1895
"These steel pens," said a rugged and ruddy octogenarian, "are an abomination. They give one writers' cramp. Do you know that writers' cramp was never heard of before steel pens were invented? I use a quill at home, and I never feel the cramp when I have a good quill between my fingers."
"It is a little hard to buy quills in New York, isn't it?" asked the listener.
"Buy 'em!" said the octogenarian. "I don't buy 'em. I shoot 'em, wild geese and swan, at my summer home out west, and I always have a good supply of just the right kind. I have a special knife to make my pens. You can get such knives down town." — New York Sun.
No Time to Lose
Mamma — What has become of the bottle of mucilage?
Little Dot — I haven't seen it, but I guess maybe you'd better look in the nursery. The boys is getting up a dime museum, and I heard Johnny tell Ethel she might be the Circassian girl. — Good News.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Steel Pens and Writers' Cramp
Friday, June 22, 2007
Fiddling For A Howling Mob
1896
Once Cherubini had to figure as a fiddler in spite of himself.
In the stormy days of 1792 it was a perilous experiment to walk the streets of Paris. During an occasion of more than ordinary excitement the composer fell into the hands of a band of sans-culottes who were roving about seeking musicians to conduct their chants. To them it was a special gratification to compel the talent that had formerly delighted royalty to minister now to their gratification.
On Cherubini firmly refusing to lead them, a low murmur was heard from the crowd, and the fatal word, "Royalist! Royalist!" went up. At this critical moment one of Cherubini's friends — also a kidnapped musician — seeing his imminent danger, thrust a violin into his unwilling hands and bade him head the mob. The whole day these two musicians accompanied the hoarse and overpowering yells of the revolutionary horde, and when at last a halt was made in a public square, where a banquet was served, Cherubini and his friend had to mount empty barrels and play until the feasting was over.
Used Many Quill Pens
In 1768, 27,000,000 quills were shipped from Russia and Poland to England, to say nothing of those which were sent to other countries.
The Penalty of Bachelorhood
In Corea every unmarried man is considered a boy, though he should live to be a hundred years old. No matter what his age, he ranks below the youngest of the unmarried men, despite the fact, perhaps, of having lived long enough to be his father.
It takes a bad man to be a good politician.
