10.  One of twin-brothers died:  a fellow meeting the survivor asked, “Which is it, you or your brother, that’s dead?”

11.  A man whose son was dead, seeing a crowd assembled to witness the funeral, said, “I am ashamed to bring my little child into such a numerous assembly.”

12.  The son of a fond father, when going to war, promised to bring home the head of one of the enemy.  His parent replied, “I should be glad to see you come home without a head, provided you come safe.”

13.  A man wrote to his friend in Greece begging him to purchase books.  From negligence or avarice, he neglected to execute the commission; but fearing that his correspondent might be offended, he exclaimed when next they met, “My dear friend, I never got the letter that you wrote me about the books.”

14.  A wittol, a barber, and a bald-headed man travelled together.  Losing their way, they were forced to sleep in the open air; and, to avert danger, it was agreed to keep watch by turns.  The lot first fell on the barber, who, for amusement, shaved the fool’s head while he slept; he then woke him, and the fool, raising his hand to scratch his head, exclaimed, “Here’s a pretty mistake; rascal! you have waked the bald-headed man instead of me.”

15.  A citizen, seeing some sparrows in a tree, went beneath and shook it, folding out his hat to catch them as they fell.

16.  A foolish fellow, having a house to sell, took a brick from the wall to exhibit as a sample.

17.  A man meeting his friend, said, “I spoke to you last night in a dream.”  “Pardon me,” replied the other, “I did not hear you.”

18.  A man that had nearly been drowned while bathing, declared that he would not again go into the water until he had learned to swim.

(To understand the next, we must premise that a horse with his first teeth was called by the Greeks “a first thrower.”)

19.  A man selling a horse was asked if it was a first thrower.  “By Jove,” said he, “he’s a second thrower, for he threw both me and my father.”

20.  A fellow had to cross a river, and entered the boat on horseback; being asked the cause, he replied, “I must ride, because I am in a hurry.”

21.  A student in want of money sold his books, and wrote home, “Father, rejoice; for I now derive my support from literature.”

We thank the wits of the Athenaeum for these piquancies:  they are in the right true Attic vein, and are therefore characteristic of that clever Journal.

* * * * *

KNOWLEDGE FOR THE PEOPLE.

(From Part xiii.—­Botany.)

Why have vegetables the function of transpiration?

Because the sap, on arriving in the leaves, loses and gives out the superabundant quantity of water which it contained.

Why are limpid drops often observed hanging at the points of leaves at sunrise?