om as he can, so shy is he--there is
not an officer, seeing the ribbons on his coat, who does not salute this
little plumber with as much punctilio as though he were General JOFFRE
himself; and, blushing crimson, Charles returns the salute.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Patriotic Scots Lady_ (_patrolling Victoria main-line
station to assist any of her stranded countrymen arriving from the
Front_). "Can I help you in any way?"

_Perplexed Scot._ "Thank you, Mam. Is the toon far frae the station?"]

* * * * *

"Mrs. Humphry Ward seems to have gone for inspiration to
contemporary characters, and now in 'Tasker Jevons' it is
difficult not to find the lineaments of a well-known writer."

_Evening Standard._

Quite so: and Miss MAY SINCLAIR made _A Great Success_ of it.

* * * * *

NURSERY RHYMES OF LONDON TOWN.

II.--King's Cross.

King's Cross!
What shall we do?
His purple robe
Is rent in two!
Out of his crown
He's torn the gems!
He's thrown his sceptre
Into the Thames!
The Court is shaking
In every shoe--
King's Cross!
_What_ shall we do?
_Leave him alone
For a minute or two._

III.--Bishopsgate.

Bishopsgate Without,
Bishopsgate Within!
What a clamour at the gate,
O what a din!
Inside and outside
The Bishops bang and shout,
Outside crying, "Let me in!"
Inside, "Let me out."

* * * * *

[Illustration: "Look here, confound you! What do you mean by your
'disclosures'? There's nothing here that wasn't in the morning papers."

"I'm sorry you're disappointed, Sir. At the same time I must point out
to you that my connection with the paper gives me abserlootly no
influence with the editorial department."]

* * * * *

THE ADJUTANT.

In that great Room which military error
Has miscalled Orderly (for it is not,
But full of tumult and debate and terror,
And worried writers growing rather hot,
For ever floundering in seas of chits
And forms and counterfoils and wrathful writs),
Alone unfevered mid the storm he sits
And tells them all exactly what is what.

Who so alert to solve the frequent riddle,
To judge if Jones should have his train-fare free,
Whether the band requires another fiddle,
And which is senior, Robinson o