Various

“ Against this last and worst of order's foes;
And the world's sleuthhounds led by Law
Must hunt this Were-Wolf of the insatiate maw.
Hunt him from every lair,
Till, outlaw everywhere,
This friend of carnage and sheer chaos finds
A foe at every turn.
A foot to crush or spurn,
The warning cry of "Wolf!" on all the winds,
And wheresoe'r the ravener stray
Civilisation's light must search—and slay!
"Très Bang!"—To T-m Sm-th, of the Wholesale Crackery Warehouse, with Mr. Punch's compliments. Certainly, at Christmas-time. T. S.'s crackers "get the pull!" ”

“ I have a theory, which, if you had time, I would illustrate by half-a-dozen examples taken on glancing round the House, that three out of five human faces have a strong resemblance to some particular bird. Not that I mean to say Temple's like a parrot, except of course inasmuch as he pleases the fair. He is a man of tireless industry, sound judgment, wide knowledge of affairs and has, withal, an old-fashioned courtesy of manner not too common in these days. ”

“ The House can ill spare the Speaker, even for a day. The whole atmosphere of the place, the tone of debate, are altered when his stately presence and commanding influence are withdrawn. Still, talk must go on, and there has been no lack of it to-night. But everyone is wearied to death of the monotony and reiteration. ”

“ The progressive members have bought up Great Eastern Railway within the county's boundaries, and are working it on their own system—one class for all, penny fare, and no return ticket. The guards, ticket-collectors, porters, and others civil enough, but no trains running, in consequence of great strike having occurred amongst Council's engine-drivers and the difficulty is just being settled by arbitration at Guildhall. ”

“ Circumstances sometimes stronger than man. To-day they break away the icy barriers of lethargic habit. Haldane, unexpectedly rising from behind the harassed Premier, calls upon him to stand firm, resisting all temptations to surrender. "Stage of situation reached," he said, amid ringing cheers, "when we should not halt, much less retire, but should press forward to the goal. ”

“ Been sitting on Saturdays; shall have Christmas holidays cut down to 25th and Boxing Day; then begin again, with prospect of more drudgery, and, when Bill through, and prorogation possible, the new Session of 1894, young, fresh, and lusty, waiting to be waltzed with. An infant in arms, looking in on House from peep-hole by glass door, and finding Tay Pay on his legs denouncing the Opposition, is deeply impressed.
Tay Pay frightens the Child.
Later, at period of apparent collapse Haldane happily appears on scene. Not a man habitually prone to enthusiasm. ”

“ You may take a dustman's token to a stingy man's portal, but you can't get him to give you a Christmas-box.
A dun in need is a county court indeed.
It is a long dinner that has no earning.
People who live in glass houses should not throw away their coke and coals. ”

“ These, I believe, are the facts connected with my friend's only engagement, and I merely state them here in order that the deeply-interesting story of his life may be as complete as laborious and accurate research on my part can make it. It is perhaps not to be wondered at that the man should have been to some extent soured by the tragic termination of a love affair which seemed full of the promise of happiness for all concerned. ”

“ Thanks to Dean and Son—i.e., Senior Dean and Junior Dean—for their Golden Hours, The Prize, Peeps into Paradise, and The Venetian Blind Moveable Picture Book, the last being the best of all. And Dean's Cracker Toy-books will certainly go off well. As we Sweep through the Deep. "Quite the light publishers for tales of the sea are 'Nelson and Sons,'" quoth the Baron, "and no doubt they hope that every man will do his duty at Christmas time and go in for Nelsonian boys and girls books." ”

“ Find on table demand-notes for Poor, Police, Sewers, School Board, Highways, Gas, Electric Light, Baths, Sanitary, Insanitary, Asylum, Water, Railway, Cab, Theatre, Market, Sky Sign, Bar and Gates, Tramway, Prisons, Restaurants, Arbitration, Establishment, Thames Conservancy, Submerged Tenth, and many other rates. Is life worth living? ”

“ It turned out to be eldest boy's socks, hung there to dry, as we have now to wash at home, or send to the Council's laundries which are relief-works for those usually unemployed in winter. Other casuals have turned barbers. I am shaved by one every morning, after slipping the coppers into a County Council "detector," which gives no change. In street, find the pavement up, "unemployed" engaged in moving "immovable objects by irresistible force," i.e., a frozen road, at three shillings per cube foot ”

“ They don't particularly admire Don't Keir, his ways or his cause. But, as Tomlinson says, under impression he is quoting from Sydney Smith, "any stick will do to beat a dog with." If Don't Keir moves Adjournment, and best part of night can be taken for making speeches, so much delay is interposed in way of Parish Councils Bill, and by so much is chance bettered of Government failing in their intention of passing the whole Bill. ”

“ As in the case of the old farcical play The Three Hunchbacks, on which an opéra bouffe was founded, and of all plays ancient and modern depending for their success on the exact physical resemblance existing between three distinct persons, directly the audience has grasped the fact, they enter heartily into the humour of the complications. ”

“ Thus you were twice blind on the left side. Moles, as we learn, not merely from books on natural history, but from our own observation, are blind. You have, therefore, two moles on your left shoulder. The fact is indisputable. ”

“ I gathered that this consisted of his father and mother, Sir Aminadab and Lady Holes, his two younger brothers, curiously named Hayloft and Skairkrow Holes, his widowed sister, Mrs. Gumpshon, with various children of all ages left as pledges of affection by the late Colonel Gumpshon of the Saltshire Bays, as gallant an officer as ever cleft the head of an Afghan or lopped an Egyptian in two. ”

“ The description may seem highly-coloured, but it represents with literal accuracy the impression made upon my mind by my entrance into the ancestral mansion of the Holes family. Nor was this impression removed as we ascended the stairs. On the first landing we found Mrs. Gumpshon engaged in teaching her youngest boy, Augustus O'Brien Gumpshon, a correct system of guess-work. The boy, a bright little fellow of five, was at that moment in disgrace. ”

“ As it has been kept for a year or two in a mouldy attic at a second-hand furniture shop, it is simply teeming with moths, but it is confidently anticipated that it will not fall to pieces in time for a purchaser to detect the fraud. ”

“ It is a nice light entertainment with which to while away an hour or two.
"I like Richard Escott," says the Baron, laying down the Macmillanitish one-volume novel of that name written by E. H. Cooper. "It is an interesting story, and might be the first of a series similar to the Rougon Macquart family, as, when this tale finishes, there are sufficient Escotts alive to carry on the story of their family through many generations, only, unfortunately, the date of this story cannot be taken further back than, say, about ten years ago, if that. ”

“ Why not? It is but a revival of the ancient Latin form "gratias," and surely plural "Thanks" indicates indefinitely more thankfulness than an uneffusive, frigid, singular "Thank you," signifying "I thank you." Let us be Shakspearianly classical, as in the quotation above given, and say "Much thanks." So again, "I am poor in thanks—but I thank you." Here the relative value of the plural and the singular in thanks is well brought out.
BALL VERSUS BALL.
Lyttelton and Lang—with all
Whom pure prejudice can't fetter,—
Say—concerning games at ball—
Golf is good but Cricket better. ”

“ Ministerialists elate; Opposition correspondingly cowed; the way quite clear now for victory; only sit tight; to importunity present imperturbability; let Opposition once know that, thanks to fidelity and self-sacrifice of Liberal Members, House will sit till Bill is passed, and obstruction will collapse.
Haldane had saved the citadel; the rout of the besiegers only a matter of time.
Sir Richard Parrot. ”

“ Council their own contractors. Tram at last, with Council-driver, conductor, and horses (all tramways absorbed) , and then a penny Council steamer (Thames Conservancy and Steamboat Companies absorbed) , and, having landed at St. Paul's Pier, trip over a hole in the road. Bring action against Council for damaged ankle. (N.B. Lost it later on. Council not liable for non-reparation of holes.)
At the Guildhall, find Labour Arbitration Court sitting. City and County been amalgamated, huge coalheavers, dockers, and others occupy seats of city fathers. Police outside useless. ”

“ No kickers to approach closer to one another than six yards distance.
2. The scrimmage to be interdicted. Sergent de ville to be on guard on the ground to prevent assaults even of the most trifling character.
3. Boots not to be worn, but dancing-pumps.
4. The players to wear fur-lined coats, and to take arm-chairs on the ground for their comfort. ”

“ Still, as I say, when I watch him addressing the Speaker the parrot's epitaph haunts my memory."
Business done.—Clause XIII added to Parish Councils Bill.
Tuesday.—To-night Don't Keir Hardie, having left hands and face unwashed for an extra day, his hair uncombed for an added week, put on his worst Sunday suit and presented himself to House as model working-man, champion of the unemployed. Don't Keir's misfortune is that he has not succeeded in recommending himself to good opinion of other Labour Members. When he moves in House they move off ”