Your Papa is getting elderly and bulky, And he loves you as the apple of his eye, Yet very little things will make you sulky, And to meet his little ways you never try. And I see him look a trifle hurt and puzzled, And his love for you is often check'd and muzzled; Yet I think, upon the whole, that I would rather Be your father, Than the lover you could torture at your ease, If you please. * * * * * STRANGE, BUT TRUE. Sir,--Under the heading of "Ecclesiastical Intelligence" in the _Times_ of Saturday, I read that, "The LORD CHANCELLOR has preferred the Rev. W.R. WELCH, of Hull, to the Vicarage of Withernwick, East Yorkshire," I presume the LORD CHANCELLOR knows both the gentleman and the place thoroughly, and so wisely elects which he prefers; but to one who, like myself and thousands of others, know neither, it strikes me that I would certainly prefer the place to the parson, however worthy. It is, indeed, gratifying to see that the Highest Representative of Law and Order in the realm, after HER GRACIOUS MAJESTY, is so utterly uninfluenced by any mercenary motives. I send this by Private Post, an old soldier, and am yours enthusiastically, NOODLE DE NOODLE. _The Retreat, Hanwell-on-Sea._ * * * * * "BETTER LATE THAN NEVER."--Two Jurymen, says a paragraph in last Saturday's _Times_, wrote to the Solicitor acting for a female prisoner, one CUTLER, who had been convicted of perjury and sentenced at Chester, to say that they "gave in to a verdict of Guilty because it was very late, and one gentleman had an important business engagement at home." This recalls the line, "And wretches hang that Jurymen may dine." The remainder of ELLEN CUTLER's sentence of five years' penal servitude is remitted. It is satisfactory to know that these two had the courage of their opinions before it was too late. * * * * * [Illustration: SYMPATHETIC EGOISM OF GENIUS. (_A Study._) "DON'T RUN AWAY YET, OLD MAN! IT'S QUITE EARLY, AND I WANT TO HEAR ALL ABOUT YOUR ACADEMY PICTURE, WHICH I'M TOLD IS SPLENDID." [_Proceeds to describe his_ own _at great length, and then suddenly finds out how late it is, and bolts!_] * * * * * ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT. EXTRACTED FROM THE DIARY OF TOBY, M.P.