THE MEAN QUANTITY.

“That is kind,” wrote the board. “We too often have splits in our School Boards; but as you have stopped, I feel sound again.”

“Feel sound! surely you can’t do that; hear it, you mean,” said Jaques.

Board.—“You mean what? Finish your sentence. Boards are generally thought extravagant, and not mean.”

Jaques.—“I don’t mean you’re mean. I mean you mean——”

Board.—“If you are doing a verb, it is—

I mean. not I mean.
Thou meanest. You mean.”

Jaques.—“But I did not intend to say that you were mean or meanest; indeed I didn’t.”

Board.—“You said mean, didn’t you?”

Jaques.—“Yes.”