In her latest little volume of verse, modestly entitled _Simple Rhymes for Stirring Times_ (PEARSON), Miss JESSIE POPE shows that she has not only the right spirit, but a sense of form beyond the common. She does not pretend to heroics and she seldom allows herself to touch a note of pathos; her mission is just to inspire other hearts with the infectious gay courage of her own. It finds a natural expression in the easy lilt of her measures. She is fluent rather than polished and never overlays her designs with excess of embroidery. Long practice has made her familiar with a craft which is not so easy as it looks; and in particular she has learnt the art of the final line. Miss POPE may possibly run the risk of over-writing herself; but so long as she brings a discriminating eye to the choice of what is worth preserving--and she has been _quite_ reasonably self-critical in her present selection--the matter that she jettisons is no affair of mine. Judging only by what I see here, I recognise that, in whatever other way she may be helping the cause, through her gift of light-heart verse she is doing--and none more bravely--her share of woman's work. * * * * * [Illustration: _Touring Stage Manager (rehearsing super)._ "And when you hear the cue, 'Ah, here comes the Kaiser!' you stride slowly on to the stage looking like the guilty Monarch."] * * * * * Journalistic Colour. "On all hands their preparations for their ultimate victory are being pressed forward with unflagging zest, and nowhere has the white heat of their resolve grown pale"--_Daily Graphic._ * * * * * Extract from Scottish Command Orders:-- "When marriage has actually taken place, the N.C.O. or man should inform O.C. at once, so as to ensure the necessary documents for separation allowance for the wife being made out, and this casualty should in addition be inserted in Part II. Orders." _Scotsman._ This appears to confirm the belief that a Scottish marriage is a sort of accident that might happen to anyone. * * * * * It is easy to understand why the Zeppelins have a partiality for almshouses. They think it's another name for munition works. * * * * * From the report of a music-hall action:-- "In reply to Mr. Justice Darling, he sang comic songs and appeared alone on the stage."--_Morning Paper._ After all the Bench cannot always monopolise the "star turns," even in Mr. JUSTICE DARLING'S court.