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Show MR. EVARTS' CONUNDRUM. Mr. E?arts has been in a moat playful humor ever since bis trip through the New England states. The press ol the country teem daily with his bright witticisms and ban mots. At the eabiuet meeting hwt Saturday, j Mr. Evarts u evwn more humorous I than ever. His wit bubbled and , welled aud gurgled up like a wpriug of: Jlresh, cool water. Tn.i other houor-S houor-S able gentlemen laugbt d and laughed itiil their Bides fairly ached, and still Mr. Evarts' fund of humor was not-exhausted. not-exhausted. "Why," said hf, planting b fresh chew where it would do the not good, and handiug the pouch hack to Gm. j Deveus, "why is the hen immortal?" "Come, now," said tbe president, smiling benignantly, "come, now, no politics to-day I" "Ob, but your honor," remonstrated remon-strated Mr. Evarts, rising and instinctively in-stinctively reaching for a olume of reports that lay oo the table. "There idn't benny pulleiics in this; but, may it pleaae the court, it's a joke. Why ii the hen immortal ?" The cabinet Bank at once into a profound study. I "Why is the hen immortal?'' slowly repeated General Dovens. "Because "Be-cause she never dye! He, he, he, he!" The cabinet groaned dismally, and Mr, Evarta aaid l'Ao " "Oh, I know!" cried General Key, gleefully, clapping his hanta. "I I knowl Because she can't climb a tree!" . - This cast a gloom over the circle, and the president remarked that he'd have to cut down the erring brother's wages if be wasn't more considerate of iiie associate's feeliugs. Mr. Evarts again shook his head. Secretary Sherman was the next to break the awlul silence. "Because," said he, "because her customs syndicate an eggistence of" "No, no," interrupted Mr. Evarta, "that's not it, at all. It's a short answer." "Give us the first line and then it'll be easier to guess," suggested the warlike McCrary. "Well, all right," aaid Mr. Evarta, "because her son there, now you ought to-guess tbe rest easy enough." "Because her eon believed in civil Hervice ?" quickly put in Mr. Schurz. They laughed heartily at this felicitous fe-licitous hit at the poor bird, but Mr. Evarta still shook his bead. "Well, we give it up," they all cried in chorus. "Give it up, eh?" said Mr. Evarts. "Why it's ai easy as rolling ofl a log. A hen is immortal becauBe her son " At this moment Mrs. Hayes came in and invited the cabinet intotbo) blue room lo tike a glass of water with her. So Mr. Evarts' conum-drum conum-drum is still before the country. |