RECOGNISED THE CHESTNUTS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 6, 6 February 1892, Page 144

RECOGNISED THE CHESTNUTS.

Mildred was dining with several gentlemen at her Uncle James’s. It was quite an honour. She sat up straight and was on her best behaviour. Now, at the table there happened to be a gentleman fond of telling stories, and at every story he told the company laughed, as politeness demanded. But before he had talked long .Mildred perceived to her astonishment that the stories he told were all old ones. Some of them Uncle James had told her himself; some of them she had heard many a time; many of them she had read before. She looked at her elders indignantly. How eould they be amused at such worn out jokes ?’ At last she could stand it no longer. The gentleman told another story and everybody laughed heartily. Looking the story-teller straight in the face she exclaimed contemptuously— ‘ Yes ; I read that to uncle myself. It was in the paper last week.' It took Mildred several years to find out why they laughed harder than ever, and why Uncle .lames said afterwards with a chuckle—- * You took his house down that time, puss.’