Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-03-26
Love of Joke Borne Out in
His Notorious Faculty
for Puns.
MANY FRIENDS IN RICHMOND
0hirkncSs OF Mind WINS Apparent I'm
All Ills SnyinRs-won Prize n.
tsiirst Mnn-Pnlm~d II on ON
Father Tirrnnn
-. Margaret waller Freeman

The other day MIR Egb"rt Leigh
was speaking 81 tho poet. and men
toned that he had once asked, why
don't YOU come back. John. into the
Episcopal Church where You he
long??"
The answer was instant
IN be damned IL | do"
Love Of Joke I'rn,rrbinL
such ruickncsV Of mind was np.
parent in all of Father Tnbb's say
inrS aud his lov" OF a joke gave
ris" TO e number Of stories In re-
calling them MIR Leigh said: John
r!r Tahh told IN" this story himself
w" often visited ~ ,h" HON" Of Dr
who. though tho soul az hos.
p'i"iitE rnd blindness. was ycry nu-
i""rHtir In his orders Ills way Of
SPEAKING was. Here, toy. take this
message. ANA do IT Immediately or
not at all ON" dag after prayers.
~ which tn" doctor required attend
inc" tn. old gentleman caught sight
~ John Tahh, quit" young at thu
t!m". ard suddenly remembering hi,
father. Thomas Tahh. cried out.
kn""I down again. every one Of
YOU Oh I.prh' forgot !" sag
bless Tom Tahh. and DO 1t immcdi-
ht"!% ar not ~ an"
This love Of joke is born" on, In
nothing 80 clearly as in the poets
notorious pUnniu. II seems that
thor" Wax friend of his "a rather
lrin ANA tru'h-l"Niur old maid. 80
whom u" ono" sent It present az a
small Sum hc had received for SONS.
N"rs"s IN his l"t;"r u" specified thn,
II was 10 l." us"d for Il korchiof or a
bonnet. Tho Lady ~ question. being
very honest. sent !, back with tho
word that sh" didn't need tn. par
icu!hr artic'". Father Talh re-
turned II and insisted tina, sh" use
10,
SAID the gift had come from SOM.
lines az his. which w"r" now dear
Miss Mary's clothes Zines"
Priests "I"nc Rules"
Glancmr through ia" delightful
lit'." book about TIA" poe, hy his
niece, J"uui" VI Tnbh. YOU will nnd
III" humorous dedication 10 his
Ron" hu'"S. or the Skeleton or
English Grammar"
Inscribed to nav Pupils Active aud
Passive. Perfect ana imperfect Past,
Present and Future. by their loving
Father Tahb."
To this. ia ono copy he added: In
whatever Mood they may be"
And farther ON in 'hc grammar are
s"mo ~ tn" comic procession OF
sentences 10 be- corrcc,cd."
Them that was foremost in making
the fuss
Is as ola. and hundred times
mcnncr than us.
Lay sim his mother often said
when Washington had went to bed
Hut little Gcorgi" would reply;
! set up, but cannot lie"
Mrs. Josephin" Houston Is rcspou-
sihlc for the story al tn" time that
Father Tnhb was given ;h, priz" at
Il fair here. for being the uglicst
man in Richmond. The next dag on
IN" street. meeting Father Ticrnan,
who was larg" ana luinpy and near
sighted. he said. Look here. I've got
something that belongs TO YOU"
What" exclaimed Father Ttcrnan.
What can YOU have OF minc?"
Yes" answered Father Tabb
eve 40, something that belongs to
YOU Last nigh, | was given aprizc
for the ugii.st man in Richmond, and
II belongs To YOU"
New rums Every Morning.
The stories are innumcrablc. Ills
pupils used TO say that every morn
ing h. rose with Il new set Of puns.
And the setting them down would
probably he an Impossible task.
Every one knows OF his distastc for
mathematics one day on entering
a friends house. one of the small
arms. crying. "Oh. Father Tabb. I've
come to consolation in arithmetic"
Il congratulate YOU" said tn. poet
rather sadly. THAT is place
never reached in arithmetic"
quite apropos is his well-known
verse:
suspended DER Geometry,
am a tish"r-woman. dangling
4
What is acute in angling.
Then there * the rhyme. written
for his pupils. that Miss Maria Blair
gave.
"ilc sat upon wall,
And leaning DER the brink.
Down to the bottom fell.
And died, they thought. of drink
Jut when they raised his trunk,
To dry IL on the grass.
They found the water drunk,
But he quite sober was
il WAS ut tho home Of the same
friend who prayed so earnestly for
his parent. the Father Tabh and Miss
Maria Blair first met. They were boy
and Girl--he hardly more than 16.
And the friendship begun there con
tinucd throughout their life. Dur
ing this visit, the hoy John Tabh
drew upon a piece Of cardboard taken
1iom IA box Of candles. tho best like
ness, Miss Maria says. that has ever
been made of her.
.'Thr Cioud'' First Acceptance.
Years later in Richmond he came
TO her one evening in the garden
Of her old home, and told her that
he had got his first acceptance that
day. llarpcr's Magazine had paid
ihim $40 for It poem called. THE
cloud. And lifting his foot and
pointing to the soles which were
completely worn out. he said frs,
to her what he afterwards put into
rhyme. II have found footing
on cloud
In view OF the long friendship It
seemed quite fitting that when
rather Tahb died some years ago,
Miss Maria was the one who met
the body at the station. Some ac
cident or misunderstanding had
caused delay for the group OF friends
and priests who were to come. And
when the train from Baltimore drew
In. and the casket was placed and
1nf