istic workingman, replied."

A Scotsman who has a keen appreciation of the strong characteristics of
his countrymen delights in the story of a druggist known both for his
thrift and his philosophy.

Once he was aroused from a deep sleep by the ringing of his night bell.
He went down to his little shop and sold a dose of rather nauseous
medicine to a distressed customer.

"What profit do you make out of that?" grumbled his wife.

"A ha'penny," was the cheerful answer.

"And for that bit of money you'll lie awake maybe an hour," she said
impatiently.

"Never grumble o'er that, woman," was his placid answer. "The dose will
keep him awake all night. We must thank heaven we ha' the profit and
none o' the pain o' this transaction."

A German shoemaker left the gas turned on in his shop one night and upon
arriving in the morning struck a match to light it.

There was a terrific explosion, and the shoemaker was blown out through
the door almost to the middle of the street.

A passer-by rushed to his assistance, and, after helping him to rise,
inquired if he was injured.

The little German gazed at his place of business, which was now burning
quite briskly, and said:

"No, I ain't hurt. But I got out shust in time, eh?"

My own hope is, a sun will pierce
The thickest cloud earth ever stretched;
That, after Last, returns the First,
Tho' a wide compass round be fetched;
That what began best, can't prove worst,
Nor what God blessed once, prove accursed.

--_Browning_.

ORATORS

It is narrated that Colonel Breckenridge, meeting Majah Buffo'd on the
streets of Lexington one day asked: "What's the meaning, suh, of the
conco's befor' the co't house?"

To which the majah replied:

"General Buckneh is making a speech. General Buckneh suh, is a bo'n
oratah."

"What do you mean by bo'n oratah?"

"If you or I, suh, were asked how much two and two make, we would reply
'foh.' When this is asked of a bo'n oratah, he replies: 'When in the
co'se of human events it becomes necessary to take an integah of the
second denomination and add it, suh, to an integah of the same
denomination, the result, suh--and I have the science of mathematics to
back me up in my judgment--the result, suh, and I say it without feah of
successful contradiction, suh-the result is fo'' That's a bo'n oratah."

When Demosthenes was asked what was the first part of Oratory, he
answered, "Action," and which was the se