dress affair; all the big guns to go off; Curiosity as to how they'd
treat too familiar subject. Plan answered admirably. Both shows running
together, Lords, as most novel entertainment, fuller spectacular
entertainment, drew the cake. Instead of crowded House that usually
waits when SAGE lunges at the Lords, beggarly array of empty Benches.
Rather depressing even for imperturbable SAGE. Little later, Members
finding things dull in Lords, came back in time to hear GEORGE CURZON.
Capital speech; sparkle on the top; but some quiet depths of closely
reasoned argument below.

_Business done._--SAGE'S Motion for abolition of Lords negatived by 201
Votes against 139. Thus reprieved, Lords ordered Report of Parnell
Commission to be duly recorded.

* * * * *

THE OLD BOND-STREET GALLERIES.

WHY they are called the Old Bond-Street Galleries, when there is so much
that is new to be seen there, it is impossible to say. Why not call it
the New Gallery? Perhaps those trusty Tudors--who are rather more than
two doors off--Messrs. COMYNS CARR and HALLE, might object, and, even
then, only half the truth would be told. Let us ag-gravate them, and
call it the Ag-New Gallery at once! Unless it would be considered an
ag-rarian outrage, it would be impossible to give it a better ag-nomen.
Ha! ha! No matter what you call it, so long as you call and see the
collection of Water-colours. There is a vastly good "_Pygmalion and
Galatea_," by our own JOHN TENNIEL; there are some tender Idyls, by
FREDERICK WALKER, a delicious "_Reverie_," by LESLIE, a delightful
"_Pet_," by E. K. JOHNSON, wondrous Landscapes, by BIRKET FOSTER, a
riverain poem, by C. J. LEWIS, and Dutch Symphonies, by WILFRID BALL.
Sir JOHN GILBERT, T. S. COOPER, and F. DICKSEE, are well represented;
and among the earlier Water-colour Masters we may find such
distinguished names as J. M. W. TURNER, P. de WINT, COPLEY FIELDING, and
DAVID COX. There are lots of others, and, if you are left to browse amid
nearly three hundred excellent pictures, you ought to enjoy yourself
very much indeed, and find your mind so much improved when you come out,
that you will think it belongs to somebody else. In spite then of the
carping of CARR, and the hallucinations of HALLE, we declare this to be
the Ag-New Gallery.

* * * * *

"_LA Nona._"--Is the new malady fact or fiction? Don't know, but anyhow
it's your "Grandmother."

[Ill