He was gazing skywards. I could see nothing but grey clouds, but I knew that his young eyes were keener than mine, that he had learnt to look into the inmost heart of things in that baptism of fire, that travail of freedom, where desolation blossoms and hell sprouts like a weed. Through the grey he could discern the triumph of the blue and the white of peace, when the work of the brown shall be done. It was an allegory. More he told me, too, in his simple country speech, so good to hear in a foreign land: of the daisies in the yard at home, of the dandelions on the lawn, of his pet pig: things too sacred to repeat here. And he told me that the great event on the Front now is the Autumn glory of the trees. Then he departed, and as he went he broke into deep-throated, Homeric laughter, and I--I understood: he was mocking Death. Even thus does laughter yap at the heels of that dishonoured king out here. * * * * * TO THE BOOD. A SODDET. [Our poet has caught a severe cold through having spent the night in the cellar.] BOOD, whose autubdal spleddour, as of dood, Shides od frob set of sud to dawdigg bord, Gradt be this bood, o bood, to calb by bood With agodisigg apprehedsiod tord, Illube dot with thy beabs the biddight burk, Whed through the gloob the Huddish biscreadts Cobe sdeakigg, bedt od their idhubad work Of bobbigg slubberigg dod-cobbatadts. Or if thy labbedt gleabs thou bayst dot blidd, Thed bay they aid our airbed add our guds; Its bark bay every barkigg bissile fidd, Bay dought be dode abiss, dor dode be duds. So bayst thou baffle burderous WILLIAB'S plad, Add all attebts of that bad badbad bad. * * * * * [Illustration: PRIVILEGED DISLOYALTY. FIRST TRAITOR. "HOW ARE WE TO PUSH OUR PROPAGANDA PAST THE CENSOR?" SECOND TRAITOR. "NOTHING EASIER. GET THE RIGHT KIND OF QUESTIONS ASKED IN PARLIAMENT; THERE'S NOBODY TO STOP _THEM_ FROM BEING PUBLISHED."] * * * * * ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT. _Monday, November 5th._--By way of celebrating Guy Fawkes Day the Government announced their intention of compensating, up to a limit of five hundred pounds, any householder whose property has been damaged in air-raids. How soon he will cage his "monkey" will depend upon the Treasury, which is morbidly anxious lest in its transactions _bis dat qui cito dat_ should be literally illustrated. [Illustration: "Forgetting the claims of Glasgow." MR. WATT.] The official price of potatoes is still unsettled. According to his own statement the FOOD CONTROLLER is only waiting for the decision of the War Cabinet. "On the contrary," said Mr. LAW, "the Cabinet is only waiting for Lord RHONDDA." It seems to be another case of the Earl of CHATHAM and Sir RICHAUD STRACHAN; and in the meantime the potatoes are rotting.