TASTE AND FEELING. The French have taste in all they do, Answered impromptu. Condemn not in such haste, LIFE AND DEATH. The gay and gallant Colonel G. When thus exclaim'd the lovely girl : PARLIAMENT. "This long word comes only from parler, to speak, As best etymologists trace; So you see all is parle, and nothing is meant; Too often the truth of the case.' THOROUGHFARE FOR NONSENSE. "My head Tom's confused with your nonsense and bother, It goes in at the one ear and out at the other." "Of that, my friend Dick, I was ever aware, For nonsense, your head is a pure thoroughfare." THE PROGRESS OF MONEY. Money goes, no one knows. Where it goeth, no one showeth. Run, run; dun, dun; spend, spend ; Lend, lend; send, send. Flush to-day, short to-morrow. Notes to pay, borrow, borrow. How it goes, no one knows. PALINDROMES. A palindrome is a word or sentence that may be read the same backwards as forwards. English palindromes are very seldom found in sentences of more than two or three words. The longest, and it used to be said the only perfect palindromic line in the language is by Taylor, the water poet: "Lewd I did live & evil did I dweL." There is also a French one which is well worth preserving. The shade of the First Napoleon speaks : "Able was I ere I saw Elba." Another inimitable palindrome represents our first parent politely introducing himself to Eve in these words : "Madam, I'm Adam." REVERSING THE FIGURES. Maria, just at twenty, swore That no man less than six feet four Should be her chosen one. At thirty she is glad to fix A spouse exactly four feet six, As better far than none. Saxe. COMPOSITION OF AN EPIGRAM. What is an epigram? A dwarfish whole, NO MORE TONGUE. "A tongue I've for your supper got, "Egad!" cried Tom, "I'll touch it not, A CURE FOR LOVE. The one end of a rope fasten over a beam, And leave all the rest of the cure to the string. TO A LADY, WITH A PAIR OF Gloves. Fairest, to thee I send these gloves; A NICE DISTINCTION. A gent told a fellow, to oaths much inclined, That "Swear not at all," was in Scripture enjoin'd; "I don't swear at all, sir, but only at those," The fellow replied, "who my temper op pose." FORMA BONUM FRAGILE. "What a frail thing is beauty," says Baron Le Cras, Perceiving his mistress had one eye of glass; And scarcely had he spoke it, When she more confused as more angry she grew, By a negligent rage proved the maxim too true, She dropt the eye and broke it. Prior. SMATTERERS. All smatterers are more brisk and pert Butler. |