common consent the Idiot read the following:

“Idiot, zany, brain of hare,

Dolt and noodle past compare,

Buncombe, bosh, and verbal slosh,

Mind of nothing, full of josh,

Madman, donkey, dizzard-pate,

U. S. Zero Syndicate,

Dull, depressing, lack of wit,

Incarnation of the nit.

Minus, numskull, drivelling baby,

Greenhorn, dunce, and dotard Gaby;

All the queer and loony chorus

Found in old Roget’s Thesaurus,

Flat and crazy through and through,

That, O Idiot—that is you.

Let me tell you, sir, in fine,

I won’t be your Valentine.

“What do you think of that?” asked the Idiot, when he had finished. “Wouldn’t that jar you?”

“I think it’s perfectly horrid,” said Mrs. Pedagog. “Mary, pass the pancakes to the[38] Idiot. Mr. Idiot, let me hand you a full cup of coffee. John, hand the Idiot the syrup. Why, how a thing like that should be allowed to go through the mails passes me!”

[38]

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