soap! So he died." Substitute "Tea" for "Soap," and there I am. My boy
TOMMY, who is at home for the holidays, reminds me of what OVID said
at Tomi, not _to_ TOMMY, as they were not contemporaries, "_Nec tecum
vivere possum, nec sine te_." For "_te_" read "tea," and that's my
case to a T.

[Greek: Thatts Houtis.]

_Goughty Street, Old Portman Square._

* * * * *

LADY GAY'S SELECTIONS.--Dear _Mr. Punch_,--And now for another glance
at Racing. Next week we have meetings at Stockton and Wolverhampton,
and the most important race is the Stockton Handicap, for which I will
append my usual poetic selection:--

_STOCKTON HANDICAP SELECTION._

A difficult river to cross, I am told,
Is the one that is known as the Styx;
But, if rider and horseman be equally bold,
You can _do it by aid of "The Pyx"_!

This will rejoice the hearts of my followers, who have been
"selectionless" for some weeks, and have therefore been unable to bet,
unless they have accepted the absolutely unreliable information given
by _all_ the other sporting writers, but never by, yours truly,

LADY GAY. _Nash Hotel, Bournemouth._