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OLD JOE ENCORE.—­Last Wednesday in the FARRAR v. Publisher discussion, a Correspondent, signing himself JOHN TAYLOR, of Dagnall Park, Selhurst, wrote to The Times to “quote an anecdote” about DOUGLAS JERROLD and “a Publisher.”  Rarely has a good old story been so spoilt in the telling as in this instance.  The true story is of ALBERT SMITH and DOUGLAS JERROLD, and has been already told in the Times by a Correspondent signing himself “E.Y.”  It is of the same respectable age as that one of ALBERT SMITH signing his initials “A.S.,” and JERROLD observing, “He only tells two-thirds of the truth.”  Perhaps Mr. JOHN TAYLOR, of Dagnall Park, Selhurst, is going to favour us with a little volume of “new sayings by old worthies” at Christmas time, and we shall hear how SHERIDAN once asked TOM B——­ “why a miller wore a white hat?” And how ERSKINE, on hearing a witness’s evidence about a door being open, explained to him that his evidence would be worthless, because a door could not be considered as a door “if it were a jar,” and several other excellent stories, which, being told for the first time with the verve and local colouring of which the writer of the letter to The Times is evidently a past-master, will secure for the little work an enormous popularity.

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A SCOTT AND A LOT.—­“Thirty Years at the Play” is the title of Mr. CLEMENT SCOTT’s Lecture to be delivered next Saturday at the Garrick Theatre, for the benefit of the Actors’ Benevolent Fund.  Thirty years of Play-time!  All play, and lots of work.  Mr. IRVING is to introduce the lecturer to his audience, who, up to that moment, will have been “Strangers Yet,” and this CLEMENT will be SCOTT-free to say what he likes, and to tell ’em all about it generally.  “SCOTT” will be on the stage, and the “Lot” in the auditorium.  Lot’s Wife also.

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ETHER-DRINKING IN IRELAND.—­Mr. ERNEST HART (bless his heart and earnestness!) lectured last week on “Ether-Drinking in Ireland.”  He lectured “The Society for the Study of Inebriety”—­a Society which must be slightly “mixed”—­on this bad habit, and no doubt implored them to give it up.  The party sang, “How Happy could we be with Ether” and the discussion was continued until there was nothing more to be said.

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CLERGY IN PARLIAMENT.—­As Bishops “sit” in the Upper House, why should not “the inferior clergy” “stand” for the Lower House?  If they get in, why shouldn’t they be seated?  Surely what’s right in the Bishop isn’t wrong in the Rector?

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LITERARY ADVERTISEMENT.—­The forthcoming work by the Vulnerable Archdeacon F-RR-R, will be entitled, The Pharrarsee and the Publisher.

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[Illustration:  “TRAIN UP A CHILD,” &C.