But now unhappy doubts intrude To bid my satisfaction shrink; For Fashion in a gracious mood Allows her devotees to think. Since for your present garb, it seems, The mode is not to blame _in toto_, This is the end of love's young dreams (Dear, you may keep my photo). * * * * * "Of course, there is a dress parade, with some wonderful dresses, but if it had been only a parade it would not have been less interesting."--_Daily News._ It would have been more interesting--but we hardly expected _The Daily News_ to say so. * * * * * [Illustration: THE HOLIDAY ENTERTAINERS. _Extract from Mr. Herbert Stodge's letter to his sister._ "WE WERE GLAD TO HAVE OUR NEPHEW AND NIECE WITH US, BUT, FRANKLY, THEY ARE TOO SOLEMN. "WE TOOK THEM TO THE PANTOMIME; THEY CAME OUT GOLFING WITH US; AND WE ALLOWED THEM TO SIT UP LATE, BUT THE ONLY TIME THEY SMILED WAS WHEN THEY SAID GOOD-BYE."] * * * * * [Illustration: AT OUR LOCAL FANCY CARNIVAL. _Individual in Tights_. "I SAY, THIS PLACE IS BEASTLY WARM--I THINK I'LL CUT OFF HOME." _The One with the Scythe_. "I THINK I WILL ALSO. I WONDER WHAT THE TIME IS?"] * * * * * THE SUBSCRIPTION. Charles, when our protest was lodged, merely replied that our favour of the 10th inst. was to hand, and that he really could not see his way to moving further in the matter. Let me explain the present extent of Charles's movement. Miss Donelan, who ought to have known better, had allowed herself to be saddled with a thing called a Branch subscription list on behalf of the St. Nicholas New Year Offering. Having exploited the probables and possibles she finally handed the document on to me with instructions to tout it round among my friends. (This is the sort of thing you get nowadays for placing your life at a young woman's disposal.) Unfortunately I have no friends just now, except what I want to keep. While I was thus at a loss, Charles came to stay for a few days three doors off. He lives a long way away and would have time to forget before I saw him again. So on the day before his departure I bearded him like a man. "Charles," I began, "you are fabulously rich. Your income comes in at such a pace that you hardly ever know within five shillings how much you have at the bank." Charles blinked through the smoke of a violet-tipped cigarette. "What about it?" he asked. "This," I said; "I am, very reluctantly, offering you the chance of doing good. All you have to do is to sign your name here for anything up to a hundred pounds, and the good does itself. It is the Saint Nicholas New Year Offering." "What does it do?" asked Charles uncomfortably. "Do?" I answered. "Why, I don't think it does exactly _do_. You see it's a New Year Offering." "I see," said Charles. "It doesn't do; it offers. Just like a Member of Parliament."