A Hopeless Case
A certain Philadelphia gentleman was ordered by his physician to travel for the benefit of his health. He went to England, and after tiring of London he decided to hire a trap and see the beauties of interior England in dignified ease and luxury. Just then he fell in with a hearty, good-natured Englishman, and as they soon became fast friends the American invited the other to attend him on his coaching trip.
The son of John Bull accepted, and during the days that followed, each frequently and in a joking manner improved every occasion to laud his own country and express his contempt of the other. On the evening of the fourth day, as they were driving along a dusty road, the American pulled the horses up suddenly and proceeded to read a sign, “To Manchester 20 miles,” and underneath were the words, “If you cannot read this sign, apply for information at the blacksmith shop.”
“Well, I’ll be darned,” said the American, “if that isn’t the most ridiculous sign I ever saw.”
“Jove, old man,” replied the Englishman, “that sign is all right, isn’t it? I don’t see anything the matter.”
“You don’t, eh? Well, then, you just sleep over it and see what you think of it in the morning.”
The next morning the Englishman came down beaming.
“I say, old man,” he said, wisely, “that was a funny sign to put up, for don’t you see the blacksmith might not be in after all, you know.”