of ladies. Nevertheless, we
must protest against the prohibition of smoking abaft the funnel on
board Thames steamers. The other day we were ascending the river in one
of these vessels, seated in that quarter of it, when a youth, who was
indulging in a Pickwick to the windward of us, was caused to transfer
himself and his enjoyment forwards. No sooner had he gone away with his
smoke, than our nostrils were assailed by the vilest of odours; a breath
from the open mouth of a sewer on the opposite bank. This was just as we
were passing the ARCHBISHOP'S Palace at Lambeth; and we could almost
have imagined that DR. SUMNER had been at work purifying the Church, and
had rendered its abuses palpable to the olfactory sense; in such great
indignation were our nostrils at the perfume emitted in the
neighbourhood of his Grace's premises. We wished our young friend back
again with his "weed," the fragrance of which we very much prefer to
that of metropolitan tributaries to the Thames: and until that stream is
somewhat dulcified, we should think that even ladies would approve of
universal fumigation on board its boats.

* * * * *

THE ENEMY.

The question of Peace has been carried in Europe, _nem. con._ BRIGHT,
feeling peacefully inclined, said he should like all war-questions to be
met and decided by a similar enemy; and, being asked by COBDEN "What
enemy?"--he eloquently replied, "A-_n-emine contradicente_."

* * * * *

WHAT YOU MAY HEAR IN A BELL.

A curious old philosopher of our acquaintance says:--"I can always tell
what kind of masters and servants there are in an establishment by the
way in which the bell is rung and answered. If the bell is rung sharply,
or snappishly, or at all loudly, I say to myself, You are hard masters,
impatient, intolerant, making no allowances, and always expecting a
thing to be done before it is even asked for, and my suspicions are
generally verified by their ringing the bell a second time more loudly
than the first; and if the servants take a long time in answering the
bell, I say to myself, You are bad servants, either lazy or pampered, or
spoilt by too much indulgence, and evidently taking but little interest
in your master's wishes. It is a sure sign that there is not much peace
or comfort to be met with in the house where the master rings several
times for everything he wants; and where the servants require the bell
to be ru