A sympathizer is a fellow that’s for you as long as it don’t cost anything.

Dwight L. Moody was riding in a car one day when it was hailed by a man much the worse for liquor, who presently staggered along the car between two rows of well-dressed people, regardless of tender feet.

Murmurs and complaints arose on all sides and demands were heard that the offender should be ejected at once.

But amid the storm of abuse one friendly voice was raised.  Mr. Moody rose from his seat, saying: 

“No, no, friends!  Let the man sit down and be quiet.”

The drunken one turned, and, seizing the famous evangelist by the hand, exclaimed: 

“Thank ye, sir—­thank ye!  I see you know what it is to be drunk.”

The man rushed excitedly into the smoking car.  “A lady has fainted in the next car!  Has anybody got any whiskey?” he asked.

Instantly a half-dozen flasks were thrust out to him.  Taking the nearest one, he turned the bottle up and took a big drink, then, handing the flask back, said, “Thank you.  It always did make me feel sick to see a lady faint.”

A tramp went to a farmhouse, and sitting down in the front yard began to eat the grass.

The housewife’s heart went out to him:  “Poor man, you must indeed be hungry.  Come around to the back.”

The tramp beamed and winked at the hired man.

“There,” said the housewife, when the tramp hove in sight, pointing to a circle of green grass, “try that:  you will find that grass so much longer.”

Strengthen me by sympathizing with my strength, not my weakness.—­Amos Bronson Alcott.

SYNONYMS

“I don’t believe any two words in the English language are synonymous.”

“Oh, I don’t know.  What’s the matter with ‘raise’ and ’lift’?”

“There’s a big difference.  I ‘raise’ chickens and have a neighbor who has been known to ‘lift’ them.”

TABLE MANNERS

See Dining.

TACT

It was at the private theatricals, and the young man wished to compliment his hostess, saying: 

“Madam, you played your part splendidly.  It fits you to perfection.”

“I’m afraid not.  A young and pretty woman is needed for that part,” said the smiling hostess.

“But, madam, you have positively proved the contrary.”

TAFT, WILLIAM HOWARD

When Mr. Taft was on his campaigning tour in the west, before he had been elected President, he stopped at the home of an old friend.  It was a small house, not well built, and as he walked about in his room the unsubstantial little house fairly shook with his tread.  When he got into bed that receptacle, unused to so much weight, gave way, precipitating Taft on the floor.