And a woman is only a woman, but a good Cigar is a Smoke. — Rudyard Kipling, “The Betrothed” in Rudyard Kipling’s Verse, Inclusive Edition, 1885–1918 The Betrothed “You must choose between me and your cigar.” Breach of Promise Case, circa, 1885 OPEN the old cigar-box, get me a Cuba stout, For things are running crossways,… Read More »
Peter piper, without pretension to precocity or profoundness, puts pen to paper to produce these puzzling pages, purposely to please the palates of pretty prattling playfellows, proudly presuming that with proper penetration it will probably, and perhaps positively, prove a peculiarly pleasant and profitable path to proper, plain and precise pronunciation.
He prays parents to purchase this playful performance, partly to pay him for his patience and pains; partly to provide for the printers and publishers; but principally to prevent the pernicious prevalence of perverse pronunciation.