ely of his best.

To his nearest and dearest among the wide circle that loved him we ask
leave to offer the sympathy of friends who truly share their grief.
With them we mourn a life untimely closed, and great gifts lost to us
while still in their fulness; but we take comfort in the thought that
death touched him with swift and gentle hand, and that he died with
harness on, as a man would choose to die.

* * * * *

"THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT."

IN AFFECTIONATE MEMORY OF F. H. TOWNSEND.

Only a few days before the sudden tragedy which took from us our
colleague of the _Punch_ Staff, he made me a small request, very
characteristic of his kindly heart. It was that I should put in these
pages a notice of _The Christmas Spirit_, the illustrated annual
published in aid of the work of Talbot House ("Toc. H."), in which he
had taken a practical interest. In carrying out his wish I want not
only to plead in behalf of a good cause, but also to associate this
appeal with the memory of one with whom for over fourteen years I have
worked in close and happy comradeship.

In case any reader of _Punch_ has yet to be introduced to the idea
of Talbot House, let me explain that its purpose is to carry on in
peace-time the work that was done by the original "Toc. H.," which
from 1915 to 1918, under the management of the Rev. P. R. CLAYTON,
M.C., Garrison Chaplain, provided the comforts of a club and
rest-house at Poperinghe for soldiers passing to and fro in the
deadly Salient of Ypres. Its objects--I quote from _The Christmas
Spirit_--are:

"(1) To preserve among ex-Service men and to transmit to the
younger generation the traditions of Christian Fellowship and
Service manifested on Active Service.

(2) To offer opportunities for recreation and the making of
friendships to thousands of men who find life a difficult salient
to hold.

(3) To provide opportunities for men of all kinds to come together
in the Spirit of Service, to study, to discuss and, if possible,
to solve the problems of their time.

(4) To offer the help and happiness of club life at a low rate by
establishing clubs in many centres throughout the country as the
focus of the brotherhood."

The noble work done by Talbot House in Poperinghe and Ypres was
gratefully recognised by the scores of thousands of our troops whose
needs it served in those hard days, but it was only when the