The Long Vac. passed, and we were all up again for Michaelmas Term. There was a blank in our circle. "Where's BRIGGS?" asked BROWN. "Where's BRIGGS?" asked TROTTER of Trinity. We looked at one another. What! Nobody seen BRIGGS? Not up yet?--Better go and see. We went to his rooms. No BRIGGS there, and not a sign of his coming. We went to JONES. JONES knew no more than we; to SMITH, GREEN, ROBERTS--all equally ignorant. At last we tried the Porter. What! hadn't we heard the news? News? No! What news? The Porter's face grew long. Why, Mr. BRIGGS, 'e weren't comin' up no more. Not coming up? Not coming up? Nonsense! Impossible!--Fact, gentlemen, fact. The Master,'e'd 'ad a note from Mr. BRIGGS, sayin' as 'ow 'e wouldn't be back agin. No one knew nothink more than that. No one could explain it. There was despair in Balliol. What would become of us? Without BRIGGS we could never catch B. N. C. Magdalen would bump us to a certainty, and we could hardly hope to escape the House. In football it would be just as bad. Keble and Exeter would simply jump on us, and not a single Balliol man would have his blue. The position was appalling; ruin stared us in the face; the College was in consternation, for BRIGGS had disappeared. * * * * * NOTE BY A NATIONALIST. "Home Rule all Round!" That cry is in the air: What Ireland wants, though, is Home Rule all _square_. * * * * * [Illustration: "IS YOUR SON IMPROVING IN HIS VIOLIN-PLAYING, MR. JONES?" "WELL--EITHER HE'S IMPROVING, OR WE'RE GETTING USED TO IT!"] * * * * * Thomas Henry Huxley. BORN, MAY 4, 1825. DIED, JUNE 30, 1895. Another star of Science slips Into the shadow of eclipse!-- Yet no; the _light_ is nowise gone, But burning still, and travelling on The unborn future to illume, And dissipate a distant gloom. True man of Science he, yet more, Master of metaphysic lore, Lover of history and of art, He played a multifarious part. With clear head and incisive tongue Dowered, on all he touched he flung Those rarer charms of grace and wit. Great learning may not always hit. To his "liege lady Science" true, He narrowed not a jealous view To her alone, but found all life With charm and ethic interest rife. Knowing plain lore of germ and plant, With dreams of HAMILTON and KANT, All parts of the great human plan. England in him has lost a Man. The great Agnostic, clear, brave, true, Taught more things, may be, than he deemed he knew. * * * * * Business. _Inquirer_ (_drawing up prospectus_). Shall I write "Company" with a big C? _Honest Broker._ Certainly, if it's a sound one, as it represents "Company" with a capital. * * * * * MR. BRIEFLESS, JUN., ON THE LONG VACATION.