mainly; investors are rare--)
Than this growl ill-conditioned of pestilent Bear!

With a craftiness planned and a malice unfair,
Improvising a scare unsubstantial as air--
Now it's "war," now "disease," and the world must prepare
For the death of, say, GOULD, or a Chilian flare;

Or the "cutting of rates:" I am quite unaware
What it means, I declare, but it's "cutting," I swear,
To a person like me, not a flush millionaire
Who must "realise" scrip,--and the canker of care.

It would seem, we could e'er so conveniently spare
From a world too competitive, blarneyed with blare,
Both the Yankee of Wall-Street, his London _confrere_,
And all criers of "Lost!" when no losses are there;

All the wreckers, whose lair is secure past compare,
All who batten on bones with a maw debonair,
And the carcase of Poverty torture and tear
With historical fraud, and benevolent glare.

Who will join me in sport that is novel--who'll dare
In his prosperous pit to go baiting the "Bear,"
Who will lead him a dance, who his talons will pare,
And make summary work of this ursine affair?

* * * * *

"MUST IT COME TO THIS?"

SCENE--_The War Office. Present Mr. STANHOPE; to him enter
Inspector-General PUNCH.

_Mr. Stanhope_. Ah, Sir, glad to see you. Can I do anything for you?

_Inspector-General_. Well, not for me--but you may and must do
something for those I represent--the Volunteer Officers.

_Mr. Stan._ Oh, you have come about them, have you? Well, you saw what
I said about them in my Memorandum the other day?

_In.-Gen._ I noticed what you did _not_ say--you hoped during the
present year to see some practical proposals.

_Mr. Stan._ Well, what do you want more?

_In.-Gen._ The proposals themselves.

_Mr. Stan._ They will come in good time.

_In.-Gen._ No time in this matter will be good--except the present.

_Mr. Stan._ Oh, you leave it to me, you will see it will be all right.

_In.-Gen._ No--unless you attend to the matter at once--now--at this
moment.

_Mr. Stan._ How you do take me up! What a hurry you are in!

_In.-Gen._ Shilly-shallying to the rear--action to the front. Now,
then, produce your proposals.

_Mr. Stan._ (_reluctantly producing a paper from a pigeon-hole_).
Well, here they are--(_giving them_)--what do you think of them?

_In.-Gen._ (_after a hurried perusal_). Humph! At any rate let them
he published at once, that