NO TICK.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1299, 22 March 1883, Page 4

NO TICK.

A coUSTBY schoolmaster, who found it difficult to make his pupils observe the difference between a comma and a full-point adopted a plan of his own, which, he flattered himself, would make them proficient in the art of punctuation : thus, in reading, when they came to a comma they were to say tick, and read on; to a colon or semi-colon, tick, tick ; tick. It happened that the dominie received notice that the minister was to pay a visit'of examination to his school, and as he was naturally anxious that the pupils should show to the best advantage, he gave them an extra drill the day before the examination. “ Now,” said he addressing his pupils, “ when you read before the minister to morrow, leave out the ticks, but think of them as you go along, for the sake of elocution. ” Next day came the minister, and the master hoped with smiles and bows that the training of the scholars would meet with his approval. It unfortunately happened that the first boy called up had been absent the day before, and the master has forgotten to give him any instructions in the tick business The minister asked the boy to read a chapter in the Old Testament, which he pointed out. The boy complied, and in his best accents began to read: “ And the Lord spoke unto Moses saying tick, tick, and thou shalt say unto them tick, tick, tick." This sally in his own style acted like a shower-bath on the poor dominie, while the minister and his friends almost died of laughter.