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TASTE AND FEELING.

The French have taste in all they do,
Which we are quite without;
For Nature, which to them gave goût,
To us gave only gout.

Answered impromptu.

Condemn not in such haste,
To letters four appealing;
Their "goût" is only taste,
The English "gout" is feeling.

LIFE AND DEATH.

The gay and gallant Colonel G.
Sat toasting, yes, his bread for tea;
The place a tent, his fork a sword,
The best such places oft afford;
When who like Hebe should walk in
(With beauty that might stoics win)
But the all-witty lady L.,

When thus exclaim'd the lovely girl :
"What do I see!—the staff of life,
Extended on a soldier's knife;
Nor e'er before saw, as I've breath,
That life so near the point of death."

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.
Here and there, everywhere.

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.
Where it goeth, no one showeth.

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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,
Its body brevity, and wit its soul.

NO MORE TONGUE.

"A tongue I've for your supper got,
My dearest Tom," said Kate.
“Egad!” cried Tom, “I'll touch it not,
I've had my share of late."

A CURE FOR Love.

The one end of a rope fasten over a beam,
And make a slip knot at the other extreme;
Then just underneath let a joint stool be set,
On which let the lover most manfully get:
Then over his head let the snicket be got,
And under one ear well arranged be the knot,
The joint stool kick'd down, let him take a fair
swing,

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;
If you love me, leave out the g,
And make a pair of loves.

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 oppose."

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
Than those that understand an art;
As little sparkles shine more bright
Than glowing coals that give them light.

Butler.

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