Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1913-12-19
IS IMPORTANT POINT
Mlsplacing of Comma May Have
Serious Results.
Notable Instances on Record to Prov
the Fact--once Involved Com
mercial Houses in Most
Expensive Lawsuit.

Early in the worlds history philOso-
piers urged upon their generation the
necessity for considering small things.
writes Rev. Forbes Philips in London
Answers. The comma Is about 100
smallest thing in practical life. but u
is far away from being the least Inn
portant In = domestic difficulty.
where a husband and wife quarreled
and sought separation, legal gentle
man was kind enough to try and patch
up peace. He recommended over
lures from the husband, and suggest
ed that he should write. to his spouse
the simple and touching message:
May Heaven cherish and keep you.
from your aftectionate husband John"
This John duly dispatched on q pie
ture postcard. but he omitted the
comma. and the message ran: May
Heaven cherish and keep you from
your afiectionafe husband John"
The misplacing Of comma involved
two big commercial houses In a law
suit. A memorandum was sent: Can
let you have the hundred pieces ut
aixteen and nine. thousand more At
same rate" When the message ar.
rived II read Can let you have the
hundred pieces at sixteen. and nine
thousand more At same rate" A care
less clerk had tTansposed Q comma.
unconscious OF the part u vas des-
tined to play.
Clerics are fond Of quoting the prov
erb For one point Raynhard lost his
priory." Tho story goes. that In pre-
reformation days. n good and holy
prior. Clement. ruled over his reli-
gious house with great wisdom and
iiberality. Over tho entrance to the
pfiory he caused TO be written up:
Re open eyermore. o thou my door.
To none b. shut. 10 honest or 70
poor"
This free Invitation was generously
Interpreted by the mendicants, and
people came from far and wide 10
honor Il.
When the good Clement died. very
different manJ~as appointed as his
successor. priest OF the name Of
Raynard. who was As niggardly as his
predecessor had been lavish. The
align over the entrance OF the priory
did not interpret his sentiments or his
outlook on life. His meanness could
not tolerate II. nor would Il permit
him to go TO tho expense OF freah
simply changed the mean.
ng the position OF q COM
% h sade the couplet read:
sFmoFc. o thou my door.
shut To honest or to
AZ . dinner In New York q WELL
known man gave the toast. Woman
without her. man 10 a brute" A pa,
per reported Mr.. A. ~ saying.
Woman without her man Is 4 brute
Most people have heard OF the meg
sage. Don't come too late which by
the insertion OF q comma. became.
Don't como. too late" Then there
was the barber who advertised on his
signboard:
What do you think
I'll shave you for nothing
And give you drink"
or course. there was rush Of cue.
toners IT once. but the BARRIERS rem
deTing was:
What DO you think
III shave you for nothing
And give you = drink?''
Care has 10 be exercised in noticing
tho comma when reading. There is
the case OF tho curate who had TO give
out the notice. "A sailor. going TO sea.
his wife desires the prayers Of the
congregation" But when the nervous
curate gave out the notice. the con.
gregation was startled by being In
formed that "A sailor going TO see his
wife. desires the prayers Of the con-
gregation."