Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-10-05
FAMOUS PUNSTERS.
Good Things Said by Canon AfngeS
md Archbishop Buruey.

| Good Things Said by Canon AfnreS
and Archbishop Burney.
The late Canon Anger, whether Won
consider him as biographer, a preach
er or a man, was rather a charming
than commanding personality, while
his life was as uneventful as that of
| any country clergyman. The canon's
friends, no doubt-and he had n per.
feet genius for friendship-wili enjoy
his recently published letters. Even
the puns i'm the letters need, you feel,
Tor their apt and adequate setting the
manner, voice and action OF the canon.
Here are two or three excellent speci-
mems OF this sort of wit, to which the
canon was as much addicted as Lamb
himself:
"Aingers made a canon" so tits said,
Because SO very well he read.
"Ah. then" said Smith, demurely wink
ing,
He's cannoned Off the read, I'm think
ing"
The chancellor had been less blamed
IL some great preacher he had named.
An. then.' said Smith, not even blsshin'
He'd then have cannoned of the cush-
ion."
Apropos or punning. Anger, In spite
or being himself so inveterate n pun
ster, has said I'm n letter where he JUS
tines sallies OF this sort in Hood all
that can be said against the habit:
To 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-
thing. There is nothing underlying 1t
or beyond Ii. 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.
Ii 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-
ney's:
The neatest thing i ever heard was
said by Archdeacon Burney the other
day at meeting ut Rochester, where a
list OF subscriptions was being read
of: Mr.. =. ECO That's pretty good
whispered Burney to his nesghbor.
Archdeacon Cheetham. who, knowing
that the giver was exceedingly rich,
murmured, 1T ought TO have been
fSOO.' .Ah,' rejoined, Burney instantly,
Tho forgot fhsa o,xvhtps
i wonder, by the way, IL Archdeacon
Burney had had in his mind a similar
pun OF Douglas Jerrold's. When the
friend OF Micawber who was always
being helped out or 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
time?r
Il think a 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
Ia Will mind your music
VINO Will mind your moralsf
Anger, who was guest ut the mar
rage OF Hawies to Miss Joy, a 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 md that the well known nonsense
verse on Crocketts ''CIeg Kelly was
an impromptu of the canon's: \
There was an old person of Delhi
Who couldn't read Crocketts ..Cleg
Kelly"
When they said. ITS the fashion"
He replied. In n passion,
What thsna So is Marie Coreinr'
Anglers best known bon mot ia prob-
ably that on the style prescribed to the
contributors TO the Dictionary of Ma
tional Biography" His suggestion
was mo flowers. by request" Alto
gether his biography leaves on You the
impression OF a gentle soul who WAS
an absolutely ideal friend. - London