Although a sailor can "jockey" a yard-arm gracefully, he is anything but
impressive in that sense on horseback. Yet one of the first things that
a man-o'-war Jack steers for when he gets on shore with liberty-money in
his pocket is a livery-stable, where he can mount the hurricane deck of
an animal.
During the time that one of our vessels was at anchor off Newport
liberty was given, and two of the seamen agreed to spend their limited
amount of money on horse-flesh. One of them negotiated with the
liveryman, and soon appeared on the street perched in the saddle. When
out of sight of the stable-keeper, Jack's companion hove alongside and
mounted behind his mate. In this fashion they sailed down Main Street
until the square was reached where Commodore Perry's statue is placed.
"I say, Bill," cried the sailor in the saddle, "put your helm aport, and
let's go up and have a look at the stattoo."
"All right, my boy," answered Bill. Then he reached back of him, caught
the horse's tail, pulled it hard around on his left, and awaited
developments. After a minute he sung out:
"Something's the matter with the steering-gear, Jack; she won't mind her
helm!"
* * * * *
TWO OF THEM.
FRED. "Did you know that Captain Thribble had two left legs?"
UNCLE NED. "Nonsense!"
FRED. "But it's not nonsense. His right leg was left at Gettysburg,
wasn't it? And he has a left leg still, hasn't he?"
* * * * *
LONG MEASURE.
PROFESSOR PROBLEM. "It takes a yard and a half of muslin to make a boy's
shirt. How many shirts can be got out of six yards?"
TOBY TOOQUICK. "Four, sir; but I know of a man that got more than that
out of _one_. He got five of my big brother's and three of mine from our
back yard one night last week."
* * * * *
A DILIGENT STUDENT.
"Come out and play," cried Willie, from the yard.
"Can't. I'm studying," shouted Robbie.
"Whatcher studying?" called Willie.
"Reading," returned Robbie. "I want to learn it, so's I can read the
telephone book and find out what Santa Claus's number is. I've got
something to say to him about some things for somebody some time."
* * * * *
HE SPELT IT T-E-A-S-E.
MAMMA. "Bobby, stop making your little brother scream! What are you
doing? We have this same noise about every afternoon at this time, and I
want it stopped."
BOBBY. "Well, mamma, you have your afternoon teas, and I don't see why
we can't have ours."
* * * * *
ACCOUNTED FOR.
"I know why girls likes dolls," observed Wilbur, sagely, to his aunt.
"It's because dolls don't say a woyd, and lets the girls do all the
talkin'."
* * * * *
INTO THE HOLE IN ONE SHOT.
"I made a great golf shot the other day," said Harold. "It was in the
house, and I drove one of papa's golf balls right into a hole it made in
the looking-glass."
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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