“Edward Everett Hale,” said a lawyer, “was one of the guests at
a millionaire’s dinner. The millionaire was a free spender, but
he wanted full credit for every dollar put out. As the dinner
progressed, he told his guests what the more expensive dishes
had cost.
“‘This terrapin,’ he would say, ‘was shipped direct from
Baltimore. A Baltimore cook came on to prepare it. The dish
actually cost one dollar a teaspoonful.’
“So he talked of the fresh peas, the hothouse asparagus,
the Covent Garden peaches, and the other courses. He dwelt
especially on the expense of the large and beautiful grapes,
each bunch a foot long, each grape bigger than a plum. He told
down to a penny what he had figured it out that the grapes had
cost him apiece.
“The guests looked annoyed. They ate the expensive grapes
charily. But Dr. Hale, smiling, extended his plate and said:
“‘Would you mind cutting me off about $1.87 worth more,
please?’” (Text.)--Rochester _Herald_.
(3414)
W
=Wager, A Rash=--See WOMANLY WIT.