To take the sense of humour alone: they possessed it to so marvellous an extent that they could perceive a joke in the passing cloud, facetiousness in the growth of flowers, a choice witticism in the rates and taxes, an incentive to mirth in strikes. Not that they were incessantly giggling--that would have argued a something wanting; no, they drank in and appreciated and enjoyed the universal humour, and their eyes were bright. So, when young Bansted Downs was middle-aged Bansted Downs he started all over again in quite a different way: he just wrote twaddle, and painted twaddle, and composed twaddle; and went on to a platform and twaddled about twaddle: and the public genius detected the brilliancy lurking in it all, and they were in ecstacies. A terrible thing happened to the Boom Department of the Press. One day the public arose as one man and remarked that they were capable of finding out merit for themselves and no longer required the Department; and they took large stones, and bad eggs, and dead cats, and fagots of wood, and proceeded to the Boom Department; and it was in vain that the head of the Department came out on the balcony and pleaded that the Booming System, as practised by the Press, had nothing to do with the finding-out of merit; for the public smashed the windows and burned the offices, and abolished the Boom Department. [Illustration: "A CHOICE WITTICISM IN THE RATES AND TAXES."] However, nobody required Booming now, as absence of ability was no longer a bar to fame; and things worked far more happily than they ever had under the old system. Authors and others no longer pined under want of appreciation; on the contrary, they were always wildly surprised at the wonderful things the public discovered in their work; and as for the public, they were vastly contented. It's the true system--there's not a question about that. J. F. SULLIVAN. [Illustration: TABLES OF ALL AGES] [Illustration: COMPLIMENTARY (A FACT). GLADYS: "GRANDPA, WHAT ARE THOSE STRINGS MADE OF?" GRANDPA: "CAT-GUT, MY DEAR." GLADYS: "WHAT'S THAT?" GRANDPA (JOKINGLY): "OH, THE INSIDES OF PUSSIES DEAR." GLADYS (AFTER A PAUSE): "I SUPPOSE THEY FOUND OUT THEY WERE GOOD FOR THAT ON ACCOUNT OF THE NOISE CATS MAKE!"] * * * * * [Illustration: TURN THESE UPSIDE DOWN.] INDEX. PAGE ADJUTANT'S LOVE STORY, THE. From the French of LE COMTE ALFRED DE VIGNY (_Illustrations_ by H. R. MILLAR.) 528 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES. By A. CONAN DOYLE. (_Illustrations_ by SIDNEY PAGET.) XIV.--THE ADVENTURE OF THE CARDBOARD BOX 61 XV.--THE ADVENTURE OF THE YELLOW FACE 162 XVI.--THE ADVENTURE OF THE STOCKBROKER'S CLERK 281 XVII.--THE ADVENTURE OF THE "GLORIA SCOTT" 395