_Mrs. Jinks._ "That"s Signor Sc.r.a.peski just pa.s.sed. He plays the violin like an angel."
_Tommy._ "Mummy, dear, do the angels say "dam" when a string breaks?"]
[Ill.u.s.tration: QUESTION AND ANSWER
_Mamma._ "Who was the first man, "Lina?"
_"Lina._ "I forget."
_Mamma._ "Already? Why, Adam, to be sure! And who was the first woman?"
_"Lina_ (_after a thoughtful pause_). "Madam!"]
[Ill.u.s.tration: SHEER IGNORANCE
_Benevolent Person._ "Come, my little man, you musn"t cry like that!"
_Boy._ "Garn! "Ow am I to cry then?"]
[Ill.u.s.tration: "I say, Billie, teacher says as if we "angs our stockings up on C"ris"mas Eve, Santa Claus"ll fill "em with presents!"
"It"ll take "im all "is time to fill _mine_. I "aven"t got no foots in "em!"]
[Ill.u.s.tration: ON HIS DIGNITY.--_Sam._ "Mamma bought me a pair of gloves yesterday."
_Auntie._ "Really! What are they? Kids?"
_Sam._ "No, they"re men"s."]
[Ill.u.s.tration: _Sharp_ (_but vulgar_) _little boy_. "Hallo, missus, wot are those?"
_Old Woman._ "Twopence."
_Boy._ "What a lie! They"re apples."
[_Exit, whistling popular air_.]
A DIFFICULT CASE.--_Mamma._ You"re a very naughty boy, Tommy, and I shall have to buy a whip, and give you a good whipping. _Now_ will you be good?
_Tommy_ (_with hesitation_). Shall I be allowed to keep the whip after, mammy?
[Ill.u.s.tration: _Old Gent._ "Do you know what a lie is, sir?"
_Little Boy._ "Oh, don"t I, jest; I tells lots of "em."]
[Ill.u.s.tration: _Old Lady._ "No, thanks. I don"t want any for the garden today."
_Boy._ "Well, then, can we sing yer some Christmas carols instead?"]
[Ill.u.s.tration: OVERHEARD IN BOND STREET
"Which of "em would yer "ave for a muvver, Billy?"]
[Ill.u.s.tration: EXPERIENTIA DOCET
"And are _you_ going to give me something for my birthday, aunty Maud?"
"Of course, darling."
"Then _don"t_ let it be _something useful_!"]
[Ill.u.s.tration: _Mamma._ "You mustn"t bowl your hoop in the front on Sunday. You must go into the back garden."
_Tommy._ "Isn"t it Sunday in the back garden, mamma?"]
[Ill.u.s.tration: A PROTEST
"And pray, am I _never_ to be naughty, Miss Grimm?"]
[Ill.u.s.tration: A NEW TEST
_Aunt_ (_in alarm_). "_Surely_ you"ve eaten enough, haven"t you, Tommy?"