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Show WIT. AND HUMOR. . In the last North American Review .there is an article on "Humor." Some happy illustrations are given. Here is one : "Pat," said a priest, "how is this! You have been drunk again. Don't you remember the pledge you signed!" "Yes, your riverence, but all signs fail in dry times." But that is no better than the other: t Pat had promised a priest that he would drink no more. The next day the priest saw him going into a saloon. He called to him, but Pat paid no attention, at-tention, so he waited until Pat came out, then he said: . . "Pat, did you not hear me call to you!" "Yes, your riverence, but I had only the price for the one." Another instance is given, that which Lord Rochester said of Charles II : "Never said a foolish thing,' And never did a wise one." How that would apply to the DesereJ News, if only the first line were left but. .Another instance is where Mark Twain is lamenting lament-ing to his friends that his "reputation as a humorist had stood in 'the way of people believing that he ever meant what he said." ' And the writer of the article then quotes Thackeray, Thack-eray, who said that humorous writers "take upon themselves to be a week-day preacher, so to speak." But there are men who knew Mark Twain in his younger days who would have replied to him that his reputation as a humorist was not what stood in the way of people believing that he ever meant what he said ; that he acquired that reputation before he acquired the reputation of being a humorist. The writer tells of one college professor who, when in Rome, desired to see a particular function at St. Peter's but at the door he was informed that a special card of admission was necessary. He said, "But surely I am entitled to admission here because of my name." ' ' What is your name, sir ! " ' ' My name is Luther. " . And he got in. Real wit is not nearly so frequent as humor. Many a droll expression of humor passes for wit, and humor is a gift which seldom wounds, while often wit, though forgotten by the speaker, rankles ra the breast of the victim for years. The best example of brutal wit and humor combined. com-bined. was the answer that Disraeli gave when asked what the difference was between a "misfortune" and a "calamity." Quick as lightning he said : "Were Mr. Gladstone to fall into the Thames, that would be a misfortune; were some one to fish him out, that would be a calamity." |