evert to patches, knee-breeches, and
powder?

Meanwhile, your applause we invite for our Cause--you notice the capital
letter--
Subscriptions and fees you may send when you please to the writer, the
sooner the better.
But as to the theme of this notable scheme, I wait for a timely
suggestion;
Its worth's beyond doubt, but what it's about remains, for the present, a
question!

* * * * *

The Bishop of CHESTER trembles. He is marked with the brand of "CAINE"!

* * * * *

[Illustration: "A STIFF JOB."

W. E. G. (_to himself_). "SHALL HAVE TO KEEP HIM _UP TO THE COLLAR_!"
(_Aloud._) "GEE UP!!"]

* * * * *

CONVERSATIONAL HINTS FOR YOUNG SHOOTERS.

HOSTS.

"Dear Punch," writes a valued Correspondent, "I wish you'd tip me the wink
how I'm to talk to my hosts. I'm a poor man, but not a poor shot. So I get
asked about a good deal to different places, and as I'm not the sort that
turns on the talking-tap very easily, I often get stuck up. Just as I've
got fairly into the swim with one of them I leave him, and have to think of
talk for quite a different kind of chap, and so on all through the season.
For instance, last December I did three shoots in as many weeks. The first
was with old CALLABY, the rich manufacturer, who's turned sportsman late in
life. I thought he'd like a talk about bimetallism, so I sweated it up a
bit, and started off with a burst as soon as I got a look in. All no go.
Nothing would please him but to talk of birds, and rabbits, and hares, and
farming, and crops, and who was going to be High Sheriff, and all that. So
I got a little left at the first go off.

[Illustration]

"Next week I shot with BLOSSOM, another new friend, who's come into money
lately, after knocking about all over America the greater part of his life.
I tried him with the Chicago Exposition, and ranching as a business for
younger sons; did it delicately, of course, and with any amount of
deference, but he only looked at me blankly, and began talking about the
Bank-rate. After that, I settled with myself I wouldn't talk to any more of
them about things that they might be expected to feel an interest in.

"In the following week I was due at WHICHELLO'S. He's been a perfect
lunatic all his life for music. He got up an orchestra in his nursery,
which came to smash because his