“What sort of chap is he?”

“Well, after a beggar has touched him for a dime he’ll tell you he ‘gave a little dinner to an acquaintance of his.’”—­R.R.  Kirk.

WILLIE—­“All the stores closed on the day my uncle died.”

TOMMY—­“That’s nothing.  All the banks closed for three
weeks the day after my pa left town.”—­Puck.

Two men were boasting about their rich kin.  Said one: 

“My father has a big farm in Connecticut.  It is so big that when he goes to the barn on Monday morning to milk the cows he kisses us all good-by, and he doesn’t get back till the following Saturday.”

“Why does it take him so long?” the other man asked.

“Because the barn is so far away from the house.”

“Well, that may be a pretty big farm, but compared to my father’s farm in Pennsylvania your father’s farm ain’t no bigger than a city lot!”

“Why, how big is your father’s farm?”

“Well, it’s so big that my father sends young married couples out to the barn to milk the cows, and the milk is brought back by their grandchildren.”

BONANZAS

A certain Congressman had disastrous experience in goldmine speculations.  One day a number of colleagues were discussing the subject of his speculation, when one of them said to this Western member: 

“Old chap, as an expert, give us a definition of the term, ‘bonanza.’”

“A ‘bonanza,’” replied the Western man with emphasis, “is a hole in the ground owned by a champion liar!”

BOOKKEEPING

Tommy, fourteen years old, arrived home for the holidays, and at his father’s request produced his account book, duly kept at school.  Among the items “S.  P. G.” figured largely and frequently.  “Darling boy,” fondly exclaimed his doting mamma:  “see how good he is—­always giving to the missionaries.”  But Tommy’s sister knew him better than even his mother did, and took the first opportunity of privately inquiring what those mystic letters stood for.  Nor was she surprised ultimately to find that they represented, not the venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, but “Sundries, Probably Grub.”

BOOKS AND READING

LADY PRESIDENT—­“What book has helped you most?”

NEW MEMBER—­“My husband’s check-book.”—­Martha Young.

“You may send me up the complete works of Shakespeare,
Goethe and Emerson—­also something to read.”

There are three classes of bookbuyers:  Collectors, women
and readers.

The owner of a large library solemnly warned a friend against the practice of lending books.  To punctuate his advice he showed his friend the well-stocked shelves.  “There!” said he.  “Every one of those books was lent me.”

In science, read, by preference, the newest works; in literature, the oldest.—­Bulwer-Lytton.