What Is an Abstract Noun?

Illustration 11. The teacher of a bright little girl asked her, “What is an abstract noun, Nellie?” Her answer was, “Don’t know.” “You don’t know,” exclaimed the teacher, ‘‘Well it is the name of something you can think of, but can’t touch.

Now can you give us a good example?” “A red hot poker,” was her prompt and surprising reply. (Christian Register) Illustration 12. A colored preacher in Alabama had at one time served a short jail sentence and was fearful lest his congregation should discover the fact. One Sunday, rising to begin his sermon, his heart sank to see a former cell-mate sitting in the front row.

Quick thinking was necessary. Fix- ing his eye on the unwelcome visitor, the preacher announced solemnly, “Ah takes mah text dis mornin’ from de sixty fo’th chaptah and fo’ hundredth verse of the book of Job, which says, “Dem as sees and knows me and say nothing, dem will Ah see later.” (London Chronicle)