SOLOMON isn't in it with Judge BACON. The point was whether Mrs. MANLEY had made Miss DOROTHY DENE's dresses to fit or not. "To fit or not to fit, that was the question." The Judge gave his decision after a fair trial of the two costumes--this might be remembered on both sides as "the trying-on case,"--that, according to the evidence of unimpeachable witnesses represented by the Judge's own common-sense and artistic eye for effect, two of the dresses and a cloak didn't fit, and that so far, the Defendant, Miss DOROTHY, must consider herself, in a dress-making sense, "non-suited." Mrs. MANLEY had, of course, undertaken to provide fits for her customers, and for having partially failed, her customers determined to return the compliment, by "giving _her_ fits" if possible. So the parties came before Judge BACON, and appealed to His Honour. And the learned Judge mindful of ancestral Baconian wisdom, "_Cast a severe eye upon the example_"--that is, he examined the dresses most critically,--"_but a merciful eye upon the person_,"--for the fair Plaintiff and fair Defendant His Honour showed himself a most fair Judge, unwilling, as BACON, "to give beans" to either party, and so dismissing them with his beany-diction. But, _pauca verba_,--and may we always have nothing but praise to bestow on _Bacon's Essays_. * * * * * A DISCLAIMER. (_BY AN UNIONIST._) _I_ "prefer PARNELL"? Oh dear, no! There is no man I've hated so. But, since he turned a fierce derider Of him he calls the "Grand Old Spider;" Since he has "blown" the Home-Rule "gaff," And whelmed the Gladstone gang with chaff; Since he has almost wiped out PIGOTT, Half justified the Orange bigot; Proved part of the _Times_' charge at least, And won the "Hill-men," lost the Priest;-- Since then--why, hang it, 'tis such fun, I half forgive him all he's done; I'll back him, bet on him, and grin; Give him my vote, and hope he'll win. But I _prefer_ him? Goodness gracious! Why _can't_ Gladstonians be veracious? * * * * * SIR HENRY LOCH'S "STRAIGHT TIP" TO THE INTRUSIVE BOERS IN MASHONALAND.--"Play us none of your 'treks'!" * * * * * [Illustration: HYMEN, FIN DE SIÈCLE. "MAIDENS MOCKED, WITH LAUGHTER DYING, THOSE FOOL-KNOTS OF HYMEN'S TYING."] * * * * * [Illustration: MOLTKE in German-style script] HELMUTH KARL BERNHARD VON MOLTKE. _BORN, OCTOBER 26TH, 1803. DIED, APRIL 24TH_, 1891.