The names of the winners and owners Inspire me with joy and delight; _E.g._, Blue-eyed Molly, John Bull (Madame Dolli) And Snowflake, the champion white. And then the adorable kittens! Too high-bred to gambol or skip, With names that are mighty, like Inglewood Clytie, Or comic, like Holme Ruddy Pip. It is pleasant to learn Mr. SHAKESPEARE'S Success with his Siamese strain, For his namesake the poet, so far as we know it, Held "poor, harmless" puss in disdain. Yes, the cat has "come back" as a hobby, Oh, let us be thankful for that, For it might be the coon or the blue-nosed baboon, Or the deadly Norwegian rat. * * * * * THE FINE OLD FRUITY. Wine merchants must be kind men. So many of those who have sent me their circulars this Christmas-time have announced that they are "giving their clients the benefit of some exceptionally advantageous purchases which they have made." But it is not the humanity of wine merchants of which I wish to speak. It is the intriguing epithets which they apply to their wines. And I have entertained myself by applying these to my relatives, an exercise which I find attended by the happiest results. "Fine old style, rich," is, of course, obvious. It applies to more than one of my Victorian uncles. "Medium rich" to a cousin or so. More subtle is "medium body." This must be Uncle Hilary; he takes little exercise nowadays and his figure is suffering. Soon he will be "full-bodied" or "full and round." "Elegant, high class" is my Cousin Isabel. "Pretty flavour" also is hers. "Fresh and brisk" is Aunt Hannah. And could anything be more descriptive of Aunt Geraldine than "delicate and generous"? For "great breed and style" (used, I see, of a claret) I should, I fear, be obliged to go outside the family; and "recommended for present consumption and for laying down" I only mention because it leaves me wondering to what other uses a fine fruity Burgundy could be put. But here is a noble one: "Of very high class, stylish, good body and fine character." I have tried this on several relations without being entirely satisfied about it, and I have finally decided that I shall keep it for myself. * * * * * "Only a few visitors braved the first fall of the snow yesterday and adventured as far as the Zoological Gardens. They found there a depressed-looking collection of animals in the open-air cages, but a perfect holocaust of sparrows."--_Sunday Paper_. The sparrows must have been warm enough, anyway. * * * * * [Illustration: VERDUN. LONDON (_to her adopted daughter_). "YOU WILL LET _ME_ PASS--TO YOUR HEART?"] * * * * * [Illustration: _The Lord Chancellor._ "AND TO THINK IT WAS THE BEST IRISH LINEN!"] ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.