Yet if beyond the sunset's golden choir, Instead of one august enduring sleep, There waits a life where memory shall keep Her ancient force and hope her old desire, Now, even now, on altars cleft and prone Rekindle the pure fire! D. M. S. * * * * * "SCOUNDREL AND MAN OF LETTERS. One of the Prizewinners in Our Article Competition."--_Weekly Paper._ But ought an editor to give away his contributors like this? * * * * * "M. Deves, the leading French amateur [tennis] of the day, who was beaten in 1914 after 'une tutte à charné,' as the French say, will be competing."--_Daily Paper._ The French have a lot to learn about their own language. * * * * * "Dr. ---- will extract a tooth free from the person who will be kind enough to secure him an office in the Central district." _North China Daily News._ This is presumably meant as an inducement, but it sounds like a threat. * * * * * [Illustration: THE GREAT IMPROVISER.] * * * * * ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT. _Tuesday, June 1st._--Tempted by the fine weather a good many Members had evidently determined that the country was good enough for them and that Westminster could wait. But Viscount CURZON was not of their number. Was it not on the glorious First of June, a hundred and twenty-six years ago, that his great-great-great-grandfather won victory for his country and immortal fame for himself? On such an anniversary he was obviously bound, no matter at what personal inconvenience, to show a like public spirit. Accordingly, with a full sense of responsibility, he addressed to the appropriate Minister this momentous question: "Whether any fried fish shops are now the property or under the control of the Ministry of Munitions; and if so how many?" The House paused in awed anticipation of the reply, but breathed again when Mr. HOPE announced that "No fried fish shops are now nor, so far as is known, were ever conducted by the Ministry of Munitions." No other episode of Question-time rose to this high level. Next in importance to it were Mr. BALDWIN'S revelations on the subject of "conscience-money." It seems that in one particular instance it cost the Treasury eleven shillings to acknowledge the receipt of half-a-sovereign; but that was because the dilatory tax-payer insisted that the depth of his remorse could only be adequately exhibited by a notice in the "agony-column." In ordinary cases no charge is incurred.