To do him an especial favour, he Would let the Stag have thirty more, At what he sold the others for; The Stag of gratitude discourséd, And took 'em on the terms aforesaid. Now all this kindness of the Bear Was nothing but a "_ruse-de-guerre_;" For no one knew so well as Bruin To hold the Shares was perfect ruin; The whole affair was but a swindle, And down to discount soon would dwindle. And, truth to say, the Bear was right, The Panic came, like Lillywhite, That terror of the Lords, and bowl'd out Ev'ry man Jack who hadn't sold out; So that there was on "settling day," The Devil and the Bear to pay. "But," says the Stag, "that cunning buffer, The Bull, will be the chap to suffer; So in a cab to him I'll dash up, And get my taurine friend to cash up." But when he gets to Mr. Taurus's, Pasted upon the outer door, he sees A card with these words written over, "GONE TO BOULOGNE _viâ_ DOVER." Now as the Bull had run away, Unable for the shares to pay, 'Twas clear, as he'd no cash to spare, The Stag then couldn't pay the Bear; So when the Bear went for his due, The Stag had gone to Boulogne too. And, since the Stag had cut and run, 'Twas plain the Bear could pay no one; So those to whom he money ow'd, When they sought out the brute's abode, Found that the Bear, or him they call so, Had cut and run to Boulogne also. MORAL. Pursue the paths of Virtue, and such stale ways, And don't never have nothing to do with none of those bothering Railways. [Illustration: JOHN BULL AMONG THE LILLIPUTIANS. ] [Illustration: THE MODERN GULL IVER. ] MEETING OF THE DWARFS. A meeting of the real bipeds, or little human beings who run about upon two feet, was held at the Lilliputian Warehouse, in New Street, Covent Garden, to move an address of thanks to Her Majesty, for her liberal patronage of the least of the Rational Animals. General TOM THUMB, L.S.D., was unanimously voted to the Child's Chair, and the business of the Meeting having been opened by the Small Germans. [Illustration: The Substance and the Shadow. ]