The school-boy of to-day--what, after all, is Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba?--is no longer to _waste_ his time in poring over the musty classics! "He is to take an intelligent interest in other subjects than the dead languages," says _Truth_, which proceeds to give "as well worthy of being held up as a model for imitation elsewhere," the contents of an _up-to-date_ examination paper, upon current events, recently set at Rugby school. This modern move is, doubtless, an excellent thing, but one which may be carried too far; and it would, we venture to think, be a pity if schools were to be, in the words of _Mercutio_, "too much afflicted with these new tuners of accents, who stand so much on the _new form_ that they cannot sit at ease _on the old bench_." What if PINERO and ZANGWILL were substituted for PLATO and XENOPHON? * * * * * TRIFLES LIGHT AS "EYRE."--The trustees of a St. John's Wood property may certainly be said to be "after the brass." If, however, their learned counsel is successful in obtaining the colossal amount claimed, he might then say, with HORACE, "_Exegi monumentum_ Eyr[)e] _perennius_." * * * * * "UNPLEASANT LITTLE INCIDENT."--So the _P. M. G._ styled it. As the German EMPEROR and EMPRESS were passing through Metz, somebody, from a café window, shouted, "_Vive la France!_" Several arrests were of course made, but apparently nothing more was heard of the _Vox et præterea nil_. This recalls a similar incident that occurred during the trial of _Bardell_ v. _Pickwick_, "Put it down a 'we,' my Lord!" a voice in the gallery exclaimed, aloud. Search was made. Nobody. "If you could have pointed him out," said little _Mr. Justice Stareleigh_ to _Sam Weller_, "I would have committed him instantly." Whereat "_Sam_ bowed his acknowledgments," and the incident ended. * * * * * "FALLS OF FOYERS."--A correspondent writes:--"I have seen a good many letters in the _Times_, headed "_The Falls of the Foyers_." Here and abroad I have seen many Foyers, and only fell down once. This was at the Théâtre Français, where the Foyer is kept highly polished, or used to be so. If the Foyers are carpeted or matted, there need be no "Falls." Yours, COMMON SENSE. * * * * * "_Winter Comes_" as a companion picture to "_Autumn Leaves_." * * * * * Transcriber's Note Page 193: 'distinguised' corected to 'distinguished'. "... raising pale distinguished eyes to a Chippendale mirror,..." End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 109, October 26, 1895, by Various