She says, “All ’Merrykins is superior, thro' bein' that well edicated, and,” she says, "it's well known as 'Merrykin ladies is beauties, and dresses better than Paris or London."

I says, "I ain't seen no ladies." She says, "That's insults."

I says, "No, it is not," I says, "you're werry good sort of people, a many on you, and all about the same, but," I says, "when you set up for ladies and gentlemen, why it's enough to make the cat laugh," I says. "You don't know nothink about ladies and gentlemen, and 'owever should you?"

BROWN he come in jest then, and says, "Whatever are you a-talkin' so loud about ?"

So MRS. CLANCY and MRS. SHARDIN says in a breath as I were always a-runnin' down 'Merryker.

I says, "I am not; I only says as you're a werry good sort, only you didn't ought to pretend to be ladies and gentlemen."

"Oh," says MRS. SHARDIN, &-sneerin', "I thought you was one of the English haristocracy.'

I says, "No, no, mum, I never set up for one. I've lived as servant in good families, and was always well treated by my masters and misseses."

"Oh," says MRS. CLANCY, "'ow degradin', masters and misseses!" I says, "I don't consider it so, as 'ave been always respectable, and," I says, "if some of you'd been servants you'd make better misseses." BROWN says, "Do 'old your noise, and come up and sew a button on for me," as I did accordin', and when we was alone he says to me, "I wish as you 'ad more brains and less talk. Whatever is the use of talkin' to them as 'ave all been servant gals, and married to men as 'ave all carried the 'od ?"

"Well," I says, "then why ever don't they say so, and not set up for swells, as any one can tell they ain't, in a instant ?

"Well," he says, "you'll end bad if you goes on at 'em as you do, and I think as we must soon be a-thinkin' of gettin' 'ome."

I says, "BROWN, and thankful I shall be, for now I've seen JOE once more I'm satisfied, for I never shall like 'is wife, but if he's 'appy with her that's all right. As to the children, I'm afear'd as they'll never come to no good; but I shan't see it, and that's a comfort." So BROWN says, "'Ow long will it take you to get ready?"

I says, "'Arf-a-day."

"Well, then," he says, "I'm a-goin' about the berths."

"I says, "You'll give me a day or two, for I should like to see as much as I can of JOE."

He says, "Oh, we ain't a-goin' under a month." "Oh," I says,

"that's plenty of time, tho' no doubt it will pass like nothin' when it's gone."

He says, "That's true; but," he says, "I'm a-espectin' some money, and if it don't come I must go and look arter it."

I says, "If it's money as is your rights, look arter it and don't leave nothink behind."

He says, "I must go away for about a fortnight."

"Then, I says, I go too, for I will not be left behind no more, for if there is a thing as I'ates it's a boardin'-'ouse, and as to stoppin' along with Joe's wife, I'd as soon live in a den of alligators-so when you starts I goes along with you."

He "With all my 'art; only be ready."

says,

I says,

"All right; I'm packed in a 'our any time."

When BROWN told me as we was a-goin' to New Orleans, I 'adn't no consumption about the journeys as can be took in 'Merryker, as you may travel thro' by the year together and not get to the end on, as is all ice and snow one end, and burnin' 'eat the other, with railroads as seems unendin', and steamers never ceases; and if any one 'ad told me where I was a-goin' to the day afore I started I'd have stayed behind, for flesh and blood is only flesh and blood arter all, as did ought to be made of iron and steel and clockwork into the bargain. But law, 'ow I am a-goin' on, as 'ave sich lots to say as must keep to another time, for in course 'avin' begun I wants to end, as is only natʼral as every one should 'ave a end, as some comes to werry sudden, the same as MRS. SKIDMORE's dog, as were run over the day arter I left by the fire-injun drawed by boys, and only shows as every one did ought to look where they're a-goin' to, though I'm sure if I 'ad I shouldn't never 'ave gone across the oshen, and 'avin' got there, wants to see all I can, for once let me put my foot in the British ile, and never no more do I leave it. Not as I'll say that either, for you didn't ought to say you'll never do nothink, as I've said before, for we're all born but none on us buried, as the sayin' is.

A Yankee Fact.

THE New York Times states that it has received a telegram announcing that the BISHOP OF LONDON has ordered the name of the American President to be inserted in the prayer for the QUEEN and Parliament. Somebody has been hoaxing our Yankee friend-the BISHOP OF LONDON would be "TAIT" montée to think of such a thing.

How I revered the artist's skill

Who did my heroes representWith scowls the very soul to thrill

With one leg straight and one leg bent!

I loved his ladies full of grace,

And on their beauties fondly dwelt:-
My first pictorial love could trace
Her pedigree to PARK and SKELT.
Ah, me! 'tis many a year since I

Those dear old plates-a penny plain,
And twopence coloured-did espy;

I ne'er shall see their like again!
The world with disappointment's rife,
And I have far too often felt
That actors now are less like life

Than those I bought of PARK and SKELT!

The Wild Horse of the Ukraine. RACES have been lately held at Elizabethgrad in the Chersonese, and were attended by the nobility of the Ukraine. Some surprise has been expressed in England at the fact that the winning horse was the property of a priest who had "put up" his sacristan. We can see no objection to such a course. Nay, had the priest himself steered his nag to the post we should ask objectors the question, Why should he not preach sound doctrine though he rides a sound horse?" Or in the Horatian:

Ride-entem dicere verum Quid vetat ?

The Wail of the Pibroch.

SCOTLAND has reason to mourn the degeneracy of some of her children. The Scots Fusilier Guards have long since abandoned the kilt for the trews;-now they are about to discard the national musical instrument-we mean, of course, the pipes. There is a painful inconsistency in this arbitrary assumption of the bags and renunciation of the pipes. Can the alteration be a measure of economy? If so, we trust that the nobility of the North will come down handsome and pay the pipers.

The Latest Art Exhibition.

THERE may be seen every day, between five and seven, in the park -a picture of a cab, drawn by a clever horse.

LOOKS INTO BOOKS.

MR. FREDERICK FIELD'S Mocking Bird and Other Poems, though it contains some pleasant original verse, will be chiefly remarkable in critical circles for the excellence of the parodies, which occupy the first forty pages of the volume. They avoid the common form of parody-the mere similarity in the sound of words-and make their echo appreciable by a delicate suggestiveness of the similarity of subject (often a similarity in diversity), and by an apt assimilation of rhythm as well as metre. There is a freshness in this new style of parody which is the more admirable because it will puzzle small wits to imitate it. We will give a brief extract to illustrate our meaning, selected from "The Phantom Cat":

"Still upon the Captain's shoulder, strange it seemed to the beholder,
In the twilight of the cabin among strangers standing so;
And I fancied it would fright her when the cuddy lamps grew lighter,
And I mused upon the writer of "The Raven," EDGAR POE,

On that weird and wondrous genius, wilful, wayward EDGAR POE,
Dead now eighteen years ago."

Here there is no attempt at a jingle upon the original "nevermore," yet the ethos as well as the mere flow of the original poem will be found preserved in the parody.

MR. FIELD is also to be congratulated on his translations, for the same power which enables him to give parodies that are not servile, assists him to renderings that are not spiritless-witness his version of the old oft-attempted "Three Students." Nevertheless, we are not quite sure that this appreciativeness does not mar his efforts when he essays original verse. Moreover he, with few exceptions, gives us such correct rhymes that we could wish he would avoid the slovenly habit of expending but two rhymes on a four-line stanza. In these days when every man is "a poet," until he publishes, and often after (if he be fortunate enough to escape our few real critics), it is most desirable that the skilful and educated versifier should set a good example to the unscrupulous by an almost excessive care as to the mechanism of his art.

SEASONABLE EXERCISE FOR VOLUNTEER ARTILLERY COMPANIES.Shelling Peas.

EGG-SEE!

THERE is reason in the roasting of eggs. But does anyone know that there is reason why the manufacture of eggs into cheesecakes ought to be so cheap that any schoolboy should be able to buy more of those delicacies than he can eat at a sitting, for a very small sum? Those patriotic fellows the photographers, whose motto is "pro aris et focis," reject the yoke-we beg pardon, yolk-and use the white of no end of eggs. We wonder whether this accounts in any way for the odd fact that cheap photographs and penny ices are almost invariably connected-that in short the photographer is generally a sort of partner in a confectioner's shop.

Answers to Correspondents.

[We cannot return unaccepted MSS. or Sketches, unless they are accompanied by a stamped and directed envelope; but we do not hold ourselves responsible for loss. SAM SAWYER.-We only deal with top-sawyers.

L. E. (Brixton), puts to us a riddle:-"When does a negro change colour? We think he would blush to be guilty of such an atrocious joke as L. E.'s answer. A. MACINTYRE.-We hardly think the cause of the working-man is so creditably represented by the glass-blower-or the man who dealt a blow at the glass. We are too temperate to wish to share your spirit. JOE KING.-No relation evidently to JOCK ULARITY. in which their advertisers indulge. The advertiser in the Times may have X.-Newspapers can scarcely be held responsible for the errors of style been a student of the Daily Telegraph.

RAW.-Why say "addressed envelope shall be enclosed if required?" Read our rules and don't talk nonsense, for we can make no exception in favour of RAW ignorance.

MILKY WHITE.-Thanks for the suggestion.

Declined with thanks:-W. T., Kingsland-road; W. H. R., Old-street; B. B.; Pam; An Occasional Reader; H.; Bolt, Barnsbury; N.; J. B. C., Liverpool; R. W., Stoke Newington; Cambuslang; A. W. J.; Chrysostome; T. J. K., Plymouth; E. C., Liverpool; Frances; J. W., Liverpool; A. L. H., Mincing-lane; R. L., Old Kent-road; R. D. R. B.; A. C. Pitcairlie; Dip McGoalich; J. T., Walbrook; "Oh!!!"; A. F. W., Bristol; Joseph, sen.; W. H., St. Giles's.