advice that a shop should be started, a nom de commerce adopted, and a circle of friendly customers be acquired by discreet advertisement.  After these matters have been decided, but not till then, it becomes necessary to determine to what special branch the talents of the prospective Shopkeeper are to be devoted.  At last even this is accomplished, and in a few months more the world of fashion may learn by private circular or public paragraph, that a new competitor for its favours has been launched into commercial activity under a sweetly symbolical name.

After this everything depends upon the Lady herself.  At first everything will go swimmingly.  Friends will rally round her, and she may perhaps discover with a touching surprise that the staunchest and truest are those of whom, in her days of brilliant prosperity, she thought the least.  But a succes d’estime is soon exhausted.  Unless she conducts her business on purely business lines, delivers her goods when they are wanted, and, for her own protection, sends in her accounts as they fall due, and looks carefully after their payment, her customers and her profits will fall away.  But if she attends strictly to business herself, or engages a good business woman to assist her, and orders her affairs in accordance with the dictates of a proper self-interest, she is almost certain to do well, and to reap the reward of those who face the world without flinching, and fight the battle of life sturdily and with an honest purpose.  Some painful moments may fall to her lot.  It may be that in a crowded assemblage of wealth and fashion she may see one of her masterpieces in the dress-making art, torn into shreds under the clumsy heel of a Cabinet Minister, or a Duchess may speak unkindly in her hearing of her latest devices in floral decoration.  Or, some brainless nincompoop may, in his ignorance of her profession, cast aspersions on the general character and behaviour of all who keep shops.  And it may be that friends, after a prolonged period of non-payment, will desert her, and speak ill of her business.  But she will be able to console herself for those and similar bitternesses by the knowledge that on the whole the world honours those who battle against ill-fortune without complaint far above the needy crowd of spongers who strive to batten without effort on the crumbs that fall from the tables of the rich.

* * * * *

ROBERT ON THE HEMPERER’S VISIT TO THE CITY.

[Illustration]

Well, we are jest a going for to have a fine time of it in the old Citty, we are!  On the werry tenth of next month, which this year happens for to be Jewly, we are a going for to receive to Lunshon, quite in a frendly way, the Hemperer and the Hempress of all GERMANY, not forgitting Hellygoland which we so kindly guv ’em larst year, and, in addishun, about twenty other princes and princesses from differing