o means suffer him to give up, but
persisted in making him drink a most incredible quantity. "At last,"
said Gifford in telling the story, "being really overflooded with tea, I
put down my fourteenth cup, and exclaimed, with an air of resolution, 'I
neither can nor will drink any more.' The hostess then seeing she had
forced more down my throat than I liked, began to apologize, and added,
'but, dear Mr. Gifford, as you didn't put your spoon across your cup, I
supposed your refusals were nothing but good manners.'"

* * * * *

PRECEDENCE.

An anecdote is told of a captain in the service, since dead, that whilst
carrying out a British ambassador to his station abroad, a quarrel arose
on the subject of precedency. High words were exchanged between them on
the quarter-deck, when, at length, the ambassador, thinking to silence
the captain, exclaimed, "Recollect, sir, _I_ am the representative of
his majesty!" "Then, sir," retorted the captain, "recollect that _here
I_ am _more_ than majesty itself. Can the king _seize a fellow up and
give him three dozen_?" Further argument was useless--the diplomatist
struck.

* * * * *

MARCEL.

A lady who had been a pupil of this distinguished professor of dancing,
and remained subsequently his steady and zealous friend, succeeded in
obtaining for him from the government a pension for life. In her great
joy at having such a boon to put into his possession, she advanced to
him--the certificate in her hand--with a hurried and anxious step; when
M. Marcel, shocked at the style of presentation, struck the paper out of
her hand, demanding if she had forgotten his instructions? The lady
immediately picked it up, and presented it with due form and grace; on
which the accomplished Marcel, the enthusiastic professor of his art,
respectfully kissed her hand, and with a profound bow exclaimed, "Now I
know my own pupil!"

* * * * *

ACROSTIC.

C ould angel's voice, or poet's lays,
A ttune my votive song to praise
R esistless then I'd touch the lyre,
O r chant her praise, whom all admire.
L et candour, dearest maid, excuse;
I claim no kindred to the muse,
N or can a lowly song of mine
E xpress the worth of Caroline. A.C.

* * * * *

"JACK OF BOTH SIDES."

This proverb is derived from the Greek, and applied to Theramenes, who