The wide world shared her anguish--and relief;
For the assassin, resolute to kill,
Was foiled by your indomitable will.
Immortal France! she cannot spare you yet,
Till you have paid in full your filial debt,
And by the great Redemption and Release
Stamped Victory with the final seal of Peace.

* * * * *

[Illustration: CINDERELLA.

(No representative of the General Public seems to have been invited to
sit on the Coal Industry Commission.)]

* * * * *

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

_Monday, February 24th._--The mantle of the lamented Mr. JOSEPH KING,
whose taste in _proteges_ was so remarkable, seems to have descended
upon Colonel WEDGWOOD. His request for the return to this country of
LAJPAT RAI, "the Indian patriot," aroused a storm of objection from
other hon. Members, who considered the description inapplicable to
a person deported for sedition. But it was quickly quelled by the
SPEAKER with the unanswerable assertion that "everybody calls himself
a patriot in these days."

Mr. RAPER sought an assurance that no "wrack"--which appears to be a
term of art in the timber trade--should be used in the houses to be
erected under the Government's new housing scheme. If these were not
to be "the unsubstantial fabric of a vision," he implied, the official
builders had better leave the wrack behind.

Something is at last to be done to reduce the growing plague of
Questions. Hitherto each Member has been entitled to put down eight
Questions for oral reply on any one day. But in future no one is to be
permitted to "star" more than four Questions _per diem_. Even that is
regarded by some Members as an extravagant allowance. Major HENNESSY,
I understand, thinks "three stars" enough for any man.

"The Government is not a trustee for one class, but for all," was
the leading theme of the PRIME MINISTER'S firm and tactful speech
in introducing the Coal Industry Commission Bill. He was studiously
conciliatory to the miners, but made it plain that they could not be
allowed to put a pistol at the head of the general community.

The miners appear, however, to be in the mood of the little girl who
said, "I don't want to go to bed; I want to be _in_ bed." The gist of
eloquent speeches delivered on their behalf by Mr. HARTSHORN and Mr.
RICHARDS was that the Government already possessed all the relevant
facts, and should give the desired relief at once. But they