An exile from home, Splendour dazzles in vain; Oh, give me my dirty Old Law Courts again! I can’t say a word here, My brief I let fall, When the old place I think of, And that dear, grimy Hall. C. W. SCOTT. ―――― A VERSE TO HOME RULE. In Westminster Palaces We bluster and foam, And say, if its bumble, There’s no Rule like Home. St. Stephen’s is charming, St. Stephen’s is fair, But it’s not the St. Stephen’s We long for elsewhere. Home, Home, sweet Rule of Home! There’s no Rule like Home Rule, No Rule like Home! ANONYMOUS. ―――― In 1885 _Truth_ had two competitions on the song “Home, Sweet Home,” the first (April 23, 1885), was for parodies, when twenty-five were printed; the second (June 4, 1885) was for original third verses, and twenty-eight replies were printed. Selections from both these numbers are given below. ORIGINAL AND THIRD VERSES TO “HOME SWEET HOME.” Though bidden to roam, the world’s face to its end, The power of home will attractiveness lend; Then dearest and fairest of memories all, Bid me come, and with rapture I’ll answer the call. Home, home, sweet, sweet home! There’s no place like home! there’s no place like home! CUYUNI. ―――― Fond hearts bear it? sweetness o’er land, and o’er sea, It’s mem’ry is with us where’er we may be; Though time’s changes ringing nought else should remain, Sweet home and its loved ones our hearts shall retain. Home, home, sweet, sweet home! There’s no place like home! there’s no place like home! PICAFLOR. ―――― In the Soudan desert, ’neath Afric’s fierce sun, After butchering Arabs, no honour being won; Worn out by hard marches, we lay on the sand, And longed for sweet home and our lov’d native land. Home, home, sweet, sweet home! There’s no place like home! there’s no place like home! TOMMY ATKINS. ―――― Though far from dear England our lot may be cast Our love and allegiance she’ll hold till the last, New ties we contract, and affections we gain, But Britain we mean when we sing the refrain: Home, home, sweet, sweet home! There’s no place like home! there’s no place like home! DALETH. ――――