rates decided that _Ideas_ must not be sold
after the closing hour."--_Daily Sketch_.

Unfortunately this will not prevent the bore from continuing to give
you his gratis.

* * * * *

Demand--

"Elderly English Girl wanted as companion to young lady for
afternoon."--_Egyptian Gazette_.

and supply--

"The age limit for Girl Guides was formerly 18 years, but it
has now been raised to 81 years by general request."--_British
Paper_.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Tommy_. "SOMETHIN' TO DHRINK, IF YE PLAZE, MISS."
_Helper_. "CERTAINLY. WILL YOU HAVE TEA OR COFFEE?"

_Tommy_. "NEITHER, THANK-YE." _Helper_. "COCOA, THEN, OR BOVRIL?"

_Tommy_. "NO, NO. NONE OF THEM FOR ME, MISS."

_Helper_ (_with asperity_). "WELL, WE'VE NOTHING ELSE EXCEPT WATER."

_Tommy_ (_earnestly_). "AN' I DAREN'T TOUCH THAT. D'YE SEE, MISS, WHEN
ME FATHER LAY DYIN'--GOD REST HIS SOWL!--HE SEZ TO ME, 'I'VE GIVEN YE
AN IRON CONSTITUTION, ANNYWAY, AN' LET YE SEE TO IT THAT YE NIVER TAKE
ANNYTHING THAT 'UD RUST IT ON YE.'"]

* * * * *

THE QUEST OF KNOWLEDGE.

MR. BLAIR, the L.C.C. Education Officer, is dissatisfied, according to
_The Daily Chronicle_, with the questions put at school examinations,
on the ground that they do not test the thoughtfulness and ingenuity
of the pupil. The "Why" as well as the "What" should be developed,
and to illustrate the value of the method proposed Mr. BLAIR suggests
various sample questions, e.g.:--

"How do you account for the density of the population in
Staffordshire?

"Find out from your atlas the distance from London to Glasgow.
How long would it take you to go there by train? What would the
third-class fare be at a penny a mile?

"How can we discover the minimum conditions necessary for the
germination of a bean?

"ARISTOTLE remarked that a bee will visit one type of flower only
during one journey from the hive. Find out if this is true, and,
if true, point out its significance from the point of view of the
flower."

As Mr. BLAIR remarks, a quest is better than a question. We agree, and
venture to start a few more quests:--

"Find out from _Who's Who_ the literary productions of Miss MARIE
CORELLI and Mr. HALL CAINE, and trace their effect on the density of
the population of Warwickshire and the Isle of Man respectively.

"ARISTOTLE remarked that one swallow does not make a s