“He couldn’t knock any brains out of you, could he, Father?”

Father looked at him long and earnestly, but the lad’s countenance was frank and open.

Father gasped slightly, and resumed his supper.

See also Tact.

COMPOSERS

Recipe for the musical comedy composer: 

  Librettos of all of the operas,
    Some shears and a bottle of paste,
  Curry the hits of last season,
    Add tumpty-tee tra la to taste.

  —­Life.

COMPROMISES

Boss—­“There’s $10 gone from my cash drawer, Johnny; you and I were the only people who had keys to that drawer.”

Office Boy—­“Well, s’pose we each pay $5 and say no more about it.”

CONFESSIONS

“You say Garston made a complete confession?  What did he get—­five years?”

“No, fifty dollars.  He confessed to the magazines.”—­Puck.

Little Ethel had been brought up with a firm hand and was always taught to report misdeeds promptly.  One afternoon she came sobbing penitently to her mother.

“Mother, I—­I broke a brick in the fireplace.”

“Well, it might be worse.  But how on earth did you do it, Ethel?”

“I pounded it with your watch.”

“Confession is good for the soul.”

“Yes, but it’s bad for the reputation.”

CONGRESS

Congress is a national inquisitorial body for the purpose of acquiring valuable information and then doing nothing about it.—­Life.

“Judging from the stuff printed in the newspapers,” says a congressman, “we are a pretty bad lot.  Almost in the class a certain miss whom I know unconsciously puts us in.  It was at a recent examination at her school that the question was put, ‘Who makes the laws of our government?’

“‘Congress,’ was the united reply.

“‘How is Congress divided?’ was the next query.

“My young friend raised her hand.

“‘Well,’ said the teacher, ‘what do you say the answer is?’

“Instantly, with an air of confidence as well as triumph, the Miss replied, ‘Civilized, half civilized, and savage.’”

CONGRESSMEN

It was at a banquet in Washington given to a large body of congressmen, mostly from the rural districts.  The tables were elegant, and it was a scene of fairy splendor; but on one table there were no decorations but palm leaves.

“Here,” said a congressman to the head waiter, “why don’t you put them things on our table too?” pointing to the plants.

The head waiter didn’t know he was a congressman.

“We cain’t do it, boss,” he whispered confidentially; “dey’s mostly congressmen at ‘dis table, an’ if we put pa’ms on de table dey take um for celery an’ eat um all up sho.  ’Deed dey would, boss.  We knows ’em.”