In either sport such honest pleasure lies That both must win, as each deserves, a prize. The summer sport is each true Briton's care, But Football's death would leave our winters bare Of numerous joys. Damoetas sweetly sang And clear the music of Menalcas rang; "Rest equal happy both," in friendly strains Palemon said to the Virgilian swains; "Long live and prosper both," _Punch_ says to you; But O beware the howling harpy crew Who'd knock the "I" out of our good old Play And make it all a matter of mere Pay! The rowdies follow where the hucksters lead, Football beware of ruffianly greed! You're treading far too near that fatal trap; Avoid it, or you'll suffer. _Verbum sap!_ You, cricket ball, to bounce be not a slave. Let "championships" and "averages" have Their proper place. Let love of Number One Spoil not good sport, good fellowship, good fun. In short, whether good luck or bad luck comes Just "play the game," like gentlemen and chums! So having given his verdict somewhat loth, _Punch_ ends with wishing the best luck to both! * * * * * [Illustration: "THE PITY O' IT!" "WELL, SIMPSON, HOW DO YOU LIKE THE HOT WEATHER?" "CAN'T STAND IT, SIR! IT'S HAWFUL! AIN'T GOT NO STOMACH FOR MY VICTUALS, SIR!"] * * * * * GOOSE AND GANDER.--A sapient Somebody (or Nobody) modestly proposes that, in taking a poll for a Free Library, everybody who does not take the trouble to register his vote at all shall be counted as if he had voted _against_ the proposal! Well, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Suppose that all who don't take the trouble to vote should be counted as voting _for_ the proposal. There's at least as much to be said for that as for the opposite plan. * * * * * ROUNDABOUT READINGS. [Illustration] Ostend must be a glorious place. From an advertisement which has appeared in an evening contemporary I gather that "the multitude, anxious to spend an elegant and fashionable sojourn in the country, has rendered itself this year at Ostend. It is a long time since such an opulent clientèle has been united in a seaside resort. At the fall of day the vast terraces of the fashionable restaurants, situated along the sea-bank, present a fairy aspect. There is quite a confusion of dazzling costumes upon which sparkle thousand gems, and all this handsome cosmopolitan society passes through the saloons of the Kursaal Club, in which one hears spoken all known languages as at Babel and Monte Carlo, and of which the attractions are identical to those of the latter place." This is the first time I have heard of a similarity to Babel being mentioned as an attraction. But no doubt an opulent clientèle has peculiar tastes of its own, especially when its dazzling costumes sparkle with thousand gems. * * * * *