ip's cook has been fined twenty shillings for refusing to join his
ship, his excuse being that he had seen a rat as big as a cat in the
cabin. It was pointed out to him that only ship's officers are entitled
to see rats in the cabin.

* * *

A company has been formed at Stockholm for storing wind power. There
should be a great demand for the insides of some puff pastry that we
know of.

* * *

An American has invented an aeroplane capable of remaining in the air
for hours and hours. This is nothing to Mr. Asquith's Irish solution,
which is guaranteed to remain in the air for years and years.

* * *

Brides are getting rather tired of Harris's lilies, says a writer in
_The Daily Graphic_. It is only natural that brides should become rather
bored if they always wear the same sort of flowers every time they're
married.

* * *

Mr. E. Van Ingen, a New York merchant now in London, boasts that he has
crossed the Atlantic one hundred and sixty-eight times. It may be
against the Prohibition laws, but we fancy it would be cheaper if he
kept a few bottles of the stuff in New York.

* * *

A medical man advises people to use dried milk on health grounds. We
have felt for some time that what was wanted was a really good
waterproof milk.

* * *

Mr. E. A. Douse has spent forty-two years in a Cheshire post-office. It
is only fair to say that the young lady behind the counter didn't notice
him standing there all that time.

* * *

A Hertfordshire farmer, says _The Daily Mail_, has counted one hundred
and twenty-three grains of wheat in one ear. Our contemporary has not
yet decided what can be done about it.

* * *

"What is the right age for a man to marry?" asks Miss Gertie
Wentworth-James. The answer is, Not yet.

* * *

While addressing a meeting of miners an extremist declared that the idle
rich were the cause of all industrial troubles. It has since been
reported that several of the audience immediately proceeded home and
told themselves off in front of a mirror.

* * *

We understand that the miners greatly desire that Ireland will remain
quiet for a short period, and thus refrain from distracting public
attention from their cause.

* * *

"Lord Northcliffe," says _The New York World_, "is always in advance of
public opinion." This is a fitting rejoinder to those who tell us that
he is always behind _The Times_.

* * *

We cull the following from a speech of Senator Harding: "As I note the