,
A thin voice wailed, and, mocking it,
Crackled the laughter of the pit,
"Excelsior!"

* * * * *

SOME JUMBO.

"Jumbo, the giant elephant of the Stosch-Parasani Circus in Berlin, has
been killed for food, telegraphs the Amsterdam correspondent of The Daily
Express. He yielded fifty-five tons of flesh."--_Evening Paper (Glasgow)._

If this statement had not come from Amsterdam we should have found some
difficulty in believing it.

* * * * *

"At a meeting of the King George High School, Kasauli: 'Resolved, that the
school be closed for to-day to commemorate the recapture of Kut, for which
permission has been so kindly accorded by Pundit Hari Das Sahib, M.A.'"--
_Indian Paper._

We are all, General MAUDE included, very much obliged to the Pundit.

* * * * *

A MISNOMER.

Once upon a time, in the midst of the most detestable Spring ever known--a
Spring consisting entirely of hopes of better weather, raised for no other
purpose than to be so thwarted and dashed that the spirits of that brave
and much harassed creature, man, might sink still lower--once upon a time,
even in this Spring, there was a fine evening. It was more than fine, it
was tender, and, owing to a North wind, wonderfully luminous, and I walked
slowly along the hedges--which were still bare, although April was far
advanced--and listened to the blackbirds, and marvelled at the light that
made everything so beautiful, and was filled with gratitude to the late
WILLIAM WILLETT for re-arranging our foolish hours.

I soon reached a favourite meadow, with a view of the hills and clumps of
gorse in it, and, since there were clumps of gorse, many, many of those
alluring little creatures which live in the ground and provide man with
numbers of benefits--such as sweet flesh to put into pies; and cheap, soft,
warm fur to wrap Baby Buntings in; and stubby tails, or scuts, to be used
in hot-houses for transferring pollen that peach-blossoms may be
fertilised, and (latterly) symbols for Government clerks who prefer
civilian clothes and comfort to khaki and warfare; and (in Wales) toasted
cheese. I refer to rabbits.

As I stood motionless in this meadow watching the yellowing sky, I was
aware of an Homeric contest quite close to me. Two rabbits wore engaged in
a terrific battle. They kicked and they scratched and made the most furious
attacks on ea