The minister sighed and pondered, and at last had an inspiration. He leaned to Aunt Mahaly, who brightened visibly.
“Sis’ Mahaly,” he said, “hab you eber tried heapin’ coals er fire on his haid?”
The gleam of hope faded from Aunt Mahaly’s face.
“No, Bre’r Jackson, I ain’t never done dat, but I’s tried po’in’ hot water ovuh him.”
A barber in South Bend, having been out late the night before, had a shaky hand the next morning and cut a patron’s cheek four times. After each accident the barber said, as he sponged away the blood: “Oh, dear me, how careless!”
The patron took all these gashes in grave silence. But when the shave was over he filled a glass at the water-cooler, took a mouthful of water, and, with compressed lips, proceeded to shake his head from side to side.
“What is the matter?” the barber asked. “You ain’t got the toothache, have you?”
“No,” said the customer; “I only wanted to see if my mouth would still hold water without leaking.”