A Sagacious Colt.
A gentleman whose pretty garden adjoined a park in which a number of young colts were grazing, was much annoyed by the inroads of these animals. He took every precaution to prevent their entrance, but to no purpose. Fences were examined and found intact, the gate was kept shut, and yet one or more of the colts would soon be found devastating flower-beds, or browsing in the kitchen garden. The provoking part of it was that no one could discover how the creatures obtained an entrance.
At length men were hidden in the trees to watch, and the problem was speedily solved. A colt trotted up to the gate and inserted its head between the bars, with the evident intention of raising the latch. He made several vain attempts, but had not mastered the trick. The latch remained in its place, and the colt outside.
For a few moments the animal stood cogitating, then trotted rapidly back to the spot where he had left his companions. He singled out one of the most frequent visitors to the garden, and, by some language peculiar to colts, made known his difficulty. The other at once returned with his companion to the gate, inserted his head below one of the bars, and by a dexterous movement displaced the latch, and the gate swung open. Then, throwing back his head as if to say, "See how easy it is when one knows how," he went back whilst the other entered the garden.
It was noticed by the watchers that this last had not previously been seen within the forbidden precincts, but the one that opened the gate for him had been particularly troublesome. The fact that he was specially selected for the office of porter showed no little sagacity in the would-be visitor to the garden. But, much as the cleverness of the animals might be admired, care was taken to render its exercise useless for the future.
Ruth Lamb.
VARIETIES
A French Conversation.
Voltaire once said, "It is not clear, therefore it cannot be French." This is only partially true, for the French language furnishes abundant material for puns and misunderstandings, intentional or otherwise. The following amusing instance may serve as an illustration:—
Two sportsmen met together on their way home.
"Where do you come from?" the first asked the second, who was trembling with fright.
"I come—I come—from the forest of Bondy."
"And why are you so excited?"
"I have been attacked by robbers."
"How many were there?"
"Sept."
"What did you say?"
"Je dis sept."
"Dix-sept?"
"No; sans dix."
"Cent dix?"
"Oh, dear! no. Sans dix, sept."
"Good gracious! Cent dix-sept?"
"Nonsense. Sept sans dix-sept."
"Sept cent dix-sept."
"You don't understand me. Je te dis sept sans dix!"
"Dix-sept cent dix."
"You will drive me mad! Je te dis sept sans dix-sept!"
"Dix-sept cent dix-sept! I can understand your being frightened with such a number."
To Preserve Cut Flowers.—An important rule in preserving cut flowers is never to cram the vase with flowers. Many will last if only they have a large mass of water in the vase and not too many stalks to feed on the water and pollute it. Vases that can hold a large quantity of water are to be preferred to the spindle-shaped trumpets that are often used. Flat dishes covered with wet sand are also useful for short-stalked or heavy-headed flowers; even partially-withered blooms will revive when placed on this cool moist substance. Moss, though prettier than sand, is to be avoided, as it soon smells disagreeably, and always interferes with the scent of the flowers placed in it for preservation.
The Way of the World.—The world deals good-naturedly with good-natured people, and I never knew a sulky misanthropist who quarrelled with it but it was he and not it that was in the wrong.—Thackeray.
Mothers' Thoughts.
To a goose one day a gosling came.
As she surveyed it duly,
She said, "No swan in all the world
Is half so pretty, truly."
In words like these all mothers' thoughts
This wise old goose expressed;
For of all babies in the world,
Each thinks her own the best.
Ungrateful Gratitude.—There are minds so impatient of inferiority that their gratitude is a species of revenge, and they return benefits not because recompense is a pleasure, but because obligation is a pain.—Dr. Johnson.
Double Acrostic.
Dissatisfied with their appointed lot,
These both aspir'd to seem what they were not;
Foil'd in their schemes, they recognis'd, too late,
The folly of attempts to shake the state.
The first became, t' avoid a harsher doom,
A menial, baser than the lowest groom;
The second paid a far more heavy tax;
Tried and condemn'd, he perished by the axe.
1. So fair and flatt'ring, and so bright of hue,
Will it betray us? or will it be true?
2. Friend of two great philosophers, this youth
Boasted himself yet more, the friend of truth.
Throughout a long career he strove to scan
The wondrous working of great Nature's plan,
And taught his pupils, strolling at their ease,
'Neath pleasant shelter of umbrageous trees.
3. The glorious witness to the living faith,
In tortures passing unto life through death.
4. How many bow'd their heads to meet this thing!
Priest, warrior, noble, princess, e'en a king.
5. The good old man, whose tender, loving heart,
Unfitted him to act the sterner part
Of curbing his rebellious children's will;
His mild reproof they disregarded, till
There fell the doom that had been prophesied,
And in one day the sons and father died.
6. Oft melted and then pour'd into a mould,
Translucent and inodorous when cold,
Useful, abundant, and of little cost,
Mis-spelt, miscall'd by those who use me most.
7. A butcher's son, who rose to eminence
In legal circles by his clear good sense;
For public service he was made a peer,
And held the woolsack twice for many a year.
8. The Roman youth, to prove his hardihood,
Thrust his right hand into the fire that stood
Before the king; shrivel'd his hand remained,
And he this surname by that act obtain'd.
9. A bird of Africa, that shows the way
To where wild bees their stores of honey lay;
Then perch'd aloft, content t' await his share
Of honey which the hunters leave him there.
10. The elder daughter, offer'd as a bride
To him who foes successfully defied.
With conquest flush'd, the low-born victor came,
The fair princess's promis'd hand to claim,
But only came to disappointment; since
She had already wed a pow'rful prince.
11. A jutting cape, which, when the Northmen spied,
A fanciful resemblance they descried
To human features; so they gave a name
To mark that cape, and still it bears the same.
12. How do you call that line, which, year by year,
Traces the sun's course round the pictur'd sphere?
13. In Scandinavian fables I am nam'd
"Destroyer," and as evil genius fam'd;
Interpolate one letter, and 'tis strange
That I become preserver by the change.