VI.

  Post replies—­“Oh, it’s nothing but dreaming,
    Her hoping to put out our light!—­
    Our brilliant and duplicate light! 
  What did FERGUSSON say, blandly beaming
    Upon the tired House t’other night? 
    He said he would make it all right. 
  Ah, we safely may trust to his scheming—­
    Be sure he will lead us aright—­
  He won’t let the damsel there dreaming
    Despoil us of what is our right—­
    The monopoly plainly our right!”

VII.

  Yet watch Cinderella, and list her! 
    She yet will emerge from her gloom—­
    Time will conquer her fears and her gloom. 
  Before her she hath a bright vista.[1]
    The fairy Godmother will come! 
    Redtape shall not long seal her doom. 
  What is written is written!  No “sister,”
    (Though scorning her beauty, and broom)
    Shall shroud her bright light in the tomb
    Which yet the whole land shall illume!

VIII.

  She’s “some pumpkins”—­though now she looks sober—­
    She’s brilliant; she is “no small beer.” 
    No, no, Cinderella, my dear! 
    Your envious “sisters” may jeer,
    And sit on you yet, for a year;
    Redtape your advancement may fear,
    And Monopoly’s patrons look queer;
  But, as sure as the month of October
    Is famous for sound British beer,
  Vested Interest time shall prove no bar
    To your final triumph, my dear!

[Footnote 1:  POE, not Mr. Punch, should have the credit of this and certain other Cockney rhymes.]

* * * * *

“HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE.”—­“The competition for the Evill Prize also took place yesterday” (i.e., last Thursday. Vide Times).  The prize so Evilly named was won by Mr. PHILIP BROZEL, of the Royal Academy of Music, who must have expressed himself as being at least deucedly delighted, even if he did not use some much stronger and wronger expression.  Henceforth PHILIP BROZEL has an Evill reputation.  Let us hope he will live up to it, and so live it down.

* * * * *

[Illustration:  THE TELEPHONE CINDERELLA;

OR, WANTED A GODMOTHER.]

* * * * *

MATINEE MANIA.

(A SKETCH AT ANY THEATRE ON MOST AFTERNOONS.)

SCENE—­The Front of the House.  In the Boxes and Dress-circle are friends and relations of the Author. In the Stalls are a couple of Stray Critics who leave early, actors and actresses “resting” more friends and relations.  In the Pit, the front row is filled by the Author’s domestic servants, the landladies of several of the performers, and a theatrical charwoman or two, behind them