DR WATT'S QUOTATIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14580, 20 July 1909, Page 5

DR WATT'S QUOTATIONS.

Sib,—My heart is wae for having caused I)r Watt to spend his Sabbath in indictirifr explanations in I lis none too edifying society of Jezebel ami Balaam. Jt is a , relief, however, to Ik? informed that he is ', not angry. If he had not said so. I eonkl J never lave known, an<l I was perturbed , about the matter. Still, ths main quest ions ave: Did a man ' ask the headlong John for information ', about. Zimri? Did John retort "Get thee . behind me" (Satan)? and was the-question \ about Zimri "infernally silly "V The . placid doctor has risen to explain, and I readilv accept his explanation. It is us follows: (1) That he was well drilled in Holy ] Writ, and though at tlic top of bis class, j like Tom Sawyer, he might make a quite distinct slip; (2) that I must needs be a , "reverend" expert with a microscopic eye, or I could not have detected Ids slip; (3) ; that ho altered the text on purpose out ". of regard for the lady's name. , Of course, it is not usual to doctor quota- ( tions by putting fhetn in the wrong; mouth, > but we don't mir.d now we know. Tha . printer printed more wifely than he knew, \ therefore, v.'iien he made ana epeak of , the "quotation doctor," though I had . written with care '' quotations." The meaning of the capital "M" in " Messenger" is still obscure to me. as is its relation to Balaam and his associate. Perhaps I was ; "writing with my pen dipped in gall," which would lend to make the writing big. ' ; As I say, I accept, tire explanations, ', especially the last. He was considering the ' lady's feelings. Here we are quite at one. I did not wish this Phoenician Lady Mne-l-'jtli, who never did or said a weak thing to ho flouted. WJio knows what neighbours we may have hereafter? It. was her last ', dyin;; spaeoli and protest—ami to have it called " infernally silly "! But enough. Ho did it of charity aforethought. Wo agree in giving Jezebel her due. But I am not for giving her move than a just and equal pound, and when Dr Watt says that she "paid for what she ocht and what she boeht" I mist demur. There is still outstanding a transaction in real estate between her and Nabotb and Sons, which, at compound interest, must be something' considerable. Is Dr Watt a specialist in "wind"? In a former iefter lie talked about " filling a man up with hor air," and to-day ho "fills his belly with the east wind." The differonce, is mainly one cf temperature. I may ■not ho export in finger-rprints, or even iii cloven feet, but I think I know when a nun is riding his hobby. "Issachar" is hypercritical. He would make, Dr AYatt assert that Jehu passed out ; or" history, with tha words " Get thee behind mo.'' Now, Dr Watt meant that the other fellow passed out, though ho didn't happen to say so.-l am, etc., I Cexsok Cexsoihs.