To our present grief,
Hearts you shall not harden:
Bathe your hurts and come you back
Here to house and garden!

By the oak and ash and thorn,
By the rowan tree,
This was done ere we were born:
Kith nor kin are we
Of the folk whose blindness
Shut you out with scathe and scorn,
Banished with unkindness.

See, we call you, hands entwined,
Standing at our door,
With the glowing hearth behind
And the wood before.
Thence, where you are lurking,
Back we bring you, bring and bind
With our magic's working.

Lo, our best we give for cess,
Having naught above
Handsel of our happiness,
Seizin of our love.
Take it then, O fairies!
Homely gods that guard and bless,
Little kindly _Lares_.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _(5.35 A.M. workman's train.)_

_Bill_. "'ULLO, 'ERB; GOT A JOB, THEN?"

_'Erb._ "I AIN'T GOIN' UP TO LON'ON FOR A TANGO LESSON, I GIVE YOU
_MY_ WORD."]

* * * * *

WHAT OUR READERS THINK OF US.

_The Daily Express_ having invited its readers to intimate their
opinion of that journal, _Mr. Punch_ decided also to give the
grumblers a chance of saying what they think of his production, and
he now publishes a typical selection of the letters which have reached
him:--

Sir,--I gave up your journal many years ago on account of its
partisanship, and never read it now. Only last week I came
across a paragraph in my copy which made me throw the paper
into the waste-paper basket.

Yours faithfully,

VERITAS.

Sir,--Why is it you always favour the Tories?

Yours faithfully,

WELSH MEMBER.

Sir,--If you continue to publish cartoons with a pronounced
Radical bias I am afraid you will lose at least one.

OLD SUBSCRIBER.

Sir,--I object to the advertisements. I think it would be a
good move if you were to drop these, increase the number of
pages, and reduce the price to a halfpenny. In taking this
course you would have the support of several influential
members of my parish, in addition to myself.

Yours faithfully,

A COUNTRY PARSON.

Sir,--What your paper needs is light relief. Could you not
give us a little humour now and then?

Yours faithfully,

A POPULAR WRITER.

P.S.--The last MS. you returned to me was very much crumpled.
Please be mo