_Business done._--Reached Clause IX. Parish Councils Bill. Disposed of eight Clauses in eleven sittings. This leaves sixty-three more, not to mention new Clauses. If it takes eleven sittings to clear off eight Clauses, at what date, assuming same rate of progress, shall we be through a Bill that contains seventy-one? Small boys thinking of coming home for Christmas holidays please do this sum. _Friday._--Pretty to see Mr. G. just now explaining to Opposition that if they weren't good boys they'd be kept in to-morrow. Not that he put it in that coarse way. STOREY, coming to his assistance in task of directing business of House, had, as Mr. G. put it with a positive pang of pain in his voice, invited him to assume attitude of censor of proceedings in Committee on Parish Councils Bill. "That," said Mr. G., with an effort recovering himself, "I am not entitled to do." All he had to say was that under present Standing Orders a Saturday Sitting would naturally follow unless a Minister interposed with Motion preventing it. MARJORIBANKS sitting by his side was looking forward anxiously to pleasure of making such a Motion. It would be cruel disappointment to an amiable man if circumstances so shaped themselves as to forbid him the pleasure and gratification of rising on stroke of midnight and moving that House do adjourn till Monday. But--here Mr. G. shook his head and his voice thrilled with infinite pathos--business must be done. If, in short, Committee passed 9th and 10th Clauses of Bill, MARJORIBANKS would move adjournment till Monday. "If unfortunately," he added, "any miscarriage should occur he would not be in a position to make the motion." SQUIRE OF MALWOOD half rose from his seat as if to catch the drooping figure of his right hon. friend overcome with emotion. But Mr. G., waving him off, sank slowly back into his seat and shudderingly closed his eyes, as if to shut out picture of gentlemen opposite spending Saturday in further consideration of Parish Councils Bill. GOSCHEN said it was too large an order. Couldn't possibly be done in the time. But it was. _Business done._--Got up to Clause X. and nearly finished it. * * * * * Transcriber's Note: Page 265: 'advertisment' corrected to 'advertisement'. "... a picture which seems to be an advertisement of somebody's shirts?" * * * * * End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 105 December 9, 1893, by Various