New Love's fair, furze-garmented,
And brightly crowned with golden bracken.
Your loyalty of heart and head,
Of love (and lead) I'm sure won't slacken.
"Bless ye, my children! May your New Love
Be firm and lasting as 'tis true love!"

* * * * *

THE PROFESSIONAL GUEST.

ON A HOUSE-BOAT AT HENLEY.

DEAR MR. PUNCH,

When I received a wire from an old and dear school-friend,
saying, "LUCY disappointed; come for week; wire me, _Goldfields_,
Henley--KITTY," I felt that the Art which I had been so assiduously
cultivating for some time past was to be put in practice at last. I
had long decided that there was a grand opening for girls (the true
unemployed) in the idea, and I had determined to make a good thing
out of it myself. KITTY' S telegram was somewhat vague, I admit; but
gossip having thrown a side-light on it, I knew that it came from
Henley, where she and her husband (whom I had never yet seen) had a
House-boat for the Regatta week. To answer in the affirmative, pack
my box, and catch the next train to Henley, was small work to a
"Professional Guest."

[Illustration]

When I arrived, I walked straight out of the station to the nearest
wharf, and, chartering a punt, had my luggage and myself placed on
board, and then told the small boy, who "manned" the craft, to take me
to the _Goldfields_. I was not too well pleased when he threw doubts,
not only on her whereabouts, but on her existence. Neither the small
boy nor a big man, nor an old woman standing by, knew anything about
it; and I had determined to take the next train to Town, when a
flannel-clad young man, with a heavy face and a peevish voice, called
out from the bank, "I've been looking for you everywhere." It proved
to be KITTY'S husband, but, as we were totally unacquainted with each
other's appearances, it was not wonderful that his search for me had
been ineffectual. He seemed much annoyed, however, and only vouchsafed
one remark as we punted, or, rather, waltzed (for the small boy was a
"dry bob," I think), down stream towards the _Goldfields_. "It's all
KITTY'S fault,--LUCY'S come." Of course this was awkward, but, on
arrival, KITTY was so hospitable, and LUCY so pretty, that, though our
sleeping and dressing apartment was astonishingly small, and I made
the odd girl out at dinner, I felt I could not mind much, and I also
got over the little _contretemps_ of my dressing-bag being dropped
into the river