I well remember, some years ago, taking i small boy—who lived in the country—into the Park ofi@ afternoon in the height of the season; for a long time he was absolutely silent ana I wonilered what was in his mini. Siiddenly lie said "T wonder where all these hoises go to bea every night:" It wis a quaint idea, but I knew that in his Home "horses" were dlino&t a paramount consideration. His reridtk came back henie this week when I foiitl riyself wondering where all the tens of thousaridls of people who seem to be miking the air of London feel very used up, eve ti already, this year, manage dispose of themselves when night overtakes them arid they are obliged to forsake the parks and streets for a few hots. Evéty season a8 it comes ronnd] acéms to brifig more people up to town. If ote is in d hurry the quickest mode of transit Seéris to be to walk, if on' chances to have td take Piccudilly or Botid' Street en route, as to be blocked ft half an hour is quite an every-day ccontreitce. Even the cab strike, through which we have just passed, which is said to have lessened the mimper of cabs plying for hire by about 3,000, apparently had no effect upon the congested state of the arrests.
Why the Cabnien Strack.
I made it my business during the few days the strike lasted to find out 'a few facts concerning the much-maligned hansom cab driver, and althorzh his dJanguage.is occasionally wiparliamentary, his life seems so filled with anxiety ty in future he will: have my entire sympathy: One man told me that althotigh masters were supposed to charge 15/- aday for ¢ hiausom and two horses, they always deniatided 16/- to 18/- for those which were new and up to date. In the first half of the day he said ha rately middle mire thin 5/-, often not 1/6; of course in the overling he did better; but if he was unlucky then the day was a-dead los. Another mun' toll me a similar story, and both seemed to say sore radical chatigé of system was needed, aleo that there were far too ntany cabs plying for hire, When all the numerous tubes now iti course of coristréction are finished, I should imagine not half the number will be tieeded Heese Géilerating Station in the World.
The works from which the electricity is tobe supplied to the transforniéd. District and Metropolitan ruilways—also I believe to some of the uew tubés—ate beitig built in Chelsea, and as they are qi close to my flat I have taken great interest in watching their. Uae fortunately they are, and must always be, a great eye-sore, although I hear thole is a project, of making a roof garden on the building itself for the. benefit of passen: gers on penny steamboats, if they ever run again. Nothing,, how cain the ugliness of the huge shiafta, or chimneys, which are, I believe, 275 fect high and tower shove everything das in the neighbourhood. An idea of their magnitude may be imagined from the fact that their inside measurement at the top is 19 feet. When finished, it is aald that the station will be doable the size of the one at Niagara and the cost of it will be something like £2,500,000, Mr, Yerkes, the. Great American Railway magnate, is financitig the enterprise, Miss Viola Tree's Debut.
Mr. Beerbohm Tree possesses such a happy knack of embarking on every fresh enterprise precisely at the most airspitions moment, and in thie best possible manlier, that I sometimes this ho waild live made a distitiguisliéd diplomatist. His method of introducing his daughter to the Londoni public was dt drive as dating as it was successful. A charity matinee at double prices in the height of the season, with a debutante for the principal attraction, It was a bold idea, but it took the fancy of the public, and Miss Tree made her bow to a crowded hdusé, and was also the roans of collecting quite a considerable athdunt of many for the "Fresh Air Find," as inside each pr gramme was an elivelope in whic: bors of the audiviice wers askéil to plice donations for " Miss Vidla Tree's Spediul Collection" for the fund. This enver lopes were gatheréil in dtiting the interval after the second act, and at the close of the performance Mr. Tree aiztounced that as a result of the afternoon's entertainment 20,600 children would be able to enjoy a day's outing in. the country. Of course one is glad of this, but at the same time, after paying £1 1s, for " 10/6 seat, I think it is somewhat unfair to ask for a further donation in the course of one afternoon, but this seems to be quite an ordinary adjunct to the charity matinee now-a-days. Of course it is easy to throw the envelope on the floor, but Lthink the idea is a mistaken one, The play chosen. for the young actress's debut was "Twelfth Night," she of course taking her name part. To say one has never seen a better Viola would be fvulish, as to my und we stall never have one. again. to, qual Miss Lily Bray-till Miss Tree was in paris dis.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.