f her daily life that most
of these points, or at least similar ones, were brought to Adam's
attention at one time or another by his sons, and not always in a way
that was pleasing to him. Indeed, as we read these notes we observe a
growing tendency on Adam's part to be irritated by the enquiries which
seem to have formed an inevitable part of the family conversation. At
random I select the following:

_August 3rd_, 5569. Cain spanked and put to bed without his supper for
asking his father why he had not called the male Kangaroo a
Kangarooster.

_September 5th_, 5567. Cain sentenced to the wood-pile for four hours
for enquiring of Adam why he called the Yak a Yak when everybody knew
he looked more like a Yap. Adam is getting very nervous under this
persistent questioning.

_January 4th_, 5565. Adam has just retired to the wood-shed with poor
Abel on what he termed a "whaling-expedition," to explain why he had
named the elephant of the sea a whale instead of a sealephant. I
judge from Abel's blubbering that his father is giving him an object
lesson in the place where it is most likely to impress itself forcibly
on his understanding, though I must say I think the child's idea a
rather good one, and I often wish my dear husband would not be so
sensitive on the subject of his possible mistakes.

_May 25th_, 5563. Adam has forbidden the children to ask any more
questions about the names of the animals, Cain having exasperated him
by asking how much a guinea was worth.

"About five dollars," said Adam.

"Gee!" cried Cain. "You must have got stung on the guinea-pigs, then.
They're dear at a dollar a dozen."

* * * * *

It may interest modern readers who seem to have created a demand for
what is known as the Mother-in-Law joke that this style of humor
found its origin in an early remark of Abel's, if his mother's Diary
is to be believed. A visitor once interrupted him in the midst of a
ball game that he was playing with Cain and a number of his Simian
friends, to ask him how his grandmother was.

"Never had one," replied Abel, with a grin.

"Poor boy," sympathized the visitor. "And don't you wish you had?"

"Yes," said Abel. "I think a Mother-in-Law around the house would have
done Pa good!"

I will close my remarks concerning these famous boys with a little
poem which their mother had clipped from an Egyptian paper and pasted
in her book. It seems to me to be a pretty accurate pic