pig in the presence of the buyer and smearing some blood upon his pious forehead. But by a trick known to the salesman, the windpipe is not severed, so he sells the pig over and over. In the same way coconuts are sold whose milk has been dry for years, and rotten fruit and blind animals are bought at bargains—anything is good enough for offerings to the gods!
(2238)
OFFICE-SEEKING
Some Missouri Republican, hungry for
an office, resorted to rather a novel method
of attracting the attention of Governor-elect
Hadley. He cut away the sole from an old
shoe, carefully removed the pegs, and then,
with a lead-pencil, addrest a letter on the
worn side of the surface. Unfortunately,
his signature could not be deciphered, nor
was the address legible.
Curiosity on the part of those who handled this missive may have been in part responsible for its condition when it reached the attorney-general's office. This much could be made out:
"I am a Republican and want a piece of pie. Anything will do me from guard at the penitentiary up as high as you will go. If you can't give me a slice of pie, please save me a bite of the crust.
So long as the spirit of the writer of
this unusual epistle is abroad in the
land, politics will be degraded and a
better state of things retarded.
(2239)
Oil on the Waters—See Experiment.
Old Age—See Immortality.
Old Age and Work—See Fame and
Time.
OLD AGE CHEERED
The incident related below by the Rev. Asa Bullard is an example that ought frequently to be imitated:
At the "Old People's Day" in 1881, I was
invited to be with Mr. Batt. The house was
quite full on the occasion. There were sixty
people present who were over sixty years
of age, and twenty-five who were eighty
years of age or more. A bouquet was presented
to each of these twenty-five. They
arose, as their names were called, and received
the bouquets as they were presented
by the hands of children. At the close of
the meeting one of those addrest said: "It
knocked twenty years right off from my
age."—"Incidents in a Busy Life."
(2240)
OLD AGE INCURABLE
The following story is told of John Hay:
He had been ailing one time, and a friend
made bold to ask what the trouble was. "I
am suffering from an incurable disease,"
answered Mr. Hay bravely.
A sense of delicacy prevented the friend from making further inquiry; but he told the story to many of his associates, nearly all of whom were acquainted with Mr. Hay, and the report soon spread around Washington that a deadly disease held the Secretary of State within its grasp. One intimate acquaintance of Mr. Hay determined to find out the nature of the secretary's ailment, and addrest him one day with the remark: "I have been told that you are suffering from an incurable disease. Is it true?" "It is," said Mr. Hay, in a sad tone. "What is the incurable disease?" then asked the insistent acquaintance. "Old age," exclaimed Mr. Hay, with a chuckle. (Text.)—Milwaukee Free Press.
(2241)
OLD, ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE
To feel young and able to take on new duties and perform them satisfactorily at the age of 73 should put heart into every discouraged person who is nearing the seventies. Such a person was the matron of the "rest home" for working girls, Arrity Hale.
When Arrity Hale was seventy-three years
old, her husband having died some time
before, she began to find it hard work keeping
her small house going. She never told
any one of this, but neighbors began to
suspect it. A well-known New York family
had a country-place near the village, and
they had always been on friendly terms with
Mrs. Hale. One member of this family
was connected with the Working Girls' Vacation
Society, and she, with some other
women, was contemplating the foundation
of a home in the neighborhood as a branch
of the society.
The woman in question and her friends interested with her in the project, were all alumnæ of Miss Green's school in this city. Miss Green was a famous preceptress a generation or so ago, and she numbered
