the midst of all the bustle, the
confusion, and the rattling turmoil of her career, she sometimes sighs
for the undistinguished ease of her life in the pre-Royal days, sighs,
and returns with fresh vigour to the struggle.

And so the pleasureless days of the pleasure-seeker follow one
another, each with its particular legacy of little strivings, until,
at the last, consolation may come from the thought that there is
at least one place where there are many mansions, but no social
ambitions.

* * * * *

NEW PRAYER-BOOK REVISION.--Several alterations will now have to be
made in the marriage service. If it be permissible for the bride to
omit her promise "to obey," as is reported to have been the case at a
wedding last week, why should any undertaking "to love," "to honour,"
"to cherish," and so forth remain in the text? With all this left
out, a marriage, which, of course, will no longer be an ecclesiastical
rite, will hardly be a very civil ceremony. In course of time all the
promises will be made either explicitly or implicitly conditional, the
only question being what is the least possible obligation that can be
incurred by both contracting parties at the smallest possible expense.

* * * * *

[Illustration: FIN DE SIECLE CHILDREN.

_He_. "I SAY, HILDA, I _SHOULD_ SO LIKE TO GIVE YOU A KISS!"

_She_ (_who WILL pick up such strange expressions from the Boys_).
"WOULD YOU, INDEED? 'I LIKE YOUR CHEEK'!"

_He_. "I'M SURE I SHOULD LIKE _YOURS_!"]

* * * * *

NOT CAUGHT YET!

The Boy and the Bird! And the Bird looks so old;--
Scarce the species of fowl to be easily "sold,"--
And the Boy is so young! It seems almost absurd
To suppose that that pinch is to capture that Bird!

An old form of chase, if the legends run right;
Like that, much akin, of the wild goose in flight.
But salt, just like chaff and the plainly spread net,
Was never regarded as promising yet.

But now? Well, the Birds of the age, like its Boys,
Its Wives, and its Weather, its Tastes and its Toys,
Have suffered a change, not a sea-change, but one
Which floors half the maxims, and spoils half the fun.

Simple SIMON? Well, that's not as clear as it looks.
The typical noodles of nursery books
Were podgy and chubby, or lanky and pale,
And--they tried to drop salt on poor dicky-bird's tail!

A fat boy in tight breeks