Once a week magazine, volume 8, page 700. Illustration for the poem "tidings" by anastasius grün, which is a version of the old joke where a man returns home and asks his old retainer "what happened while i was gone?" "not much except that your dog died. " "that's sad; how did it happen?" "kicked by the frightened horse that threw your son to his death. " "what!! my son dead? what frightened the horse?" and the messenger goes on revealing bad news piece by piece until it turns out the house is a smoking ruin with son, wife, household, and all. (anastasius grün titled his poem "the art of delivering news. "). Date: 13 June 1863.
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