to “know the reason why.”  Whereupon The Harrogate Advertiser acknowledged that it did not “harrogate to itself” any sort of right to republish wholesale without acknowledgment anything that has appeared in Mr. Punch’s pages, and at once handsomely apologised for this instance of priggishness quite unprecedented in the Harrogate Advertiser’s columns (Vide Harrogate Advertiser, October 15). Box and Cox are satisfied. Causa flnita est.  Vive ’ARRY!  Likewise ’Arrygate!  And, know, all men, by these presents, that Mr. P. is quite wide-awake.

* * * * *

ANECDOTAGE.—­Said the Old Parliamentary Hand, entering Christ Church, “I prefer this House to the other!” It was the success of the visit.

* * * * *

[Illustration:  A COOL HAND.

Irrepressible Pupil.  “Poor Stuff, Sir, this Virgil.  Don’t you think so?”

Suffering Coach (who can scarcely believe his ears).  “Poor Stuff, Sir!  Virgil—­poor Stuff! What do you mean?”

Irrepressible Pupil (unmoved).  “Seems to me, Sir, it’s merely a Literal Translation of some of the best English Cribs!”]

* * * * *

LES ENFANTS TERRIBLES!

["It is to be sincerely hoped that there is no truth in the rumour that a paper for children will shortly make its appearance, entirely written and illustrated by children under fifteen years of age.”—­St. James’s Gazette, October 12th.]

  Why, churlish critic, do you hope sincerely
    The rumour, which you mention, is untrue? 
  Mere prejudice makes you regard severely
    The cause of liberty which we pursue. 
  We are, The Prattler will establish clearly,
    Quite competent to edit a review;
  The age of greatest wisdom will be seen
  To be decidedly below fifteen.

  We never showed, as we need hardly mention,
    That fabled ignorance about the stars,
  From earliest days we spoke about ‘declension,’
    And argued on the atmosphere of Mars;
  While parents we put up with, more attention
    We paid towards another kind of “pars.”;
  Full soon was lit the journalistic flame,—­
  We lisped in leaders, for the leaders came.

  That foolish custom, which, at present smothers
    Our youthful genius, we shall supersede. 
  Here are some papers which, with many others,
    Will make The Prattler eminent indeed;—­
  A series on “The Management of Mothers,”
    Will meet, we hope, a long-experienced need;
  Elsewhere we’ll note, in some attractive way,
  The latest long-clothes fashion of the day.

  Instruction in the art of window-breaking,
    And modes to tame a fiery governess,
  Descriptions of perambulator-making—­
    No need on details to lay further stress,
  You’ll own our journalistic undertaking,
    Must prove an unequivocal success;
  While you, who uttered this untimely sneer,
  Will blush, apologise, and disappear!