y keeping
a gate on the old Brighton Coach Road. The station is still called
Hassock's Gate, in his memory. HER MAJESTY had all the Cassocks sent
down to her at Windsor. They must have been quite worn out by the end
of the day."

* * * * *

[Illustration: ELECTION FEVER. A CANDIDATE'S DREAM.]

* * * * *

OPERATIC NOTES.

_Monday.--Lohengrin._ House full to hear Brother JOHN and Madame
MELBA. "Please, Sir, Mr. JOHNNIE DE RISKY ain't here," blurts out the
pale and trembling call-boy.

[Illustration: Cherubino takes the Chair at a small Meeting. A De
Risky situation.]

Sir AUGUSTUS calm, impassible. Crisis. If no one turned up, he would
act the part himself, and, it being Wagnerian music, the orchestra
would play what of the part had to be played. At that moment lounged
in Monsieur VAN DYCK, just to see how things were going on without
him. "I'm a little hoarse to-night," quoth VAN DYCK, pleasantly.
"Nonsense!" cries Sir DRURIOLANUS, cheerily, "a '_Van_' can never be
a little hoarse." Much merriment. "DYCK, my boy," continues Sir D.,
"you've come in the very nick of time--quite a Devil's Dyke, you
are,"--the accomplished vocalist was in ecstasies at his Manager's
joke,--"and you shall distinguish yourself to-night as _Lohengrin_!"
Oh, what a surprise! No sooner said than done. Armour for one ordered
immediately. ISAAC of York Street goes to work, and--presto!--VAN
DYCK is "ready in case." "Now," asks DRURIOLANUS, "what are we waiting
for?"

"Please, Sir, Madame MELBA isn't here!"

"MELBA not here to play _Elsa_!" exclaims Sir DRURIOLANUS, immediately
adding, with that wit which is always, like the British Tar, 'Ready,
aye ready!'--"then we must get somebody Else Sir!" and scarcely had
the words escaped his lips, than Madame NORDICA, who happened to
be passing by, sang out in an extempore recitative, "_Me voici!_"
"_Bravissima!_" cried Sir DRURIOLANUS. "Saved! Saved!" General dance
of joy.

So the Curtain was rung up, and the Opera, with Madame NORDICA (_vice_
MELBA) as _Elsa_, and VAN DYCK (_vice_ Little JOHNNIE THE RISKY) as
_Lohengrin_, made a big success. House crowded. All's well that ends
as well as this.

[Illustration: Sir Druriolanus, M.P.(ressario) for Covent Garden.]

_Tuesday with Mozart._--What a good starting idea for a Comic Opera
would be the notion of making those two types of knaves, _Leporello_
and _Figaro_, meet as counter-pl