ardsman a quivering mass of senseless
humanity!

_Specimen of the Christmas Ending_.--And so, linked hand in hand,
father and mother, son and daughter, husband and wife, nephew and
niece, bowed their heads beneath the holly and mistletoe, and wished
one another, with a heartiness that told volumes, "A Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year!"

* * * * *

QUERIES FOR CAMBRIDGE EXAM. PAPER.--

1. If the Vice-Chancellor's authority to punish immorality within the
bounds of the University town of Cambridge is to be done away
with, will he still retain the then quite superfluous title of
_Vice_-Chancellor?

2. On the abolition of "The Spinning-House," as plucked candidates
are often spoken of as men who were "spun" for such-and-such
an examination, might not the Senate-House be known as "The
Spinning-House"?

* * * * *

[Illustration: A FEW ONE-POUND NOTES; OR, THE QUICK-CHANGE
CHANCELLOR.]

* * * * *

BY GEORGE!

[In a recent libel action, brought against an author by an
African merchant, Mr. GEORGE MEREDITH was called as a witness.
He said:--

"The story in dispute passed through his hands as reader for
the publishers. Asked in cross-examination if he thought that
the opening of the story relating to the hero's mother did not
offend against the canons of good taste, the witness answered
that it was the attempt of a writer of serious mind to be
humorous. It might be almost called a stereotype of that
form of the element of humour. It was a failure but still
passed with the public.--The Judge: A kind of elephantine
humour?--The Witness: Quite so. I did not like it, but one
would have to object to so much."

There the report of Mr. MEREDITH'S evidence ends. Exigencies
of space apparently caused the omission of a great deal of
it. Fortunately it is in our power to supply this
deficiency.--ED.]

[Illustration: Very much En Evidence; or, George in the box.]

_The Judge_. Quite so, Mr. MEREDITH. I may say for myself that I fully
understand you. But perhaps it would be well to explain yourself a
_leetle_ more clearly for the benefit of the jury.

_Mr. George Meredith_. My Lord, I will put it with a convincing
brevity, not indeed a dust-scattering brevity fit only for the
mumbling recluse, who perchance in this grey London marching Eastward
at break of