A SLIGHT MISTAKE

New Zealand Tablet, 9 May 1912, Page 62

A SLIGHT MISTAKE

Words are the only means of expressing some ideas. As two of the characters argue in one of Dr. Hale’s stories, gestures will not express the Declaration of Independence nor the ‘Elegy in a Country Churchy A funny instance of the failure of signs appears in a traveller’s tale. , ; ‘ I shall never forget my first visit to Madrid,’ said a lady. ‘ I was the only member of our party who knew any Spanish, and I knew but one word, that one being “leche”—milk—-but by means of gesture we managed to get along- until breakfast was served. Then,’ as luck would have it, the maid ; brought my coffee without any milk in it, and also, as luck would have it, I promptly forgot . the one word of Spanish I knew, and which of all words was the one most wanted at that moment. ■ ‘This time neither gesture nor yelling was of any avail, so at last in desperation I seized a piece of paper and a pencil and drew a picture of. a cow. Thereupon ' the maid tripped off and came back with three tickets to. the bull fight.’ :