The Jest Book: The Choicest Anecdotes and SayingsLemon, Mark
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The Jest Book: The Choicest Anecdotes and Sayings
Lemon, Mark
Anecdotes -- Great Britain; English wit and humor
SIR CHARLES LYELL, when in the United States, received the following
advice from a friend: "When you are racing with an opposition
steam-boat, or chasing her, and the other passengers are cheering the
captain, who is sitting on the safety-valve to keep it down with his
weight, go as far as you can from the engine, and lose no time,
especially if you hear the captain exclaim, 'Fire up, boys! put on the
resin!' Should a servant call out, 'Those gentlemen who have not paid
their passage will please to go to the ladies' cabin,' obey the summons
without a moment's delay, for then an explosion may be apprehended. 'Why
to the ladies' cabin?' said I. Because it is the safe end of the boat,
and they are getting anxious for the personal security of those who have
not yet paid their dollars, being, of course, indifferent about the
rest. Therefore never pay in advance; for should you fall overboard
during a race, and the watch cries out to the captain, 'A passenger
overboard,' he will ask, 'Has he paid his passage?' and if he receives
an answer in the affirmative, he will call out '_Go ahead_!'"
DCXC.--GENTLY, JEMMY.
SIR JAMES MACKINTOSH invited Dr. Parr to take a drive in his gig. The
horse became restive. "Gently, Jemmy," says the doctor, "don't irritate
him; always soothe your horse, Jemmy. You'll do better without me. Let
me down, Jemmy." Once on _terra-firma_, the doctor's view of the case
was changed. "Now, Jemmy, touch him up. Never let a horse get the better
of you. Touch him up, conquer him, don't spare him; and now, I'll leave
you to manage him--_I'll walk back_."
DCXCI.--WHAT'S IN A SYLLABLE?
LONGFELLOW, the poet, was introduced to one Longworth, and some one
noticed the similarity of the first syllable of the names. "Yes," said
the poet, "but in this case I fear Pope's line will apply,--'_Worth_
makes the man, the want of it the _fellow_.'"
DCXCII.--QUIET THEFT.
A SADDLE being missing at a funeral, it was observed, no wonder that
nothing was heard of it, for it is believed to have been stolen by a
_mute_.
DCXCIII.--GOOD ADVICE.
A YOUNG man (placed by his friends as a student at a veterinary college)
being in company with some of his colleagues, was asked, "If a
broken-winded horse were brought to him for cure, what he would advise?"
After considering for a moment, "Advise," said he, "I should advise the
owner _to sell_ as soon as possible."
DCXCIV.--CRITICISING A STATUE.
SOON after Canning's statue was put up in Palace Yard, in all its
verdant freshness, the carbonate of copper not yet blackened by the
smoke of London, Mr. Justice Gazelee was walking away from Westminster
Hall with a friend, when the judge, looking at the statue (which is
colossal), said, "I don't think this is very like Canning; he was not so
_large_ a man."--"No, my lord," replied his companion, "nor so _green_."
DCXCV.--A COMPARISON.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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