* * * * *

ONLY FANCY!

Mr. CHAPLIN has, we hear, entered with native enthusiasm into his
mission to the Agricultural Labourer. It was entirely his own idea.
"The Liberals have their Rural Conferences," he said at a recent
Cabinet Council, "and we should do something of the same kind; only we
must go one better. Of course the delegates liked their trip to London
(expenses paid, their free breakfast, their shake of Mr. GLADSTONE's
hand, and the opportunity of gazing on the supple form of Mr.
SCHNADHORST.) That's all very well for them. But think of the hundreds
of thousands green with jealousy because they weren't selected for
the trip? These are all ripe to vote for us at the General Election
if only delicately handled. What you want is a man of commanding
presence, unfailing tact, a knowledge of horses, and some gift of
oratory. If no one else occurs to you, I'll go." No one else did occur
to the mind of the Cabinet. So the Minister of Agriculture set forth
on his missionary enterprise.

* * * * *

We have been gratified by the receipt of many tokens of interest and
appreciation elicited by our paragraph last week, reporting the state
of the household markets. One takes the form of a parcel of Russian
tongues. "These," writes our esteemed Correspondent (we omit
complimentary preface), "should before cooking be soaked for a week in
cold water, and then boiled for a day." We are not disposed to spoil
a ship for a ha'p'orth of tar, and shall improve upon these generous
instructions. Having spent a week and a day in personally directing