wood,
the coffin--and real brass 'andles."

"But, Mrs. Watt," I said despairingly, "that'll bring us quite to the
end of the paper, and we've never even wished him many happy returns
yet. Have you another sheet?"

"I haven't got no more than the one sheet, but I dessay as there's room
to say as I'm his loving mother, and 'ope it finds 'im well, as it
leaves me."

I managed to pinch in the traditional salutation; the sheet was enclosed
in an envelope as sepulchral of aspect as itself, and with much
misgiving I put Frank's birthday letter into the first pillar-box that I
found.

Just a week later I had occasion to go down Paradise Rents again. I had
no intention of calling on Mrs. Watt, being more than a little afraid of
the reception that her son Frank might have accorded to the letter that
was to bring bright cheer to his birthday. But she ran from her door as
I passed to meet and greet me. "Do step in, Mum," she entreated. "I must
'ave you see a letter as come this morning from my son Frank, as is at
the Front. Read that, if you please, Mum."

"She must be a real lady that wot comes visiting you," it said. "That
was a letter as she wrote. I don't know as ever I read such a beautiful
letter. All the trench 'as read it, and they says so too."

I sighed heavily with relief. Mrs. Watt was a judge of her son's
literary taste.

* * * * *

EASIER SAID THAN DONE.

[Illustration: _Tommies (singing)._ "Keep the home fires burning".]

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Visitor (at private hospital)._ "Can I see Lieutenant
Barker, please?"

_Matron._ "We do not allow ordinary visiting. May I ask if you're a
relative?"

_Visitor (boldly)._ "Oh, yes! I'm his sister."

_Matron._ "Dear me! I'm very glad to meet you. _I'm his mother._"]

* * * * *

AT THE PLAY.

"Stand and Deliver."

The Merry Monarch's world is too much with us. I can't imagine what it
is in that period that our actor-managers find so peculiarly appropriate
to present conditions, when we need all the inspiration we can get out
of our country's annals. It seems only the other day that in the same
theatre, His Majesty's--the play was _Mavourneen_--I was assisting at a
rout (is that the word?) of Restoration society. And here we have it all
over again with the same scheme of a pretty _debutante_ near to being
compromised by the Royal favour; with the old galaxy o