r. So it
will be all right soon if we dont eat too many sweets and things. Russia,
Italy, Serbia, Portugal, Rumania, America and Montynegro, which I forgot
before, are all splendid countries but space forbids more.

KATHLEEN CHALFONT (age 12).

* * * * *

The German soldiers' opinion of "retirement according to plan": "Each for
himself; and the Devil take the Hindenburg."

* * * * *

"To fill up the gaps in the ranks trains of German reserves are being
hushed to the front incessantly."--_Star._

We don't believe this. The Bosch has long given up the habit of singing as
he goes into battle.

* * * * *

"J.J. (New Brighton) sends us a case of a novel method to keep out
would-be marauders from the garden. A friend of his who has some
expensive ferns planted in a rockery put up the notice, 'Beware of the
Scolopendriums and Polypodiums'--which, of course, are the Latin names
of garden insects."--_Pearson's Weekly._

Clearly a case of nature mimicry.

* * * * *

[Illustration: SELF-PROTECTION.

JOHN BULL. "I'VE INVESTED A MINT OF MONEY IN OTHER LANDS, IT'S TIME I PUT
SOMETHING INTO MY OWN."]

* * * * *

REVIVALS AND REVISIONS.

"IT" (as Mr. GOSSE says at the beginning of his fascinating monograph on
SWINBURNE, a work which we understand has just been crowned by the Band of
Hope) it is now beyond doubt that Mr. H.B. IRVING'S drastic way with
_Hamlet_ is to have a far-reaching effect on all revivals. New authors can
be acted more or less as they write, or as they happen to be stronger or
weaker than their "producers"; but to be revived is henceforward to be
revised, and fairly stringently too.

Mr. IRVING has made a clearance of certain parts of _Hamlet_ which
interfere with the movement of its story. Actuated by old-fashioned motives
and writing for a public that was not yet wholly lacking in discrimination,
SHAKSPEARE did his best to make _Hamlet_ a poetical as well as a dramatic
tragedy. With this end in view he accumulated the mass of rhetoric with
which we are now so familiar. It as been Mr. IRVING's task to prune this
well-meant but somewhat excessive verbiage so that the real dramatic stuff
can at last "get over." But he has done no more. Any rumour to the effect
that he has introduced American songs or dances, or that a