Gilpin observer., 1906-10-11
FAMOUS PUNsTERS.
Good Things Said by Canon Anger
and ArchbishOp Burney.

| Good Things Said by Canon Anger
| and ArchbishOp Burney.
| The late Canon Anger, whether you
consider him as a biographer, preach
! er or man, was rather charming
than commanding personality, while
his life was as unevcntful as that of
any country clergyman. The canon's
| friends no doubt-and he had a per-
| feet genius for friendship-will enjoy
his recently published letters. Even
the puns in the letters need, you feel,
| for their apt and adequate setting the
manner, voice and action of the canon.
| Here are two or three excellent specl.
mems of this sort of wit, to which the
| canon was as much addicted as Lamb
himself:
"Aingers made a canon" so 'tis said,
Because SO very well he read.
"Ah, then" said Smith. demurely wink
ing,
Hes cannoned off the read, I'm think
ing"
The chancellor had been less blamed
If some great preacher he had named.
"Ah, them" said Smith, not even blushin'
He'd then have cannoned off the cush-
ion."
Apropos of punning Anger, in spite
Of being himself so inveterate q pun
ster, has said in letter where he JUS
tifies sallies Of this sort in. Hood all
that can be said against the habit:
ITO hear of any ordinary man that
he makes puns is properly a warning
to avoid his society, for with the funny
man the verbal coincidence is every
Thorn 10 lvir NO
or beyond it. The ordinary pun is for
the most part profoundly depressing
being generally an impertinence, but in
the hands of Hood the pun becomes an
element in his fancy, his humor, his
ethical teaching, even his pathos. AS
ordinarily experienced, the pun is the
irreconcilable enemy of these things.
1t could not dwell with them in one
house Hood saw and was the first to
show that the pun might become even
their handmade"
The best pun in the volume, and, in
deed. the best pun have ever heard Of
its kind, is not Hoods or Lambs or
Ainger's, but one of Archdeacon Bur
neys:
1.-The neatest thing l ever heard was
said by Archdeacon Burney the other
day at a meeting at Rochester, where a
list of subscriptions was being read
off: Mr.. -, f50.' That's pretty good
whispered Burney to his neighbor,
Archdeacon Cheetham, who, knowing
that the giver was exceedingly rich.
murmured, 1T ought to have been
f5O0.' .Ah,' rejoined Burney instantly,
he forgot the oughtv"
1 wonder, by the way, if Archdeacon
Burney had had in his mind a similar
pun of Douglas Jerrolds. When the
friend of a Micawber who was always
being helped out of pecuniary Difficult
ties called for the third time on Doug
las Jerrold to ask for another subscrip-
ton, the wit inquired:
"Well, how much does - want this
timer
Il think n four and two naughts will
about put him straight"
You may put me down for one Of
the naughts"
Here is a specimen Of Ainger's i'm
promptu epigrams, one on a child be-
ing born to his friend Haweis stimuli
taneously with the publication of his
Music and Morals"
Little baby Haweis.
Playing with your corals.
Pa will mind your music
Who will mind your morals?
Anger, who was a guest Mt the mar
riage Of Hawies to Miss Joy, bride as
diminutive as her bridegroom, said
'she evidently didn't wish to be a Joy
forever" and described their union as
"a fortuitous concurrence Of atoms"
l find that the well known nonsense
verse ON Crockett's "Cleg Kelly" was
an impromptu Of the canon's:
There was an old person of Delhi
Who couldn't read Crockett's "Clcs
| Kelly
When they said. 'Tt's the fashion,"
He replied. in a passion,
what then? So Is Marie Corelli!"
Ainger's best known bon mot Is prob
ably that on the style prescribed to the
contributors to the Dictionary Of Ma
tional Biography" His suggestion
was "No flowers, by request" Alto
gether his biography leaves on you the
Impression of gentle soul who was
an absolutely ideal friend. - London
Truth.