And gentler tastes; these shall be heard of youth. 
  And echo’d by old folk beside their fires,
  For comfort after their wage-work is done—­
  No workhouse fires, but cosy fires of Home!—­
  These thee shall greet, PUNCH-MERLIN, in thy time,
  Shall voice them also, not in jest, and swear,
  Though men may wound Truth, that she will not die,
  But pass, again to come; and, then or now,
  Utterly smite foul Falsehood underfoot,
  Till, with PUNCH, all men hail her for their Queen!

* * * * *

CLIMATIC NOMENCLATURE FOR THE NEW YEAR.

(SUGGESTED BY RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF THE BRITISH SEASONS.)

  Spring = The Clog Days. 
  Summer = The Dog Days. 
  Autumn = The Bog Days. 
  Winter = The Fog Days.

* * * * *

ATRABILIOUS LIVERPOOL.—­The City Council of Liverpool—­notwithstanding the generous urgings of its more important members—­refuses to bestow the “honour of” the freedom “of that City” upon its illustrious if—­from their point of view—­errant son, Mr. GLADSTONE.  As Madame ROLAND ought to have said:—­O “Freedom,” what liberties are taken (with common sense and good feeling) in thy name!

* * * * *

[Illustration:  THE COMING OF NINETY-TWO

TO THE MODERN MERLIN, MR. PUNCH.

  “AND DOWN THE WAVE, AND IN THE FLAME WAS BORNE
    A NAKED BABE, AND RODE TO PUNCH’S FEET,
  WHO STOOPT, AND CAUGHT THE BABE, AND CRIED, ’THE YEAR! 
    HERE IS AN HEIR FOR NINETY-ONE!’”—­Adapted from Tennyson’s “Coming
        of Arthur."]

* * * * *

TO JUSTICE.

(IN JANUARY.)

[Illustration]

  Just take a look round, most respectable Madam;
    New Year’s Day is an excellent time for the task,
  When serious thoughts come to each son of Adam
    Who dares to peep under Convention’s smug mask. 
  Your sword looks a little bit rusty and notched, Ma’am;
    Your scales now and then hang a trifle askew;
  A lot of your Ministers need to be watched, Ma’am!
    Punch isn’t quite pleased with the prospect—­are you? 
  If one could but take a wide survey, though summary,
    Of all the strange “sentences” passed in one year
  By persons called “Justices”—­(yes, it sounds flummery)
    Justice would look like Burlesque, Ma’am, I fear. 
  Excellent subject for whimsical GILBERT,
    But not a nice spectacle, Madam, for me. 
  Long spell of “chokee” for prigging a—­filbert
    (Given, you bet, by some rural J.P.);
  Easy let-off for a bogus “Promoter,”
    Helping the ruin of hundreds for gain;
  Six months for stealing a turnip or “bloater,”
    Ditto for bashing a wife on the brain: 
  Sentences cut to one-twelfth on appealing,