C
CAABA, n. A large stone presented by the archangel Gabriel to the CABBAGE, n. A familiar kitchen-garden vegetable about as large and The cabbage is so called from Cabagius, a prince who on ascending CALAMITY, n. A more than commonly plain and unmistakable reminder CALLOUS, adj. Gifted with great fortitude to bear the evils When Zeno was told that one of his enemies was no more he was CALUMNUS, n. A graduate of the School for Scandal. CAMEL, n. A quadruped (the Splaypes humpidorsus) of great value to CANNIBAL, n. A gastronome of the old school who preserves the simple CANNON, n. An instrument employed in the rectification of national CANONICALS, n. The motley worm by Jesters of the Court of Heaven. CAPITAL, n. The seat of misgovernment. That which provides the fire, CARMELITE, n. A mendicant friar of the order of Mount Carmel. As Death was a-rising out one day, Across Mount Camel he took his way, Where he met a mendicant monk, Some three or four quarters drunk, With a holy leer and a pious grin, Ragged and fat and as saucy as sin, Who held out his hands and cried: "Give, give in Charity's name, I pray. Give in the name of the Church. O give, Give that her holy sons may live!" And Death replied, Smiling long and wide: "I'll give, holy father, I'll give thee -- a ride." With a rattle and bang Of his bones, he sprang From his famous Pale Horse, with his spear; By the neck and the foot Seized the fellow, and put Him astride with his face to the rear. The Monarch laughed loud with a sound that fell Like clods on the coffin's sounding shell: "Ho, ho! A beggar on horseback, they say, Will ride to the devil!" -- and thump Fell the flat of his dart on the rump Of the charger, which galloped away. Faster and faster and faster it flew, Till the rocks and the flocks and the trees that grew By the road were dim and blended and blue To the wild, wild eyes Of the rider -- in size Resembling a couple of blackberry pies. Death laughed again, as a tomb might laugh At a burial service spoiled, And the mourners' intentions foiled By the body erecting Its head and objecting To further proceedings in its behalf. Many a year and many a day Have passed since these events away. The monk has long been a dusty corse, And Death has never recovered his horse. For the friar got hold of its tail, And steered it within the pale Of the monastery gray, Where the beast was stabled and fed With barley and oil and bread Till fatter it grew than the fattest friar, And so in due course was appointed Prior. G.J. CARNIVOROUS, adj. Addicted to the cruelty of devouring the timorous CARTESIAN, adj. Relating to Descartes, a famous philosopher, author CAT, n. A soft, indestructible automaton provided by nature to be This is a dog, This is a cat. This is a frog, This is a rat. Run, dog, mew, cat. Jump, frog, gnaw, rat. Elevenson CAVILER, n. A critic of our own work. CEMETERY, n. An isolated suburban spot where mourners match lies, His virtues were so conspicuous that his enemies, unable to overlook them, denied them, and his friends, to whose loose lives they were a rebuke, represented them as vices. They are here commemorated by his family, who shared them. In the earth we here prepare a Place to lay our little Clara. Thomas M. and Mary Frazer P.S. -- Gabriel will raise her. CENTAUR, n. One of a race of persons who lived before the division of CERBERUS, n. The watch-dog of Hades, whose duty it was to guard the CHILDHOOD, n. The period of human life intermediate between the CHRISTIAN, n. One who believes that the New Testament is a divinely I dreamed I stood upon a hill, and, lo! The godly multitudes walked to and fro Beneath, in Sabbath garments fitly clad, With pious mien, appropriately sad, While all the church bells made a solemn din -- A fire-alarm to those who lived in sin. Then saw I gazing thoughtfully below, With tranquil face, upon that holy show A tall, spare figure in a robe of white, Whose eyes diffused a melancholy light. "God keep you, strange," I exclaimed. "You are No doubt (your habit shows it) from afar; And yet I entertain the hope that you, Like these good people, are a Christian too." He raised his eyes and with a look so stern It made me with a thousand blushes burn Replied -- his manner with disdain was spiced: "What! I a Christian? No, indeed! I'm Christ." G.J. CIRCUS, n. A place where horses, ponies and elephants are permitted CLAIRVOYANT, n. A person, commonly a woman, who has the power of CLARIONET, n. An instrument of torture operated by a person with CLERGYMAN, n. A man who undertakes the management of our spiritual CLIO, n. One of the nine Muses. Clio's function was to preside over CLOCK, n. A machine of great moral value to man, allaying his concern A busy man complained one day: "I get no time!" "What's that you say?" Cried out his friend, a lazy quiz; "You have, sir, all the time there is. There's plenty, too, and don't you doubt it -- We're never for an hour without it." Purzil Crofe CLOSE-FISTED, adj. Unduly desirous of keeping that which many "Close-fisted Scotchman!" Johnson cried To thrifty J. Macpherson; "See me -- I'm ready to divide With any worthy person." Sad Jamie: "That is very true -- The boast requires no backing; And all are worthy, sir, to you, Who have what you are lacking." Anita M. Bobe COENOBITE, n. A man who piously shuts himself up to meditate upon the O Coenobite, O coenobite, Monastical gregarian, You differ from the anchorite, That solitudinarian: With vollied prayers you wound Old Nick; With dropping shots he makes him sick. Quincy Giles COMFORT, n. A state of mind produced by contemplation of a neighbor's COMMENDATION, n. The tribute that we pay to achievements that COMMERCE, n. A kind of transaction in which A plunders from B the COMMONWEALTH, n. An administrative entity operated by an incalculable This commonwealth's capitol's corridors view, So thronged with a hungry and indolent crew Of clerks, pages, porters and all attaches Whom rascals appoint and the populace pays That a cat cannot slip through the thicket of shins Nor hear its own shriek for the noise of their chins. On clerks and on pages, and porters, and all, Misfortune attend and disaster befall! May life be to them a succession of hurts; May fleas by the bushel inhabit their shirts; May aches and diseases encamp in their bones, Their lungs full of tubercles, bladders of stones; May microbes, bacilli, their tissues infest, And tapeworms securely their bowels digest; May corn-cobs be snared without hope in their hair, And frequent impalement their pleasure impair. Disturbed be their dreams by the awful discourse Of audible sofas sepulchrally hoarse, By chairs acrobatic and wavering floors -- The mattress that kicks and the pillow that snores! Sons of cupidity, cradled in sin! Your criminal ranks may the death angel thin, Avenging the friend whom I couldn't work in. K.Q. COMPROMISE, n. Such an adjustment of conflicting interests as gives COMPULSION, n. The eloquence of power. CONDOLE, v.i. To show that bereavement is a smaller evil than CONFIDANT, CONFIDANTE, n. One entrusted by A with the secrets of B, CONGRATULATION, n. The civility of envy. CONGRESS, n. A body of men who meet to repeal laws. CONNOISSEUR, n. A specialist who knows everything about something and An old wine-bibber having been smashed in a railway collision, CONSERVATIVE, n. A statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as CONSOLATION, n. The knowledge that a better man is more unfortunate CONSUL, n. In American politics, a person who having failed to secure CONSULT, v.i. To seek another's disapproval of a course already CONTEMPT, n. The feeling of a prudent man for an enemy who is too CONTROVERSY, n. A battle in which spittle or ink replaces the In controversy with the facile tongue -- That bloodless warfare of the old and young -- So seek your adversary to engage That on himself he shall exhaust his rage, And, like a snake that's fastened to the ground, With his own fangs inflict the fatal wound. You ask me how this miracle is done? Adopt his own opinions, one by one, And taunt him to refute them; in his wrath He'll sweep them pitilessly from his path. Advance then gently all you wish to prove, Each proposition prefaced with, "As you've So well remarked," or, "As you wisely say, And I cannot dispute," or, "By the way, This view of it which, better far expressed, Runs through your argument." Then leave the rest To him, secure that he'll perform his trust And prove your views intelligent and just. Conmore Apel Brune CONVENT, n. A place of retirement for woman who wish for leisure to CONVERSATION, n. A fair to the display of the minor mental CORONATION, n. The ceremony of investing a sovereign with the outward CORPORAL, n. A man who occupies the lowest rung of the military Fiercely the battle raged and, sad to tell, Our corporal heroically fell! Fame from her height looked down upon the brawl And said: "He hadn't very far to fall." Giacomo Smith CORPORATION, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit CORSAIR, n. A politician of the seas. COURT FOOL, n. The plaintiff. COWARD, n. One who in a perilous emergency thinks with his legs. CRAYFISH, n. A small crustacean very much resembling the lobster, but In this small fish I take it that human wisdom is admirably figured and symbolized; for whereas the crayfish doth move only backward, and can have only retrospection, seeing naught but the perils already passed, so the wisdom of man doth not enable him to avoid the follies that beset his course, but only to apprehend their nature afterward. Sir James Merivale CREDITOR, n. One of a tribe of savages dwelling beyond the Financial CREMONA, n. A high-priced violin made in Connecticut. CRITIC, n. A person who boasts himself hard to please because nobody There is a land of pure delight, Beyond the Jordan's flood, Where saints, apparelled all in white, Fling back the critic's mud. And as he legs it through the skies, His pelt a sable hue, He sorrows sore to recognize The missiles that he threw. Orrin Goof CROSS, n. An ancient religious symbol erroneously supposed to owe its "Be good, be good!" the sisterhood Cry out in holy chorus, And, to dissuade from sin, parade Their various charms before us. But why, O why, has ne'er an eye Seen her of winsome manner And youthful grace and pretty face Flaunting the White Cross banner? Now where's the need of speech and screed To better our behaving? A simpler plan for saving man (But, first, is he worth saving?) Is, dears, when he declines to flee From bad thoughts that beset him, Ignores the Law as 't were a straw, And wants to sin -- don't let him. CUI BONO? [Latin] What good would that do me? CUNNING, n. The faculty that distinguishes a weak animal or person CUPID, n. The so-called god of love. This bastard creation of a CURIOSITY, n. An objectionable quality of the female mind. The CURSE, v.t. Energetically to belabor with a verbal slap-stick. This CYNIC, n. A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, ![]() |