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During the interval after it had been made known that the Leadership of the House of Commons had been offered to Mr. Balfour, and whilst his decision was anxiously awaited, Sir William Harcourt was asked whether he thought the Chief Secretary would take the place.

“Who can say, Toby mio?” answered the Squire, stroking his chin, with a far-away glance.  “The situation reminds me of an incident that came under my notice when I represented Oxford borough.  One of my constituents, a worthy pastor, had had a call to another and much wealthier church.  He asked for time to consider the proposal.  One afternoon, a fortnight later, I met his son in High Street, and inquired whether his father had decided to take the new place.  ‘Well,’ said the youngster, ’Pa is still praying for light, but most of the things are packed.’”

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We understand that an innovation will be introduced at Guildhall on the occasion of the Lord MAYOR’s dinner.  The Lord Mayor elect being a Welshman, intends to substitute the leek for the loving cup.  At the stage of the festival where the loving cup usually goes round, a dish of leeks will be passed along, and every guest will be expected publicly to eat one.  This will necessitate an alteration in the time-honoured formula of the Toastmaster.  On the 9th of November it will run:  “My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor pledges you with a loving leek, and bids you Hall a ’arty welcome.”

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Our own financial column.

(BY CROESUS.)

[Mr. Punch has decided that it is absolutely necessary for him to publish every week a financial article.  The best treatises on Political Economy lay it down as an axiom that, where the desire for acquisition is universal, and the standard of value absolute, a balance between gain and loss can only be reached by the mathematical adjustment of meum and tuum.  Acting upon this principle, Mr. Punch has, in the interests of everybody, retained the services of one of the most, if not the most, eminent contemporary financiers, whom modesty alone prevents from signing his own name to his benevolent and comprehensive articles.  Those, however, who care to look beneath the surface, will have no difficulty in determining the identity of one of the greatest modern monetary authorities, a man whose nod has before this shattered prosperous empires, and whose word is even better than his bond, could such a thing be possible. Mr. Punch has only one thing to say to those who desire to be rich.  It is this.  Follow implicitly the advice of croesus.]

Sir,—­You have asked me to devote some of my spare time to the enlightenment of your readers