opinion. A third paper begins with Walter, and is filled up in rotation, ending with Mary; and so on till the last paper begun by Nora has been finished by Ada. Mary, as the least liable to choke with laughter, is chosen reader. I. ON BOOTS AND BLACKING; Or, The Way to be Happy. BY A WHALE HUNTER. "Where shall the lover rest From his true maiden's breast, This is a very improving little book. Nobody can read it without being the better for it. We heartily recommend it to the young.-Guardian. The writer has dipped his pen in gall. Actuated by the bitterest hatred to the human kind, he has depicted our common nature in the darkest colours, and applied the lash with indiscriminate vengeance, unmitigated by a single drop of the milk of human kindness. We wish him a gentler spirit and happier recollections.-Atlas. II. THE TWIN SISTERS; Or, Flat Fish and Flounders. BY A YOUNG ASPIRANT. "Weel may the boatie row That earus the children's bread." The events rival Miss Braddon's, the characters surpass Miss Austen's, the language is worthy of a Shakespeare, the humour of a Dickens: in short, this little work is compounded of every creature's best.-Athenæum. Never did deeper tragedy draw tears from our eyes.-Squashtown Courier. WHITWORTH III. ARMSTRONG? Or, Sweet Innocents. BY MRS. BARBAULD. "If for your pleasure you came here, You shall go back for mine." Only fit to be consigned to the trunkmaker.-Pall Mall Gazette. We are sure that no boudoir will for the future be thought complete without this elegant little manual.-Daily News. IV. EMILIA; Or, My Old Horse. BY A BLIGHTED BEING. "Catch as catch can." We fear that no benefit can be derived from the perusal of such a work as this. Its clever hits do not redeem its far graver faults.-Times. We submitted this little work to the best possible judge, our eldest son. When we heard him chuckling over it, "Jolly! jolly!" then we knew that the book had in it pith and marrow.-Mother's Magazine. This production will never set the Thames on fire.-True Critic. No book for a long series of years has produced such a sensation.Monthly Chronicle. VI. LITTLE EASE; Or, An Inquiry into the Esthetics of Crinoline. BY A GLASGOW PROFESSOR. "Swim we merrily, the moon shines bright." A clever diatribe upon the follies of the day, written by one who has not yet learned that there is compensation in all things.-Saturday Review. A sweet poem, which will be enshrined in the memory of all who have once taken it up.-Ladies' Newspaper. WHAT'S MY THOUGHT LIKE? ADA. What's my thought like? MABEL. Like that carpet. WALTER. Like nonsense. ADA. My thought was, "the Moon." Now, Philip, why is the moon like a Barbary ape? PHILIP (not without assistance). Because it enlivens the rocks of Gibraltar. ADA. Why is the moon like an eider-down quilt? MARY. Because it rests on you at night, and is soft and light. ADA. Now, why is the moon like a lump of beeswax? NORA. Umph! Because it easily alters its shape. ADA. And why is the moon like cold water? CHARLES. Because it is an unstable, chilly thing. ADA. Why like Julius Caesar? LUCY. Because the Ides of March fore told his wane. ADA. Why is the moon like the carpet? MABEL. Because it is oftener seen than looked at. ADA. And why like nonsense? then the moon must be the very mo- ADA. Cricket. PHILIP. Cherry brandy. MARY. The Lady of the Lake. NORA. The Boys' Magazine. CHARLES. Catching crabs. LUCY. A red-hot poker. WALTER. Now, then, why is "the three blind mice" like cricket? WALTER. Why like the Lady of the Lake? MARY. Because they only want to get home as fast as they can. WALTER. Why like the" Boys' Magazine"? NORA. Because magazines always cut their tales short off. WALTER. And why like catching crabs? CHARLES. Because there was an ineffectual attempt, and nothing was caught! WALTER. Now, Lucy, you said the red hot poker. Why was that like the three blind mice? LUCY. Because they were red and in flamed. WALTER. And, Mabel, why like a primrose? MABEL. Because they are found in hedge banks in the spring. I have a thought. What 's my thought like? NORA. John o' Groat's house. it is Old Neptune. Why is he like twopenny halfpenny? WALTER. Because that sum and a dog are alike proverbs for worthlessness. MABEL. Why like French exercises? ADA. Because they are highly discreet and sensible, and so is he. MABEL. Why like Mount Etna? he shakes himself. MABEL. Sugar candy? MARY. You consider him as equally sweet. MABEL. Johnny Groat's house? NORA. Ah! because he's far above and beyond all others. MABEL. My own nose? CHARLES. Because it is bluff and pug; and yet you could not well do without it. MABEL. Our island in the poud? LUCY. Because he is New found land. AN AMUSEMENT. Very pretty designs may be obtained by writing a name on a fold of paper, doubling it, and rubbing it together, while still wet, with a paper knife. First fold your paper, then write rapidly, with a soft pen, the name you choose, on the crease; fold the paper again and rub it very hard. You will thus produce designs, varying for every name, something like the annexed pattern. Word written England. WRETCHES' (RETSCH'S) OUTLINES. This game is a very interesting and amusing one. The players (of whom there may be any number-the more the better) seat themselves round the table, each provided with a pencil and piece of paper pens, and ink. Each player draws a line in ink upon his piece of paper, which he then passes to his next neighbour, who must make a picture of it, introducing the ink line as part of the outline. The ink line may be as long or as short as the author chooses, only he must not lift his pen while drawing it, or at least he must make the line unbroken. Short lines make the best and funniest pictures. The picture must be drawn in pencil. There is no attempt at any careful or finished drawing, as the pictures must be finished quickly; else the game is apt to be dull and s low. The greater the variety the better. Care should be taken to prevent the too frequent repetition of one idea. Profiles of faces, for instance may very easily be made of almost any line. This, after one or two examples, should be avoided, just as a piece of encouragement to timid hangers back from the game, who earnestly profess that they "don't draw." The best fun is caused by the most uncouth pictures. |