v,
4
. . . . v i.' 11 1M S K A N
T II I'i I' A I l. i - .
"TELL IT TO THE MARINES I"
Ulnet tho days .when ovir groat
grandinothtvs; woro t hos cute,
frilled and laccy pantalettes nnd the
scoop shovel hats from which Samuel
Moist obtained tho wire necessary to
tho completion of his first telegraph
linos, America has boon repeating this
injunction. For no long a time that
tho memory of iho present generation
runneth not to tho contrary. "Ti ll It
to tho Marines" linn been a much used
pnrt of tho average American's vocab
ulary of catih phrases.
Ami yet there appears to ho n uni
versal ignorance of the origin and
proper Interpretation of this saying.
As handed down from one generation
to tho other, tho meaning of "Tell it
to tho Marines" has been so twisted
and contort oil that the average Ameri
can has omp!oed it in a jeering, de
rogatory sense and has accompanied
it w ith r.n upward turn of n scornful
lip.
Oil the printed page, too, "Tell it to
tho Marines" has been employed to
convoy a meaning almost tho exact op
posito to that intended by tho author
of the saying, who was none other
than tho good-natured, oaso-Iovinjr
King Charles 11 of Kngl.tnd in the
middle of the Scvontenth Ontury.
Illustrating tho vvrotig interpreta
tion writers have placed on the ex
pression is the following from the pen
of one who had otherwise displayed
extreme care as to accuracy of dota l
in presenting a short history of the
achievements of tho United States
Marines:
contempt tr land-limners, ana ne
ca ;e the Marines did not actually
work the lii p. tho sailors considered
then p't'.uMo and ignorant. Hence
the expression. 'Tell it to the Ma
rines ..." "
.Vow as to the true interpretation
of this famous saying of which the
United States Marine is more than
proud :
The saying is traced to Pepys, au
thor of the famous diary, and it is
said by him to have originated with
King Charles II of England.
It so befell, tho story goes, that his
light-hearted majesty, with an exceed
ingly bored expression on his sw arthy
face, was strolling in the shade with
the ingenious Mr. IVpys, secretary to
the Admiralty.
'i had n speech yesterday at Dept
ford." said Mr. IVpys, "with Captain
of the Pofyanco, who hath but lately
returned from tho Indies and who told
mo tho two most wonderful things
that ever 1 think I did hear in my
life." Among tho stories told were
those of fish flying In tho sir
"Fish living in tho air!" exclaimed
his majesty. "Ha, ha, a quaint con
ceit which 'twere too good to spoil
with keeping. What, Sir (he turned
and beckoned to tho Colonel, Sir Will
lam Killigrey of tho newly raised
maritime regiment on foot, who was
following in dose conversation with
the Puke of York). We would dis
course with you on a matter touching
your element. What say you. Colonel,
to a man who swears he hath seen
fishes flying in the air?"
'1 shou.d say. Sire." returned the
sea soldier simply, "that the man hath
sailed Southern Seas. For when your
Majesty's business carried mo thither
of late I did frequently observe more
flying fish in one hour than tho hairs
of my head in number."
Old Kowley glanced narrowly at the
Colonel's frank weatherbeaten face.
Then with a laugh ho turned to the
secretary and said, "Mr IVpys. fro.n
tho very nature of their calling, no
i las of our subjects can have so w ide
a knowledge of seas and lands as the
o:".i ers and men of our loyal maritime
recitnont. Henceforth whenever we
.a-t doubt upon a tale that lackoth
likelihood we will toll it to tho Ma-
if they believe, it is safe to say
it is true."
Is it any wonder, then, that the
Fniied States Marino is proud of that
saying?
A Marine can do anything. A Ma
rino has been everywhere. A Marino
knows everything. If in doubt, ask
a Marine. If it is true, a Marine will
tell you so. If it is a lie. a Marine will
brand it is such. For a Marine
K.VOWS.
This, then, is the present-day mean
ing of the saying, "Tell it to the Marines."
Uratltudo is not only the memory
but the homage of the henrt-ren-dered
to Hod for his goodnoss.-N. P.
Willis.
Tho power of fortune Is confessed
only by the miserable, for tho happy
impute all their sue s to prudence or
merit.-Swift.
Clew calls gratitude the mother of
virtues, tho most capital of nil duties,
and uses the words grateful and good
as synonymous terms, inseparably
united In the same character.-Hate.
I am more and more convinced that
our happiness or unhappinoss depends
far more on tho way we met the
events of life, than on the nature of
those events themselves.--Humboldt.
V1 ir.Ml I 1111 1 - IS loo in Foriety,
holding int. troupe with those around
it. It is consi.lei teness; it Is tender
ness of feeling, u is promptitude of
sxmpathy: it is loo in all its depths,
and in all its del. cat y.
Orplieun
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