"If you will persist in this kind of thing, a widespread conflagration of the populace will be so imminent that it will require only a spark to let loose the dogs of war in our midst. Will you persist in hurling the corner stone of our personal liberty to your wolfish hounds of collectors, thirsting for its blood? If you persist, the first thing you know you will have the chariot of a justly indignant revolution rolling along in our midst and gnashing its teeth as it rolls.
"If your rascally collectors are permitted to continue coming to our doors with unblushing footsteps, with cloaks of hypocritical compunction in their mouths, and compel payment from your patrons, this policy will result in cutting the wool off the sheep that lays the golden egg, until you have pumped it dry--and then farewell, a long farewell, to our vaunted prosperity."
MICE
"What"s the matter with Briggs?"
"He was getting shaved by a lady barber when a mouse ran across the floor."--_Life_.
MIDDLE CLa.s.sES
WILLIE--"Paw, what is the middle cla.s.s?"
PAW--"The middle cla.s.s consists of people who are not poor enough to accept charity and not rich enough to donate anything."
MILITANTS
_See_ Suffragettes.
MILITARY DISCIPLINE
Murphy was a new recruit in the cavalry. He could not ride at all, and by ill luck was given one of the most vicious horses in the troop.
"Remember," said the sergeant, "no one is allowed to dismount without orders."
Murphy was no sooner in the saddle than he was thrown to the ground.
"Murphy!" yelled the sergeant, when he discovered him lying breathless on the ground, "you dismounted!"
"I did."
"Did you have orders?"
"I did."
"From headquarters, I suppose?"
"No, sor; from hintquarters."
"How dare you come on parade," exclaimed an Irish sergeant to a recruit, "before a respictible man loike mysilf smothered from head to foot in graise an" poipe clay? Tell me now--answer me when I spake to yez!"
The recruit was about to excuse himself for his condition when the sergeant stopped him.
"Dare yez to answer me when I puts a question to yez?" he cried. "Hould yer lyin" tongue, and open your face at yer peril! Tell me now, what have ye been doin" wid yer uniform an" arms an" bills? Not a word, or I"ll clap yez in the guardroom. When I axes yez anything an" yez spakes I"ll have yez tried for insolence to yer superior officer, but if yez don"t answer when I questions yez, I"ll have yez punished for disobedience of orders! So, yez see, I have yez both ways!"
Mistake, error, is the discipline through which we advance.--_Channing_.
MILLINERS
Recipe for a milliner:
To a presence that"s much more than queenly, Add a manner that"s quite Vere de Vere; You feel like a worm in her sight when she says, "Only $300, my dear!"
--_Life_.
MILLIONAIRES
Recipe for a multi-millionaire:
Take a boy with bare feet as a starter Add thrift and sobriety, mixed-- Flavor with quarts of religion, And see that the tariff is fixed.
--_Life_.
MILLIONAIRE (to a beggar)--"Be off with you this minute!"
BEGGAR--"Look "ere, mister; the only difference between you and me is that you are makin" your second million, while I am still workin" at my first."