November Number of the English Illustrated Magazine, excellent.  Wykehamists, please note Mr. GALE’S article, and Lord SELBORNE’S introduction.  The COOKE who presides in this particular kitchen serves up a capital dish every month—­and “quite English, you know.”

My faithful “Co.” has been rather startled by a volume called The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, written by “Anonymous,” and published by the Messrs. TRISCHLER.  The tome deals with Australia, rather than England, and is dated a thousand years hence; so those who have no immediate leisure will have plenty of time to read it before the events therein recorded, so to speak, reach maturity.

I notice an advertisement of a book by Major ELLIS, entitled The Ewe-speaking People of the Slave Coast of West Africa.  These Ewe-speaking folk must be a sheepish lot.  Black-sheepish lot apparently, as being in West Africa.  Major ELLIS is the author also of The Tshi-speaking People.  These last must be either timidly bashful, or else a very T-shi lot.  After this, there’s nothing ELLIS this week, says

THE BARON DE BOOK-WORMS.

* * * * *

“QUITE A LITTLE (ROMAN) HOLIDAY.”

(An Intercepted Letter.)

[Illustration]

DEAREST BECKY,—­I have had such luck!  Oh, so fortunate!  Fancy, we did get in, after all!  You know Mr. TENTERFORE, of Somerset House, has a friend a barrister, and this friend said, if we would be by the door of the Court at eleven, he thought he could slip us in.  And he did, my dear—­he did!  We got capital places, and as we had brought with us some sherry and sandwiches, we had “a real good time of it,” as your brother calls it!  We had our work, too, and so were quite comfortable.  The night-charges were such fun!  A lot of men and women were brought before the Magistrate for being “drunk and incapable” (that’s a legal term, my dear), and got so chaffed!  One of the women was very old—­such a silly frump!—­she was still dreadfully intoxicated I am afraid!  Very sad, of course, but we couldn’t help laughing!  She was such a figure before they got rid of her!  But this was only the overture to the drama.  After the night-charges were over, the Court was cleared, but we were allowed to remain, as Mr. WIGINBLOCK (our barrister friend) declared we belonged to the Press!  He said that MARY contributed to the Blood and Thunder News, and I to the Murder Gazette!  I am sure it must have been in fun, for we have never seen the papers.  When lunch was over, in came the Magistrate with a number of the “smartest” people!  Really, I was quite delighted to be in such good company.  All sorts of nice people.  And then—­oh—­it was lovely!  We saw her quite close, and could watch the colour come and go in her cheeks!  She is rather