the day at Islay--nothing
less than a bottle a day apiece."

"Sir," said I severely, "it is clear that you have never struggled
like grim death with an opponent who was three up at the turn until
you were all square at the seventeenth, and then found yourself after
a straight drive with an easy baffy shot to----"

"One moment," said Pottlebury; "what exactly _is_ a baffy?"

* * * * *

Asking For It.

"----'s have dozens of other cars available; L65 to L1,700;
call and insult us."

_Motoring Paper._

* * * * *

[Illustration: HIS FIRST PATIENT.

PERSIA. "THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ADVICE."

DR. CURZON. "NOT AT ALL. THANK _YOU_ VERY MUCH FOR ASKING FOR IT."]

* * * * *

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

_Monday, June 14th._--As an Ulster Member, Mr. LINDSAY protested
against the availability of return-tickets between Ireland and England
having been reduced from six months to two. Sir ERIC GEDDES explained
that the change had been made to stop the illicit traffic in
return-halves, though he hastened to disclaim any suggestion that
Members of Parliament were concerned in it. The grievance is probably
not of large dimensions. It is difficult to understand why anyone
leaving Ireland in these days should want to go back there.

The PRIME MINISTER did not seem to favour the suggestion, pressed upon
him from many quarters, that the Government should cause an estimate
to be made of the national income, and then limit public expenditure
to a definite proportion of that amount. A private person may cut
his coat according to his cloth, but the Government, he argued, is
unfortunately obliged by circumstances to reverse the process. Even so
the taxpayer may be forgiven for thinking that the State costume still
bears some superfluous trimmings.

When economy is proposed, however, it is not always popular. Sir JOHN
BUTCHER, in protesting against the Government's proposal to sell
the _Brussels_, the late Captain FRYATT'S ship, was expressing a
wide-spread feeling. But Colonel LESLIE WILSON disarmed criticism by
pointing out that if all British vessels with heroic associations
were to be kept as exhibition-ships a large proportion of the British
mercantile marine would be laid idle.

A few years ago the General Manager of one of the English
railways--the late Sir GEORGE FINDLAY, I think--declared that he could
look after th