n its life. It's a positive joy to me."

I have it on Mr. BALFOUR'S authority that all truth cannot be told at
all times. But I had lost the set.

* * * * *

[Illustration: THE THIRST FOR EDUCATION.

_Mother_. "Wot's all this 'ubbub goin' on indoors?"

_Daughter_. "Baby's bin and licked 'Erbert's 'ome lessons orf 'is
slate."]

* * * * *

"On Friday, March 7th, Messrs. ----, on the instructions of
the executors of the late Mr. ----, are selling by auction in
pneumonia and acute influenzal pneu-built cottages situate in
Chapel Street."--_Provincial Paper_.

Personally we were not bidding.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Staff Officer (accustomed to staff-car pace)._ "HERE,
CABBY--LET ME OUT. I'D RATHER WALK."

_Antique Jehu (who thinks he has to do with a "shell-shock" case)._
"IT'S ALL RIGHT, SIR. I'M GOING VERY CAREFUL."

_S.O._ "I KNOW. BUT I'M SO AFRAID OF SOMETHING RUNNING INTO US FROM
BEHIND."]

* * * * *

OUR BOOKING-OFFICE.

(_BY MR. PUNCH'S STAFF OF LEARNED CLERKS._)

When a story bears the attractive title of _The House of Courage_
(DUCKWORTH); when it begins in the Spring of 1914 with a number of
pleasantly prosperous people whose faith in the continuance of this
prosperity is frequently emphasised ("as if they had a contract with
God Almighty" is how an observant character phrases it); and when,
in the first chapter, the hero has an encounter with two Germans in
a Soho restaurant--well, it requires no great guessing to tell what
will happen before we are through with it. And, in fact, Mrs. VICTOR
RICKARD'S latest is yet another war-story; though with this novelty,
that the hero's experiences of service are almost entirely gained in a
German prison-camp. As perhaps I need not say, both divisions of the
tale are admirably written. It is hardly the author's fault that the
earlier half, with its pictures of a genial hunting society in County
Cork, is distinctly more entertaining than the scenes of boredom
and brutality at Crefeld, well-conveyed as these are and almost
over-realistic and convincing. Inevitably too the scheme is one of
incident rather than character. One has never any very serious doubt
that in the long run the hero, _Kennedy_, will marry the girl of his
choice, despite the fact of her engagement to the clearly unworthy
_Harrington_. But as par