Which phrase from "uses and abuses of the umbrella" most clearly informs the reader that the author is being sarcastic? "' umbrella is an article proper to the desk.'" " enjoy a shower of pure water from the " " umbrella is too fine, too delicate and lovely an article for water to be allowed to ruin it." " it presumes that next to every desk there ought to be a coat rack and, hanging on the coat rack, an umbrella."

C) ...the umbrella is too fine, too delicate and lovely an article for water to be allowed to ruin it".

Explanation: Sarcasm is the use of phrases or expressions that means the opposite of what they literally say, it is usually used to criticize something in a funny way. In this phrases from "Uses and Abuses of the Umbrella", the one that is sarcastic is option C, because the main use of an umbrella is to protect people from the rain, and to say that it is "too delicate" to be ruined by water is a contradiction that implies the use of sarcasm.

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