Comte: "The price is too much; seventy francs is abundance."
Man: "One hundred francs is the price, neither more nor less; take the pig at that or leave it."
Comte: "Stay (and approaching the animal); I am sure your pig is more reasonable than are you. (Addressing the pig) Tell me on your conscience, my fine fellow, are you worth one hundred francs?"
To which the pig was believed to reply in a hoarse and hollow voice: "You are a long way out; I'm not worth the half—I'm measled, and, if you buy me, you will be taken in."
Finally, we would recommend our young friends to practise those few sounds we have mentioned, and others will soon come naturally; to bear in mind our observations as to sounds from a distance and from various directions; and before attempting anything like a set entertainment, to write out beforehand and to rehearse over and over again the dialogues to be introduced. Strange sounds may sometimes be tried, secretly, in order to try the effect on others; but care must be taken, if ever ventriloquism is used for practical joking, and the nerves and feelings of those against whom the joke is to be directed well considered, or mischief may attend what would otherwise be perfectly innocent.
FIRESIDE FUN.
During the long winter evenings, when families are assembled together for the Christmas vacations, pleasant and profitable hours may be spent quietly sitting round the fire and indulging in such mental games and pastimes as will be explained in this section. The English language is composed of words of various construction, and it is our intention in the few following pages to describe some of the many ways in which combined amusement and information may be obtained by exercises in word and letter puzzles; to speak of the different kinds of acrostics, enigmas, charades, rebuses, and the like, and how they are made; to give a few examples of each; and generally to do what we can to help wile away pleasantly some of those hours which, it is feared, in some circles may hang heavily for want of that specific instruction which it will be our object to impart. Moreover, we will treat here of authors, cities, rivers, countries, mountains, and other matters, so that fair opportunity is offered to our young friends to turn to account such knowledge as they possess; and it is hoped that they may be encouraged to seek further information on the subjects that these various subjects give rise to.