reight
Of marzipan and chocolate
And stickjaw and molasses.

The poet from whose lips of flame
Wine drew the songs, the full sighs,
Performs the business just the same
When masticating bull's-eyes;
The knight who bids a fond "Farewell,
Love's large, but honour's larger!"
Shares with the Lady Amabel
One last delicious caramel
And leaps upon his charger.

The rake inured to card-room traps,
Yet making fearful faces
Because his foes, perfidious chaps,
Have always all the aces--
"Ruined! the old place mortgaged! faugh!"
(The guttering candles quiver)--
Instead of draining brandy raw
Clenches a jujube in his jaw
And strolls towards the river.

O happier time that soothes the brain
And rids us of our glum fits
(Eliminating dry champagne)
With candy and with comfits!
The oak reflects the firelight's beam,
In song the moments fly by,
Till the old squire, his face agleam,
Sucking the last assorted cream,
Toddles away to bye-bye.

EVOE.

* * * * *

From a P.S.A. notice:--

"Subject: 'A RENEWED WORLD--No Sorrow. No Pain. No Death.' No
Collection."--_Local Paper._

The last item sounds almost too good to be true.

* * * * *

"The proposed changes were discussed with the captain of the
England side and one or two prominent crickets who had visited
Australia."--_Expensive Daily Paper._

Hitherto it had been supposed that these cheerful little creatures
only sought the kind of "ashes" that you get on the domestic hearth.

* * * * *

[Illustration: "WE AIN'T A BIT AFRAID, ALFY 'IGGINS. YER OWN FICE IS A
LUMP UGLIER."]

* * * * *

=A STRIKE IN FAIRYLAND.=

The fairies were holding a meeting.

"They grumble when we send the rain," said a Rain-fairy, "and they
grumble when we don't."

"And we get no thanks," sighed a Flower-fairy. "The time we spend
getting the flowers ready and washing their faces and folding them up
every night!"

"As for the stars," said a Star-fairy, "we might just as well leave
them unlit for all the gratitude we get, and it's such a rush
sometimes to get all over the sky in time. They don't even believe in
us. We wouldn't mind _anything_ if they believed in us."

"No," agreed a Rainbow-