When  the  prodigal  returns  to  the  family  fold,
Take  the  poor  hungry  sinner  in  out  of  the  cold ;
Kill  a  hen  or  a  calf,  put  a  bottle  on  ice,
And  call  him  to  dinner  and  give  him  a  slice.
Profanity.     Profanity  is  a  brutal  vice  and  a   sure

sign  of  bad  breeding.
Don't  swar  out  loud. — Bronco  Bill.
Profess.     Profess  nothing  you  are  unable  to  do.
Better  possess  than  profess.
Profit.     Profit  by  the  mistakes  of  others.
You  can't  afford  to  work  for  nothing  and  board

yourself.
A  prophet  without  profit.
Profuse.     He  that  is  profuse  is  never  profound.
Progress.  Behold  the  serried  ranks  of  truth  ad-
vance,

And  conquering  Science  shakes  her  shining  lance
Full  in  the  face  of  stubborn  Ignorance.
— The  Reign  of  Reason.
LACONICS  179


If  you  are  content  with  your  progress  you  will
cease  to  progress.
Progress,  not  precedent.
We  hev  got  tu  the  pint  in  pollytics  whar  we're

progressin'  back'ards. — Bronco  Bill.
Promise.     Slow  to  promise,  prompt  to  perform.
Hooks  baited  with  promises  catch  gudgeons.
He  that  promises  too  much  means  nothing.
Promise   may   make   a   friend,   performance   will
keep  him.
Promises  are  cheap,  performance  dear.
Perform  first,  promise  afterwards.
A  promise  is  poor  payment.
Swift  to  promise,  slow  to  perform.
He  lives  in  the  land  of  promise  and  eats  roast
chickens  before  they  are  hatched.
A  promise  is  a  debt.
Better  a  dollar  today  than  a  promise  of  two  to-
morrow.
In  pollytics  don't  promise  nuthin  till  arfter  yer

beat. — Bronco  Bill.
Prompt — promptness.     Better  be  ten  minutes  ahead
than  ten  seconds  behind.
Be  slow  to  promise,  prompt  to  fullfil.
Property.     Property   has   its   duties   as   well   as   its
rights.
The  individual  ownership  of  property  is  the  foun-
dation of  civilization.
