rding,
was essential at the time it was sent out, for the State was bound to
defend itself not against ordinary strikes, but against those which
would entail universal paralysis. Turning to Russia, he described
Bolshevism as a disease rather than a policy; it spread rapidly, but
died out quickly and left its victims--as Colonel WEDGWOOD might be
glad to know--immune for the future.

* * * * *

HOW FACT PLAGIARIZES FROM FICTION.

From the report of a Landlord _v._ Tenant case:--

"Mrs. Barkiss said she was quite willing to leave some
day."--_Local Paper_.

* * * * *

"GATWICK MEETING.

Never has this popular rendezvous looked more
beautiful, thanks to the wealth of owers on the members'
lawn."--_Provincial Paper_.

We gather that it had been a bad day for backers.

* * * * *

RECOGNITION A LA MODE.

_(A Romance of False Perspective_.)

The Press, ever anxious, as the guardians of public sentiment, to
correct the reaction that is apt to follow upon any great outburst
of popular enthusiasm, did well to describe the impending arrival of
Prince Ongtong, of the Solomon Islands, with his famous mixed choir,
as the second best news since the signing of the Armistice. We are
glad to think that the reception of this illustrious potentate in our
midst was worthy of the occasion.

There was a time when our relations with the Solomon Islanders were
strained. Their pagan and, we regret to say, anthropophagous habits
laid them open to a certain amount of criticism. Not many years ago
Mr. Bamberger, the famous violinist, in the course of a triumphal
tour in the Southern Pacific, was captured by the inhabitants of
Kulambranga, detained for several weeks in captivity in a mangrove
swamp, where he suffered great inconvenience from the gigantic frogs
_(Rana Guppyi_) which infest this region, and was only rescued with
great difficulty by a punitive expedition--conducted by Sir Pompey
Boldero--when on the eve of being sacrificed to the gastronomic
exigencies of his captors.

But this happily is all ancient history now. The Solomon Islanders
for several years have been confirmed vegetarians, and the pronounced
modification in their mesocephalic skulls and the improvement of
their facial angle afford the surest guarantee against any relapse.
Furthermore the instruction in music which they received from Mr.
Bam