SMITH and DOUGLAS JERROLD, and has been already told in the _Times_ by
a Correspondent signing himself "E.Y." It is of the same respectable
age as that one of ALBERT SMITH signing his initials "A.S.," and
JERROLD observing, "He only tells two-thirds of the truth." Perhaps
Mr. JOHN TAYLOR, of Dagnall Park, Selhurst, is going to favour us with
a little volume of "new sayings by old worthies" at Christmas time,
and we shall hear how SHERIDAN once asked TOM B---- "why a miller
wore a white hat?" And how ERSKINE, on hearing a witness's evidence
about a door being open, explained to him that his evidence would be
worthless, because a door could not be considered as a door "if it
were a jar," and several other excellent stories, which, being told
for the first time with the _verve_ and local colouring of which the
writer of the letter to _The Times_ is evidently a past-master, will
secure for the little work an enormous popularity.

* * * * *

A SCOTT AND A LOT.--"Thirty Years at the Play" is the title of Mr.
CLEMENT SCOTT's Lecture to be delivered next Saturday at the Garrick
Theatre, for the benefit of the Actors' Benevolent Fund. Thirty years
of Play-time! All play, and lots of work. Mr. IRVING is to introduce
the lecturer to his audience, who, up to that moment, will have been
"Strangers Yet," and this CLEMENT will be SCOTT-free to say what he
likes, and to tell 'em all about it generally. "SCOTT" will be on the
stage, and the "Lot" in the auditorium. Lot's Wife also.

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ETHER-DRINKING IN IRELAND.--Mr. ERNEST HART (bless his heart and
earnestness!) lectured last week on "Ether-Drinking in Ireland." He