Puck — April 3, 1878 — page 6: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

PUCK. SPR—. Along the brookside in its whilom hue; In mute procession her sisters will, no doubt, Make their beauteous advent when they're due, ¥" modest dew-eyed violet peeps out Ineffable beauty bounteous Nature knows, And love-lit souls with tender passion plead, While the bee finds a boudoir in the rose, As roves he where his captious reveries lead. Adown the heavens opal argosies float, In mystical architecture of the winds, Marring the sweetness of the bluebird’s note, ‘The melancholy grinder wistfully grinds. Deep in the heart mild springtime wakens joy, The cherry wears its annual snowy gown; Transports of bliss possess the barefoot boy ‘As the gay circus pageant enters the town. Capriciously the timorous, meek-eyed dove Circles above its owner's rural cot— ‘Ah! golden hour when some men fall in loves [Ah! golden hour when other men do not. Close curtained from the amorous eye uf day, Beauty, within her ringlets of polished jet, Inserts with faultless grace a dainty spray Of that which suits her—jasmine or mignonette. Swift from the white-winged mutable founts above Soft liquid pearls on the fragrant mead are poured; ‘The gardencr’s thrilled with poesy and love— He gets at least ten dollars per month and board. Here, as in the forest's boundless tracts, ‘Sweet spring on damask flower-wings passes by. ‘These tender rhymes I merely offer as facts— Facts which, I think, no person can well deny. R. K, Munkitrrick. A’ CERTAIN WILL CASE. PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE SURROGATE FOR THE Division OF THE TesTaToR’s ESTATE AMONG THE Lawyers. -OUNSELLOR SNIFF called Manfred Delaney, a peanut-vender from Pat- chogue, to the stand. “State what you know concerning the men- tal character of the deceased.” A. He was once crossing in a ferry-boat, and I asked him to buy peanuts, but he refused. Counsel for the defense objected, that the testimony was irrelevant. Sniff said he offered to prove by this testi- mony that the testator was insane. Could any- one doubt that a man refusing to buy peanuts was non compos mentis? ‘The Surrogate ruled the point well taken. Counsel for the defense ‘ objected.” Sniff then asked: “ Master Delaney, in your judgment, as an expert, was the testator of weak mind?” DELANEY. nounce him. Delaney then left the stand. “I offer to prove,” said the counsel for the defense, “that Delarey’s character in Pat- chogue is not good. He has been a minor for eight years, and is now a truant. ‘The Surrogate ruled that the Court could not receive derogatory testimony of deceased per- sons only. When Delaney made a will, it would | be time to asperse his memory. Counsel for defense tiien called Lucrezia Em- meline Hodges, a negress selling flowers, to “rebut”’ the testimony of Delaney. Question. Did you ever see the deceased? ANSWER, No. Q. Do you know anything about him? A. No. Q. Do you feel competent to give an opinion on his mental status? A. Yes, I would unhesitatingly so pro- Q. State your judgment. A. He was perfectly sane. Counsellor Sniff, for the prosecution, offered to present testimony impeaching the veracity of Miss Hodges. Counsel for the defense ob- jected, and the offer was refused. Sniff objected. Miss Hodges left the wit- ness-stand. Sniff called Owen Gleason, a rag man, to the stand, to “rebut” the testimony of ‘Miss Hodges. Q: Did you know the deceased ? A. Yes, Q. For how long? A. Till he died. Q. In what capacity did you know him? A. I bought rags from-his house.” Q. What was the quality of the rags? Objected to as irrelevant. Objection over- ruled. A. They were poor rags. Snirr, I put this in evidence as conclusive of the testator’s weak mental condition. Q. Did you regard him as insane from that circumstartce ? A. Unmistakably. Q. Did you ever notice anything else pecu- liar about him? A. Yes. One day I rang at the basement door. He was sitting in the parlor window, but did not come down and let me in. Q. Do you attribute it to insanity? A. Ido, He was manifestedly insane, Cross-examined. A. I once saw him shake hands with a stranger. Q. Why do you call him a stranger? A. I did not know him, Sniff said he was ready to rest the case, but must first put two boot-blacks and five news- boys on the stand to prove his insanity. Counsel for defense remarked; ‘Your Honor, I shall rebut their testimony with that of two stevedores who are wholly unprejudiced, never having seen the dec eased.” ‘The Surrogate then adjourned the Court for the day, and the litigants accompanied the lawyers to the street. A DISTRESSING SITUATION. KK, i iy, WY ey ap NMS J Mr. Proudfoot suffers excruciating pain with a tight shoe at the theatre. removing it, though rather awkwardly. It having been kicked down the aisle, the gentleman has lost his shoe. Mr. Proudfoot puts it on, inwardly groaning: He succeeds in usher picks it up and wants to know if any ‘ What will Matilda think of me?”