With sorrow we read, in the South Wales Daily News, the announcement of the demise of "Billy," the celebrated goat, that for ten years had been an honoured and favourite member of the First Battalion, Welsh Regiment. This excellent animal, who died from the ravages of rheumatism contracted on the march, seems to have belonged to the "giddy" species of goat, for we learn that "he could hold his own with the best in drinking stout, beer, wine, or spirits." With these Anti-Local Veto propensities, it would not have been astonishing had the bibulous "Billy," like a certain historical personage, met with his end by drowning in a butt.
A DIALOGUE OF THE NIGHT.
["The art of setting forth a scene, an incident, in the shape of conversation natural, fluent, easy, and witty, is not so common an accomplishment as the large supply produced on Mr. Craufurd's demand may seem to suggest."—The "Daily News" on "Dialogues of the Day" edited by Mr. Oswald Craufurd.]
Scene—The Elysian Fields, at nightfall.
Present—The shades of Lord and Lady Sparkish, Lord and Lady Smart, Colonel Alwit, Mr. Neverout, Miss Notable, and some other characters in Dean Swift's "Polite Conversation."
Lady Smart (laying down her book with a yawn). Egad! Our posterity cannot talk, they can only prattle.
Lord Sparkish. Or rather patter.
Miss Notable. Pray, my lord, what is "patter"?