This is a good joke upon Matrimonial Advertising.

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Jack Bannister visited the Haymarket theatre on Wednesday night, August 20, and made in the free-list book the following entry:—­“Fifty years ago, in the year 1778, I made my first appearance at this theatre.  Half a century is not bad.  Hurra!!  John Bannister.”

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ALPHABETICAL AGREEMENT.

In reading over an agreement, for letting a house, the other day, the initials of the party letting it were A.B., of the party taking C.D., and of the witness to the signatures E.F.

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OBSTINACY AND PERSEVERANCE.

Obstinacy and perseverance, though often confounded, are two very different things; a man may be very obstinate, and yet not persevere in his opinion ten minutes.  Obstinacy is resistance to truth; perseverance is a continuance in truth or error.

T.C.C.

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IDOLATRY.

The origin of idolatry is by many attributed to the age of Eber, though most of the fathers place it no higher than that of Serug; but it appears to me certain, that image worship existed in the time of Jacob, from the account of Rachel taking images along with her on leaving her father’s house, which is given in the book of Genesis.

T.C.C.

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ORIGIN OF THE WORD GALLIMATHIAS.

This word, which signifies nonsense, alias talk without meaning, is supposed to have first arisen at the time when all pleadings at the bar were in Latin.  There was a cause, it seems, about a cock, belonging to the plaintiff Matthias; the counsel, in the heat of the harangue, by often repeating the words gallus and Matthias, happened to blunder, and, instead of saying gallus Matthiae, said galli Matthias, which at length became a general name for all confused, embroiled language and discourse.

P.T.W.

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SALLIE TO JOHN.

  Changed ere long shall my fortunes be,
  Yet my faith is firm—­I will go with thee. 
  I yield not weakly to fancy’s trance,
  Or the fitful flame of young romance;
  I dwell with a calm, unshrinking mind
  On the scenes that I seek and leave behind;
  My future fate spread forth I see,
  And my choice is fix’d—­I will go with thee.

  I have thought on this hour with many a tear,
  In the timid weakness of woman’s fear;
  It comes, and I rise, the test above,
  In the dauntless strength of woman’s love. 
  Gaze not upon me with looks so sad—­
  My step is firm, and my heart is glad;
  This last, last sigh for my home shall be—­
  Past is the trial—­I go with thee.