Page:Odds and ends, or, A groat's-worth of fun for a penny (2).pdf/9

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that affect. The minister had for a considerable time bent his head, and inclined his head to no purpose; until at last his patience beginning to fail, he addressed the sponsor in rather a surly tone, Your child's name? Not a syllable from the man! Mr. M'Cubbin repeated very audibly, 'Your child's name, Sir?' 'Ye've naething ado wi' that, rejoined the fellow, 'gie ye't its water, which the good man was obliged to do, to the no small merriment of the gaping congregation.

Daniel Purcel, the Hibernian punster, going along with a great mob of spectators assem- bled to see a culprit pass to his execution at Ty- burn, asked a genteel person, who was standing in the-crowd, what was the name of the fellow going to be hanged. He answered, One Vowel.' 'Ah!' said Purcel, 'Do you know which of them it is, for there are several of that name?' No,' returned the other, I do not.' Well,' said the wag, 'this however is certain, and I am very glad of it, that it is neither U nor I.'

When the Leith Docks were to be opened, old Gow's band was summoned to play some appro- priate air, and Sir Walter Scott suggested Water parted from the sea.

Military ETIQUETTE.-During the late re- bellion in Ireland, General Berresford (now Peer and Field-Marshal) commanded a district, and, upon one occasion, proceeded to inspect a country Corps of Yeomanry, drawn up for that purpose, ,On riding up to their front, instead of being received with presented arms,' he found the corps 'standing at ease.' The Captain had, in fact, on first seeing the General, given the word 'attention,' to which no attention was paid-but,