nager was venomous,
the bitter rain fell on. He was in debt and would get the sack.

It was then that the miracle happened. Suddenly Herbert, who was gazing
forlornly through the window at this disconsolate world, waiting, napkin
on his arm, to begin to wait, heard a voice saying, "I'm afraid you
forgot to charge me for my cigar yesterday." It was the portly
gentleman. Life was not utterly hopeless any more.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Old Lady_, "Ah, it'll take more than preaching
to make them Zeppelins repent!"]

* * * * *

THE BEST AIR "MINISTER."

Who shall be Lord of the Air,
Now N. has seen fit to declare,
To his followers' deep despair,
That he can't conscientiously sit
In a Cabinet void of grit?
For CHURCHILL is tied to the Front,
And MARKHAM is out of the hunt,
And eloquent BERNARD VAUGHAN
From his pulpit can't be withdrawn.

Who shall be Lord of the Air
And take us all under his care?
Why, ROBERTSON NICOLL, of course--
A man of colossal force,
With a perfectly splendid gift
For soaring and moral uplift.
For, though nobody so uniquely
Can hearten _The British Weekly_,
His readers will cheerfully spare
Him to go and remain in the air,
Careering along the inane
In a Nicoll-plated plane
With, to lend him additional fervour,
Mr. G*RV*N as his "Observer."

* * * * *

THE MULE'S PARENTAGE.

The Best Thing Yet Said of the 22.

Mr. Gibson Bowles, at the City blockade meeting, on the
Coalition: "The Government did not swop horses. They made an
alliance with another animal; and the result is a mule without
pride of ancestry or hope of posterity."--_Evening News._

Incidentally the unkindest thing that has yet been said of the Unionists
who joined the late Ministry.

* * * * *

"There were further indications at the meeting of the Salop
County Council on Saturday of the Council's desire to economise
where possible. Dr. McCarthy drew attention to figures given in
the report of the County Medical Officer of Health showing a
diminution in the birth-rate of the county for the quarter to
the extent of 14 per cent."

_Wellington Journal._

Economy of any kind is praiseworthy, but we think they might have begun
with one of the other rates.

* * * * *