their
purpose.

* * * * *

"The Lord Mayor of London, Sir William Dunn, accompanied by other
members of the City Council in their robes, and the Lady Mayoress, were
amongst the very large conflagration at St. Patrick's, Soho. An
eloquent sermon was preached."--_Irish Paper._

"Burning words," indeed.

* * * * *

From a description of the difficulties of the members of the Press Gallery
in reporting Mr. BONAR LAW:--

"Since he has become leader of the House they have aged and grown
haggard and dejected. The sound of his voice fills them with
bread."--_Birmingham Daily Post._

Well, in these days that ought to afford them ample consolation.

* * * * *

"Sir Richard L. Borden's name, now a household word, became familiar
only six years ago."--_Daily Paper._

But even now he is not so well known as Sir ROBERT!

* * * * *

DE PROFUNDIS.

When I went round the trenches a day or two before we were to move in, the
great frost was still in possession; but there was a mild feeling in the
air.

"I can thoroughly recommend these trenches to you, Sir," said the occupier
in a businesslike manner. "Commodious and well built, fitted throughout
with the latest pattern duck-boards and reached by three charmingly
sequestered communication trenches, named Hic, Haec and Hoc. The dug-outs
are well equipped and well sunk. The whole would form an ideal retreat for
gentlemen of quiet tastes."

"Good. And the people over the way?"

"Unobtrusive and retiring to a degree."

"In fact," I said, "a most select neighbourhood--unless it thaws."

He dropped pleasantries and answered very seriously. "If it thaws, Heaven
help you. There's enough water frozen up in these walls to drown the lot of
you."

It did thaw.

When we relieved, we waded up to the line through miles of trenches all
knee-deep in water, to the accompaniment of ominous splashes as the sides
began to fall in. When daylight came we found our select estate converted
into a system of canals filled with a substance varying in consistency from
coffee to glue. Hic, Haec and Hoc, owing to the wear and tear of constant
traffic, became especially gluey, and after a time we rechristened them
respectively the Great Ooze, the Little Ooze and the River Styx--the last
not solely in reference to its adhesive qualities,