60 
Butler—Phases of Witticism. 
After all, we feel that anthologies of wit are the immortal 
part of our libraries. Witty utterances,—born, not made up—a 
bright precipitate of soul,— are like the first Tokay vintage, 
nectar that trickles out of the clusters from their own weight 
and needs no pressure. Such jewels five words long on the 
stretched fore-finger of all time sparkle forever. We shall enjoy 
them as long as we live and they will even help us to live longer. 
Brevity is the soul of wit, and brevity should be the watch¬ 
word of all who treat of it. Did T, like Dogberry, have the 
heart to bestow all my tediousness on you at once, I should only 
exhaust you and myself, but not my theme. My bald unjointed 
chat has been prolix already, and when you are asked what my 
talk was about, you may well answer “It was about—half an 
hour too long. ” 
So then my last words shall be; “May your lives be as long 
as my lecture, and not half so dull. ” 
Madison , Wis. 
