favourite at the Alhambra. By the way, the _Sheffield Telegraph_,
describing the alterations and improvements in front at the Alhambra,
wrote--"The ceiling has been bevelled with porous plasters so as to
hide the girders." We know that hand:--it's Our "Mrs. RAMSBOTHAM,"
and she "comes from Sheffield." However, "porous plasters" would be
another attraction at the Alhambra, or anywhere, as they certainly
ought to _draw_.

* * * * *

LADY GAY'S SELECTIONS.

_Mount Street, Grosvenor Square_.

DEAR MR. PUNCH,

Unlucky Leicester was even more unlucky than usual--and when the big
race was run last Wednesday, so thick was the rain, that the horses
could only be seen for the last half mile! Of course this made all
the difference to the horse I selected--_Windgall_--who finished
second;--as he only gives his _best_ performances _in public_, and
as he doubtless _knew he couldn't be seen_, he thought it was only a
private trial until he got close home, when his gallant effort was too
late to be of any use!--at least, this is how _I_ read the result of
the race, and who can know more about a horse than the racing-prophet,
I should like to know?

I was told by Sir WALTER GREENINGTON, that the public "tumbled over
each other" to back _Breach_, but I must say I didn't notice anything
of the sort, and it was not the kind of day anyone would choose for
a roll on the turf, the state of which was detrimental to any kind of
_Breach_!--The believers in "coincidences"--(of which I need hardly
say _I_ am one--a coincidence being a truly feminine reason for
backing a horse)--had no option but to back the winner, _Rusticus_;
as he drew the same berth he occupied in last year's race, which he
alsop--(I mean also)--won for Mr. HAMAR BASS!--_Stuart_ was a great
eleventh hour tip--(why _eleventh_ hour I wonder?--more than any
other--and who fixes the precise moment when the _eleventh_ hour
commences?)--but history tells us the STUARTS were mostly unreliable;
and though I am told he ran a "great horse"--I thought him rather on
the small side myself!

I hear that Mr. LEONARD BOYNE has received a "licence to ride" from
the Jockey Club, and that his ambition is to ride the winner of the
"Grand National"--to which end he has started "schooling" a well-known
chaser over the private training-ground in Drury Lane, belonging to
Sir AUGUSTUS HARRIS--if he hopes to escape observation by training
at night, I fear his des