_Palmyra_ cannot receive my undivided attention, says

THE BARON DE BOOK-WORMS.

P.S.--My faithful "Co." has been reading _Ferrers Court_, by JOHN
STRANGE WINTER, author of _Bootle's Baby_ and a number of other
novelettes of like kind. He says that he is getting just the least bit
tired of _Mignon_, and the plain-spoken girls, and the rest of them.
By the way, he observes that it seems to be the fashion, judging from
the pages of _Ferrers Court_, in what he may call "Service Suckles,"
to talk continually of a largely advertising lady's tailor. If this
custom spreads, he presumes that the popular topic of conversation,
the weather, will have to give place to the prior claims for
consideration of Somebody's Blacking, or Somebody-else's Soap. This
is to be regretted, as, in spite of the sameness of subject of the
_Bootle's Baby_ series, JOHN STRANGE WINTER is always more amusing
than nine-tenths of his (or should it be her?) contemporaries. B. De
B.-W. & Co.

P.S. No. 2.--The Baron wishes to add that on taking up the _Bride
of Lammermoor_ in order to refresh his memory before seeing the
new drama, he was struck by a few lines in the description of
_Lucy Ashton_, which, during rehearsals, must have been peculiarly
appropriate to her representative at the Lyceum, Miss ELLEN TERRY.
Here they are:--"To these details, however trivial, _Lucy_ lent
patient and not indifferent attention. They moved and interested
_Henry_, and that was enough to secure her ear." "Great Scott!"
indeed! Perfectly prophetic, and prophetically perfect. B. DE B.-W.

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