bask on my ledges and romp
In the swirl of the tides,
Old bulls in their whiskers and pomp
And sleek little brides.
Yet others come visiting me
Than grey seal or bird;
Men come in the night from the sea
And utter no word.
Wet weed clings to bosom and hair;
Their faces are drawn;
They crouch by the embers and stare
And go with the dawn
To sleep in my garden, the swell flowing over them
Like a green lawn."

PATLANDER.

* * * * *

=Labour Leaders on the Links.=

Under a photograph in a London evening paper runs the following
legend:--

"Mr. John Hodge and another official of the Iron and Steel
Founders Union enjoy a game of golf after the Trade Union Congress
at Portsmouth adjourns for the day. Our picture shows Mr. John
Hodge Putting."

Some idea of the forceful and unconventional methods of our Labour
leaders may be gathered from the attitude of Mr. JOHN HODGE, whose
club is raised well over his shoulder.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Prisoner._ "SORR, I OBJECT TO MR. CLANCY SERVIN' ON
THE JURY."

_Mr. Clancy._ "BEDAD, AN' FOR WHY, MICHAEL? I'M _FOR_ YEZ!"]

* * * * *

THE TAXATION OF VIRTUE.

"I shall wait," said Peter, "till they send me the final notice."

"Being his wife," said Hilda to me, "I am in a position to know that
he will not. In another week he will pay, saying that the thought of
income-tax has affected his nerves and that he can bear it no longer.
He wobbles like this for six weeks twice a year, and meanwhile his
family starves."

"Under our system of taxation," Peter retorted, "the innocent must
suffer."

"It falls alike on the just and the unjust," I interposed. "How else
would you have it?"

"Naturally I would have it fall on the unjust alone," he replied.

"Why not on the just alone?" I asked, suddenly aware of the birth of
an idea.

"Of course you want exemption."

"You miss my point. You grant that taxation is necessary?"

"For the sake of argument," said Peter, "I grant that, with
reservations."

"Since then there must be taxes, why not have taxes that it would be a
pleasure to pay? The current taxes are not a pleasure to pay."

"I grant that," said Peter, "without reservations."

"Now there is only one sort of tax that I can imagine anybody paying
gladly, and that would be a tax on his vir