frenchman. taking me for, an English,
j answered. Yes. do your
beetle Ny smile Indicated a fault in
hig grammar. which he ruinously at
tempted to correct by saying: oh. 1
mean l speaks 1t very small"
A young American. anxious to study
abroad. but not having the means, ac-
many. Before leaving home Ne was upon
the point of declining the position be.
cause he could not speak German. and
suaded him that she could speak the
LANGUAGE ye5y We and Nov, Touid tide them .S
tongue. Four weeks after his arrival
he strolled Into the waiting. room of
Of shs nncpa hese s statGns
mediateiy he heard their voices he threw
up his hands, exclaimIng: God bless
near ns is the ra yo Wife q foaes s
over here by telling me she could speak
German. We've been here a month. and
nobody has understood word she has
said. Can't you come and take dinner
with us?''
Some three or four years ago read in
one Of the leading magazines para
graph on how European ambassador
was beaten at diplomacy by the sultan.
II I remember correctly. carriage con-
tainlnG some women of Adults harem
imprudently. but curiously attempted to
get a glimpse inside. His endeavor was
rewarded by blow In the face from the
eunuch who was guarding the carriage.
euch an insult naturally produced tu-
multi. and the offended ambassador at
a private audience. The tale Of wosa
was patiently listened to by the sultan.
who, at the end, replied: my dear Mr..
gnd nsra,,, pssr 1enS having
facts of the Incident In the first place.
you are gentleman. a perfect. ire
proachablo gentleman, q representative
Of country famed for Its politeneBs.
and as a consequence such an act of Inn
under any circumstances have been per-
petrated by YOU. Certainly. then no
eunuch could have been bold enough to
have even thought to presume to strike
you in the face. Therefore the whole
affair can be nothing but product of the
no more about it."-Thornwell Haynes.
United States Consul at Rouen. France.
in New York Tribune.
Indiana polls entertains a count NJ DEM
ocratic In his notions as he II royal in