Part 30 (1/2)

_Lionel_, _prejudiced_ against the world on account of _onerous_ cares, concluded to make a _sacrifice_ of his wealth and position and become a _recluse_. His little _hovel_ on the _heather_, whitened with lime which he himself _slaked_, and the little flower garden _redolent_ of spring, present a strange contrast with his former mansion and magnificent grounds.

_Eva_ answered the _inquiry_ of the French gentleman, ”Parlez-vous francais?” with a ”Oui;” but when she came to converse with him, he understood about as much of her _patois_ as he did of _Hindoostanee_.

There is a fabulous report that the _upas_ tree exhales a _subtile_ vapor that is fatal to animal life.

Since _Joshua_ has obtained his lucrative _sinecure_, he spends his time in riding about in his _phaeton_ and reading _romances_. He is _loth_ to acknowledge that he was ever a _plebeian_ and did all kinds of _servile_ work. He is confident that his _genealogy_, if known, would show that he was unto a _manor_ born, and that some _supposit.i.tious_ child robbed him of his rights.

The knight dropped his _wa.s.sail cup_ and sprang to the a.s.sistance of the ladies. ”_Gramercy_,” _quoth_ they, _simultaneously_.

The _veterinary_ physician said that the disease was _murrain_.

An _infinitesimal_ quant.i.ty of _yeast_ excited the fermentation.

_Augustine_ studied _microscopy_ just long enough to learn that a _monad_ is one of the simplest kind of minute _animalcules_; he then tried chemistry and _mineralogy_, but he could not master the _nomenclature_; he then took a fancy for _telegraphy_, but soon abandoned the idea of becoming a _telegraphist_. At last accounts, he apprenticed himself to a druggist, but was told to _vamos_ soon after making up a lot of _Seidlitz_ powders with oxalic instead of _tartaric_ acid.

_Artemas_ has applied for a _patent_ on an improved _turbine_ wheel.

Mr. B., recollecting the _precedent_ services of his servant, advanced him money enough to lift the _lien_ on his dwelling.

The _lithographer_ had only a poor _melanotype_ to copy from, but he succeeded in making an excellent print.

”Thou shalt destroy them that speak _leasing_,” is found in the sixth verse of the fifth _psalm_.

At the examination in _orthoepy_, _Deborah_ had the following words given to her: _contumely_, _crinoline_, _feudal_, _fetid_, _fetor_, _gerund_, _gneiss_, _gyrfalcon_, _harem_, _Hawaiian_, _hygiene_, _lariat_, _leverage_, _nonillion_, _obligatory_, _platina_, _platinum_, _psalmody_, _psychical_, _purulent_, _pyrites_, _recherche_, _resume_, _sacerdotal_, _sacrament_, _schism_, _shekel_, _stearine_ and _troches_.

The objective, me, is _often_ erroneously used instead of the _nominative_, I, in answer to the question--”Who is there?”

In the _dramatis personae_ of ”Midsummer Night's Dream,” _Oberon_ and _t.i.tania_, king and queen of the fairies, are introduced.

At the examination in geography, _Ada_ was required to draw a map of _Asia_, which would have been well done, if she had not drawn _Persia_, _Afghanistan_ and _Beloochistan_ nearly twice their proper size. She was then asked to give the location and length of the _Altai_ and _Vosges_ mountains, and the height of their princ.i.p.al peaks; a description of the _Aral_, _Adriatic_ and _Caribbean_ seas; the course and length of the _Amoor_ and _Yang tse-kiang_; and the location and population of _Valparaiso_ (_Chili_), _Bantam_, (_Java_), _Norwich_, (Eng.), _Pesth_, _Quebec_, _Valenciennes_, _Neufchatel_, _Nantes_ and _Aix-la-Chapelle_.