603. A servant girl, who always attended divine service, but who also
could not read, had, from constant attendance, got the service by rote,
and could repeat it extremely well. But a few Sundays previous to her
marriage, she was accompanied in the same pew by her beau, to whom she
did not like it to be known that she could not read; she, therefore,
took up the prayer-book, and held it before her. Her lover wished to
have a sight of it also, but, unfortunately for her, she held it upside
down. The man astonished, said, Good heavens! why you have the book
wrong side upwards. I know it, sir, said she, confusedly, I always read
so, I am left-handed.
604. Quin being one day in a coffee-house, saw a young beau enter, in an
elegant negligée dress, quite languid with the heat of the day. Waiter,
said the coxcomb, in an affected faint voice, Waiter, fetch me a dish of
coffee, weak as water, and cool as a zephyr! Quin, in a voice of
thunder, immediately vociferated, Waiter, bring me a dish of coffee, hot
as h-ll, and strong as d―t―n. The beau, starting, exclaimed in his
feminine way, Pray, waiter, what is that gentleman’s name? Quin, in the
same tremendous tone, exclaimed, Waiter, pray what is that lady’s name?
605. An old female methodist preached about the country, that she had
been eleven months in heaven. One of the audience started up and said,
It was a pity that she did not stay the other odd month, as she might
then have gained a legal settlement.
606. Two actors belonging to Covent Garden Theatre, being on their way
to Brighton, stopped at an inn to change horses, where there was a coach
coming towards London, waiting the same accommodation, on the roof of
which was seated a farmer’s man, who hailed the two actors thus: So,
masters, you are going a mumming I see. How the devil does that fellow
know we are performers? said one of the actors. Don’t you see he’s on
the stage himself? replied the other.
607. The tradesmen of a certain great man, having dunned him for a long
time, he desired his servant one morning to admit the tailor who had not
been so constant in his attendance as the rest. When he made his
appearance, My friend, said he to him, I think you are a very honest
fellow, and I have a great regard for you; therefore, I take this
opportunity to tell you, that I’ll never pay you a farthing! Now go
home, mind your business, and don’t lose your time by calling here.―As
for the others, they are a set of vagabonds and rascals, for whom I have
no affection, and they may come as often as they choose.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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