HE TRIES TO MAKE A DROSKI-DRIVER UNDERSTAND THAT HE COULD HAVE GONE
THE SAME DISTANCE IN A HANSOM FOR LESS MONEY.]

* * * * *

PARS ABOUT PICTURES.

PAR CI—­PAR LA!

“A good par here, and a bad par there; here a par, and there a par, and everywhere a par!” Indeed, as an Irishman would say, it is the Judgment of Pars.  Let us look in at the Institute, and see the Painters in Ile, and no doubt we shall be iley delighted.  We go on the pre-private view day.  Not that we are parsimonious, but we prefer to see the pictures without being scrouged.

[Illustration:  “PLEASE TO REMEMBER THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER.”

Hoisted with his own Petar—­Guy Fawkes blown up.]

“The Release” is a puzzler.  We have taken stock of Mr. STOCK’s picture, and fail to understand it.  Is it LULU or ZAZEL?  There seems to have been an explosion, and one person, lightly attired, is blown up; and another, more warmly clad, is blown down.  They will both probably catch cold.  Nothing hazy about Mr. HAYES’s pictures.  On the contrary, fresh and brilliant—­notably, “A Grey Sunset.” If you are subject to mal-de-mer, his seas will make you onaisy.  The President, Sir JAMES LINTON, has only two small pictures, both cleverly painted, but each may be described as a little LINTON; so let us give him a little hint on the subject; like OLIVER TWIST, we ask for more. “Too Many Cooks,” by BURTON BARBER—­a Barber who knows how to dress hair.  See the dogs’ coats.  Miss ETHEL WRIGHT is not very far wrong in her picture of a fair canoiste, and Mr. W.L.  WYLLIE is both artful and wily in his rendering of a “A Sou’ Wester.” “An Old Harbour in Sussex” gives distinct evidence that LEWIS (C.J.) has been moved to the coast, and it seems to be a move in the right direction.  In “The Red Canoe,” Mr. ALFRED PARSONS delivers an eloquent sermon on the joys of life on the Thames.

The Royal Society of British Artists have fewer pictures than usual at their new show.  Quality better than common.  Mr. F. BRANGWYN’s “Funeral at Sea” is excellent.  Mr. R. MACHELL’s “Lakshmi,” not easy to understand.  It might be “Lakshmi, or the Lost Bathing-dress.”  She might certainly say, “I lacks my costume de bain.” “Durham”—­good landscape by Mr. YGLESIAS.  Mr. NELSON DAWSON in his “Sunset Breeze,” gives us real sea and good seamanship.  In “Trying it Over,” Mr. LOMAX has tried it over to some purpose, and has produced a successful little picture of an enthusiastic flautist.  Mr. G.F.  WATTS sends “Lord Tennyson.”  But why in ermine?  The Laureate is quite good enough for us without his Peer’s robes.  What did HARRY THE EIGHTH say concerning HOLBEIN?  Anything more to see?  Of course there is.  But what is my text?  “Pars about Pictures.”  And so I pass about. I mustn’t linger, but remain