Certainly no one would think of reading a dictionary for amusement or pleasure--as the Irishman said, he would lose the thread of the story in the great mass of detail. Nor would one expect to find jokes in such a book, barring Mark Twain’s about the carbuncle. But that learned and otherwise serious dictionary, the Century, contains at least one laughable entry. Under the word "question" is the following: "To pop the question--see pop." *INSIDE INFORMATION* A Christian Scientist, while walking in the country, met a small boy sitting under an apple-tree doubled up with pain. "My little man," she said, "what is the matter?" "I ate some green apples," moaned the boy, "and oh, how I ache!" "You don’t ache," answered the apostle of Mrs. Eddy; "your pain is imagination. It’s all in your mind." The boy looked up in grave astonishment at such a statement and then replied in a most positive manner: "That’s all right; you may think so, but I’ve got inside information." *ADJOINING LAND* A man soliciting aid for foreign missions, was refused with the reply: "I don’t believe in foreign missions. I want what I give to benefit my neighbors." "Well," rejoined the caller, "whom do you regard as your neighbors?" "Why, those around me." "Do you mean those whose land joins yours?" "Yes." "How much land do you hold?" "About five hundred acres." "And how far through the earth do you think you own?" "Why, I have never thought of it before, but I suppose I own half-way down." "Exactly. I suppose you do; and I want this money for the heathen whose land adjoins yours at the bottom." *VAIN HOPES* The principal, in questioning the boys of the lower classes of a school, asked them many questions as to citizenship. At last she came to an all-important question. "Now," she said slowly, "as every boy has ambition, I would like to know how many boys in this room would like to be president of the United States?" Every boy, save one, raised his hand. The teacher looked in a surprised manner at the little fellow whose hand remained in his lap. "Why, Bob," she exclaimed, "haven’t you any desire to become president of this great country?" "I’d like to, all right," replied Bob, mournfully, "but ’tain’t no use. I’m a Democrat." *AT THE FERRY* A colored man of Alabama who ran a ferry was one day thus accosted by a poor white man: "Uncle Mose, I want to cross but haven’t got no money." Uncle Mose scratched his head. "Doan you got no money ’t all?" he queried. "No," said the wayfaring stranger, "I haven’t a cent." "But it done cost you but three cents," insisted Uncle Mose, "ter cross de ferry." "I know," said the white man, "but I haven’t got three cents." Uncle Mose was in a quandary.