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The enterprising journalist , like the enterprising burglar , has again overstepped that caution which should govern all his doings of a prophetic nature . On what authority the daily press enthroned Archdeacon Watkins into the Episcopal chair of St . Asaph , and enlightened the world with the details of his private and

public career , nobod }^ knows , neither will they probably ever know the annoyance such careless enterprise has occasioned . No one will sympathise with the Archdeacon more than the Rev . Alfred Edwardcs , who has been chosen by her Majesty to fill the coveted position . Mr . Edwardes is not a brilliant priest , nor has he shewn

any great claims for the preference bestowed upon him ; but he is a sound and strong churchman , and will defend the Established Church in the Principality with a deal of determination . His ability to preach in the AVelsh language will be of assistance in

overcoming the opposition his nomination has caused , and his age will allows him time and opportunities to do great things . The Rev . Mr . Edwardes in his private life , is one of " nature ' s gentlemen , " a race of individuals that does not increase in number proportionately with the general population .

Let me rob a contemporary of a bit of news by repeating the story of Mr . Gladstone . and the shamrock . Before the " illustrious visitor" came to Naples , there Avere no shamrocks in the woods or along the hedgerows ; but directly the inventor of Home Rule

appeared upon the scene , lo , and behold ! the shamrock grew up , " as if even dumb nature had a heart in Italy . " Now , I am no politician in the sense of commenting on politics , but of all the specimens of political blasphemy and downright impudence , this is the finest I have ever read .

My editor has received the following communication . He has requested me to publish it in fac-simile , but for various reasons I have deemed it wiser to produce it in type . " Sir , —Mr . Tay-Pay has benefited greatly by his stay in Stonecutter Street . There

were no honest or decent men in the world before the illustrious visitor arrived , and now I can testify that there are thousands of such people going strong and well about the streets and byeways . It is as it even dumb nature had a heart in London . Yours truly , An Irish Lady . "

A o shamrock grew in the woods and banks , No field or garden the leaflet knew , Botanical life played various pranks In Italy's suns , and mists , and dew ; No tendering care I'd have you know , Successfully made the shamrock grow .

Manures of every sort were tried , To make the evergreen " take the shoot , " But every stalk gave up and died , From the tip of its leaf to its fibrous root , And nothing whatever I'd have you know , Could ever induce that plant to grow .

But the Grand Old Man with Hibernia ' s air , And nourishing things from an Irish stew , Smiled on the growth with a smile so fair , That it made up its mind to begin anew . And what do you think ? I'd have you know The " illustrious visitor " made it grow .

The death at the ripe age of eighty-four of Mr . S . C . Hall , the founder and editor of the Art Journal , causes a gap in the older ranks of literature that will widen as time goes on . The foremost value of art in his ej'es was its practical application to what may be termed commonplace enjoyment . To console the mind and heart

of the humbler man he brought art down to his level through the medium of the rich , and surrounded it when there by commonsense methods of which he was a master . He carried its graces and its consolations into homes that knew them not , and all his efforts

were crowned with an ample measure of success . A hard and zealous work -r , he had but little time to devote to the requirements of the craft of which he was a faithful though minor member . Eighty-four years of such a life as his is a noble record .

Bro . Bernard Partridge has the reputation of being in the foremost rank of artists in black and white . His sketches in pencil , pen and ink , or wash , are alike charming , and his knowledge and great love of dear old Father Thames is unequalled . He is also of a humorous turn of mind , has tried the stage—in /• ' Held by the

Enemy" he played an important character very satisfactorily I remember—and several other walks of life have been honoured by his acquaintance . The smartest thing I have seen for a long time is his sketch in last week ' s Judy . Get a copy , my dear readers , and if you know any thing of stage managers , tell me if the lesson it

teaches is not a beautiful one . Why our worthy brother does not stick at his easel instead of rambling about the back yards of a profession which hide him from view I don't know ; but one pencil scratch by Bernard Partridge is worth a thousand speeches by Bernard "Gould . " Besides , he insults his genius by neglecting her .

Does anybody know anything of The Westminster Gazette ? A cutting from an 1882 issue of this paper has just come into my hands , containing an article upon " The Follies of Freemasonry . " Read what it says : — _ " The unvarnished history of freemasonry is that it was established late in the last century , by a few illiterate and petty

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tradesmen whose ideas of romance were flattered by the flimsy cloak of affected mystery they contrived to throw round their proceedings , and whose counterskipping vanity was titillated by the grandiose titles freely lavished on each other . Cheops , the pork butcher , is an object of ecstatic delight to the wife of his

bosom and to his domestic circle , besides being the envy of a whole street of retailers when , adorned by the ineffable title of Divine Despot of the Diabolical Dodderers of Doodlecumdishclouterid , and by several pounds weight of clumsily-executed travesties of the insignia of knighthood , in brass mountings and pasts jewels , he

assumes the throne in the bar parlor of the Pig and AVhistle . " And again : " Moderate men who have joined the ranks of Masonry , men , it is scarcely necessary to add , of no great logical powers or analytical capacities , but good and true men , notwithstanding , say

its raison d'etre consists in charity and conviviality . As regards the latter , from the days of Hogarth , who in his great picture of ' Night , ' draws the ' Brother , ' garnished with his tawdry Masonic finery , staggering dead drunk to the bosom of his family , no one has doubted the orgie-like type of lodge meetings . Still ,

to a man who had ever tasted fair cookery and tolerable wine , one would think no great inducements were held out by the greasy feasts and African vintages which form the staple of the ordinarymasonic tavern 'banquet . ' Almsgiving , in a blatant , patronizing , and vulgar manner , is no doubt affected by freemasons ; but from their own published reports it is easy to glean that their charities

are neither economically nor intelligently administered . Where , then , our readers may be inclined to ask , is the cui bono of freemasonry ?" If the Westminster Gazette is still living it might favour us with a second edition of its article . Perhaps the gentleman who forwarded the cutting to me anonymously will continue his contributions from time to time . They are instructive .

Speaking of cuttings brings me to the Press Agency , which supplies us with provincial and local slips . There is a certain publication named the " Weekly Chronicle , " published in Fleet Street , which has honoured us—in its issue of the 3 rd of March—by taking bodily from our pages of February 28 th , a column of various matter , and

setting it up as original to itself , under a heading of " Freemasonry . " So clumsily has this been done that it speaks of to-morrow , the 1 st of March , though its own issue bears date the 2 nd , and it calmly stops the list of Metropolitan Lodge Meetings on the Thursday , when its date of publication enables it to

include the meetings on the succeeding Friday and Saturday . My editor is a particularly generous man , and his unique knowledge of Freemasonry may be dispensed for the asking , but we have an office boy whose salary will not permit him to be generous , and whose knowledge of anything outside Bath buns and peg tops is

not unique . If our contemporary will therefore allow us . to supply it with a masonic column , will have the decency to acknowledge us , and will pay our office boy a small additional wage , the matter , I daresay , may be arranged . For the benefit of the " Weekly Chronicle , " I may state that the reason we cannot afford to increase the said salary ourselves is that we pay for our contributions .

The first anniversary of " Sweet Lavender " at Terry ' s , takes place to-night , when , I am informed , souvenirs will be presented to every visitor . A charming little house—more charming when its nut-brown and apple-green decorations are discarded—a courteous and business-like acting manager , a clever and entertaining host , and one of the best pieces Pinero has ever written , is the sum-total

of attractions . AVhen I am weary and down-hearted I go to Terry's , and when I am skittish—though my skittish days are over—I go there too , and I always walk home to my first floor back with contentment , more evenly balancing the discontent inseparable from daily toil . Discontent has made me bald , but I will not , no ! I will not use another scribbler ' s application .

There is a rather eminent young man whose professional address is AVarwick Court , Holborn . He is popular with all grades of society , from the starchy policeman—who seems to enjoy the attractions of his acquaintance—to the more starchy gent of Gray ' s Inn , who has a nod and a smile for our young friend every time he

passes . The name of this eminent gentleman is " Mike , " and he is , like Lord Fauntleroy ' s Dick , a " perfessional boot black . " Mike polishes boots to perfection—indeed , his partner in the newspaper business round the corner assures me , in confidence , that he is the finest boot polisher living . I quite believe it , for poor Mike , not

being blessed with the full powers of locomotion—I sincerely hope this allusion will not hurt his sensitive nature—gives his undivided attention to his business , and he does a roaring business too . Messrs . Day and Martin have presented him with his stock-in-trade , and supply him with brashes and blacking without charge , and his license , I believe , is paid by a gentleman annually . Mr . " Mike "

is a professional gentleman in more senses than one , and he has mastered the art of never having made an enemy . I am one of his early morning customers , and pay him by contract , but later day visitors are known to wait their turns to be attended to ; and many a man of high degree , socially and masonically , I have seen engaged in an entertaining chat with " Mike , " under the pretence of having their boots blacked .

I have often in my journalistic capacity begged favors of compositors and readers , and the longer I live the more certain I become that something more than begging is necessary . If the gentlemen who typed " to" for too , and " caprisoned" for caparisoned , in my last week's stuff , could only imagine the vexation of spirit their neglect has caused , they would take more pains to decipher the terrible scrawl of THE DRUID .