Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1896 — Untitled [ARTICLE]

Street, and one of the men npproaohed her with his net. It se,>med that cbe little thing's doom was sx-aled. ••Suddenly there was a tmrk and the eauie leaping Into the crowd, scattering the small boys ami couiitelMug the catchers to take to the wagon. The hound reached the side of the spaniel and. taking in the situation, reached down, grusjH'd Ills wee companion in his eaiuteiotw mouth and was off down the street like a shot, lie didn't stop for the gate, but witli a great, graceful leap, was over the fence, and then, gently depositing the spaniel on the ground, stood wagging his tail, as if knowing that he had discomfited their enemies, while tile spaniel gamboled and made the welkin ring with her shrill barks. If that wasn't a great thiug. I don't know:”—New Orleans Tinios-Demo-cmL

PI NCH AND -.ll'in'. Generations of children have found pleasure in witnessing the antics of Punch and Judy, and after nearly a century of popularity, the mimic theatre in which their adventures are displayed still gives amusement to both young and old. The origin of tills always attractive entertainment is not English, as many who have enjoyed it may suppose, hut, according to an old hook, Ihnirh and Judy are of Italian ancestry. In the district of Arena, near Naples, the people are very much addicted to the making of wine from grapes; and it is envious that from antiquity they have been famous for their love of droll wit and comic fun. Many years ago. in the season of the vintage, which is a time when everyltody scents to be full of fun frolic, some comic players came along, through Arena. They began to poke fun at the vintagers, and in the \va» of wit. the players got the worst of iff Now there was among the vintagers a feilow with an enormous red nose, long and crooked like a powder horn; ami lie was the very drollest and wittiest of the whole company. The players were so tickled with his witty sayings. all set off by his odd face and very queer air and manner, that they almost went into hysterics of laughter. After they went away they began to llilnk that tills droll ivilirty would he a great aeeesslon to their company; bo they went, hack and made offers to him. These lie accepted; and such was the success of 1.-is'efforts thot the company acquired great fame and a great deni of money. Everybody went to see tills witty buffoon, and all were delighted. This example led to Hie establishment of a droll or buffoon In all companies of comedians; and he was always called after the original one, whose name was Pucco d' A niello. Tills was, in the course of time, softened into Poleceuello; the French made it Poliebenol, and the English, Punchinello. After a time the English, for tin* sake of brevity, rest off ihe latter part of the word, and called It plain Punch. How Judy originated, history does not record; but. it. is very easy to surmise her story. Such a merry fellow ns I’ll licit had as good a right to a wife as anybody, if lw* could get one. Why not? One might think that his beetlike nose would have stood In the way of uis finding a woman willing to marry him; hut his wit was an offset to this. Women are fond of wit, and Punch would have played his part ill If Ik* could not have made it cover his nose. Now Hint we have supposed Punch to have had a wife, and also supposed her name to have been Judy, wliait more natural than for Htis amiable couple, now and then, to have a hit of a breeze? They lived a wandering life, and like other people In their station, took n little liquor to raise their spirits. AQer the effect was over, feeling a little peevish, they fell to at 11* ing each other hard names, and hard blows followed. So this Is their whole history.—Detroit Free Press.