here would be parties--no free country with free
institutions was ever without them--but he did not think they would be
quite the sane parties."--_The Times_.

But were they ever?

* * * * *

"A telegram from Budapest ... announces that the newspaper 'A Nap' has
been suppressed by the Hungarian Government for publishing an article
the contents of which were considered to be dangerous to the interests
of the war campaign."--_Westminster Gazette_.

We are sorry to hear this. We used to take "A Nap" pretty regularly of an
evening, and must now forgo this simple luxury.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Giles_. "THAT BEANT NO MANNER O' USE TO THE LIKES O' WE,
MEASTER."

_Farmer_. "WHAT'S WRONG WI' THE BEER? AIN'T THERE ENOUGH 'OPS FOR YOU?"

_Giles_. "'OPS? THE ONLY 'OP THAT'S EVER 'AD WERE OUT O' THE BLOOMIN'
WELL!"]

* * * * *

THE ART OF DETACHMENT.

(_Being a letter from a cloistered lady visiting London to her sister in
the Shires._)

My dear Ruth,--Beginning at the beginning, let me tell you that you must at
once go to the station to inquire how it is that they forced me to pay
thirty shillings for my ticket, instead of one pound. Although the price
one pound is printed on the ticket, I couldn't get it until I had paid ten
shillings extra. There was no time to get a proper explanation, so I want
you to do so. Very likely it is sheer blackmail by that man in the
booking-office, whom I never cared for. You had better see the
station-master about it.

The next thing I want to tell you is that most of our ideas of London are
wrong. You remember how we used to be told about its wonderful lighting at
night, and the comfort of its hotels, and the bright shops, and the crowds
of taxis, and so on. Well, this isn't true at all. So far from being
well-lighted, I assure you that our few little streets and market square
are a blaze compared with this city. Some streets here are absolutely dark,
and even in the great thoroughfares there is so little light that crossing
the road is most perilous. The thing could be put right in a moment if they
would only see to it that the lamps were cleaned; I looked closely at
several of them and I could see exactly what was wrong--a coat of grimy
stuff has accumulated on the glass. Now to get this off would be quite
easy, but it does not seem to have occurred to anyone t