[Illustration: MODERN MATRIMONY.

_Young Wife._ "YES, DEAR, MY HUSBAND IS ALL I COULD WISH HIM TO BE."

_Husband (who is making bread in the back room)._ "I WISH I COULD SAY AS
MUCH FOR HER."]

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ABOUT A BLOCK.

A "COUNTRYMAN" writes to us, asking whether the extension of "Murderer's
Block" is among the current city improvements, He says that, on recently
visiting this city, he had great difficulty in determining the exact
locality of the sanctuary in question. Some said it was in the Eighth
Ward; others located it in the Seventeenth. A policeman in East Houston
street, in reply to the query, "Which is Murderer's Block?" waved his
hand with a gesture indicative of unlimited space, and said, "You are on
it." Not pleased with the impeaching tone of this reply, our informant
made his way to another ward, where he put the same question to the
first policeman who came along. Without giving him a direct reply, the
officer winked, shifted his quid of tobacco so as to display his Check
to full advantage, and pointed with his thumb over his shoulder at
indefinite city "slums" behind him. Let the "Countryman" understand
that, as things are at present, he may stand almost any where in the
city and be within a marble-shot of "Murderer's Block." Perhaps
Superintendent JOURDAN is quite aware of this.

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