attic salt:—The delicate wit of the Athenians, who lived in the state of Attica, in Greece.
parvenu:—A French word meaning an upstart who tries to force himself into good society.
Aaron's rod:—See Numbers, 17:1-10.
Bacchus and Venus:—Bacchus was the Greek god of wine; Venus was the Greek goddess of love.
Darwinian theory:—Charles R. Darwin (1809-1882) was a great English scientist who proved that the higher forms of life have developed from the lower.
natural selection:—One of Darwin's theories, to the effect that nature weeds out the weak and unfit, leaving the others to continue the species; the result is called "the survival of the fittest."
steal a while away:—A quotation from a well known hymn beginning,—
I love to steal a while away
From every cumbering care.
It was written in 1829, by Deodatus Dutton.
Roman supper:—The Romans were noted for the extravagance of their evening meals, at which all sorts of delicacies were served.