One of the prettiest and most seasonable sights we have seen for a long while was the display of toys collected by the proprietor of _Truth_ from the readers of that entertaining periodical, exhibited in Willis's Rooms before distribution amongst the children of our hospitals and work-houses. The dolls (there were thousands and thousands of them) seemed to be bidding the fashionable world adieu before entering, like so many Sisters of Mercy, upon a mission of tender charity to the sick poor. There was a private view on Sunday, a week before Christmas Day, and those who examined the treasures revealing the glories of Regent Street and the Lowther Arcade, could not help thinking "Mr. _Labouchere_ must have a heart as good as his head, and be a very kind man _au fond_." We wonder whether that confirmed cynic, the proprietor of _Truth_, would make the same admission? * * * * * The reasons given in the correspondence published in the _Times_ of last Thursday for discharging Mr. HIGHTON from his offices in connection with the Westminster Play seem to us inadequate. Instead of his work tending to lower the tone of the performance, surely its effect would obviously be to Highton it. * * * * * Of course SMITH and KILRAIN passed their Boxing-Day together. * * * * * [Illustration: "TO PUT IT BROADLY." _Improvised Butler (to Distinguished Guest)._ "WILL YE TAKE ANNY MORE DRINK, SOR?"] * * * * * ROBERT ON THE FRENCH TUNG. [Illustration] I begins to feel as how the older one gits the more a little bother seems to worry him. There was a time when I could look bothers in the face with the same carm look as I lissens to a gent when he tries to perswade me as how as that port isn't '47 Port, but them times is gorn I'm afeard, never to return. My present bother came upon me amost like a moderate size thunderbolt, and was summut in this way. The Manager of one of my best Hotels took me into his privet room, one day larst week, and had sum werry sollem tork with me. He was werry kind, and werry considerate, but he was also werry furm, and what he said was summut like this:-- "You see, ROBERT," said he, "things is a changing in Hotels as is amost all other things, and all things as is jest a leetle old fashoned and a leetle rusty, as it were, must be jest pollished up a bit, and made a little fresher like. Now take our Hotel, for xample. See what lots of forren gents comes and stays here, and many on 'em so orful ignorant that they carnt not hardly speak a word of Inglish! Well, if they arsks one of our Hed Waiters a plain common question in French, which they all on 'em seems to know how to tork, they natrally expecs a anser. Now, what French do you know?"