oble to strike. There
were two kinds of station-masters, he said, both wearing top-hats,
but one kind with full morning-dress underneath it and the other with
uniform. But neither kind struck.

Slightly nettled at his superior knowledge, I asked him, "What did
_you_ do during the Great Strike?"

"Oh, I had rather fun," he said; "I controlled the signals at London
Bridge."

If all the truth were known I expect that he is quite ready for Mr.
SMILLIE'S strike; that he has a handy little pick in his bedroom and
knows of rather a jolly little coal-mine close by.

EVOE.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Mother_ (_firmly, to little daughter about to have
a tooth drawn_). "NOW, BETTY, IF YOU CRY, I'LL NEVER TAKE YOU TO A
DENTIST'S AGAIN."]

* * * * *

[Illustration: _The Woman_. "I DO WISH YOU TWO WOULD WALK PROPERLY."]

* * * * *

FLOWERS' NAMES.

FOOL'S PARSLEY.

In the village of Picking's Pool
Lived Theobald, the village fool;
He had been simple from his birth
But kindly as the simple earth,
And in his heart he sang a song
Of "Ave, Mary" all day long.

On Good Friday the people came
To honour the rood of Christ His shame;
They scattered flowers and leaves and moss
About the foot of the humble cross
And, when they knelt and prayed and wailed,
Theobald saw the Mother, veiled
And bowed in a mother's agony.
"She suffers more than the Christ," said he.

Theobald searched the fields and lanes
To find a solace for MARY'S pains;
All the flowers were plucked and gone
Save a little dull Parsley, sere and wan;
And Theobald wreathed it in simple guise;
"It mourns like her," said the Fool made wise.

When Holy Saturday morning broke
Back to the shrine went the village folk;
And lo! on the weeping Mother's brow
A chaplet of flowers was gleaming now;
And Theobald smiled secretly
To think he had soothed her agony.
And ever since Theobald crowned his Queen
Fool's Parsley has flowered amongst its green.

* * * * *

HEADGEAR FOR HEROES.

[A contemporary, having heard of the hat specially designed for M.
CLEMENCEAU, has decided that the bowler, the topper, the Homburg,
the straw, the cloth cap and all other styles at present more
or less in vogue leave much to be desired, and has therefore
inaugurated a search for