in the morning, but after luncheon at the Biltmore, where we had sought a breath of cool air in the roof-garden, we debouched on to 5th Avenue at 42nd Street, to find ourselves in the middle of the AntiProhibition parade. How long it had been going on then, and how long it continued after the heat drove us home, I do not know, but the miles of stolidly marching men and women were evidence of a considerable body of AntiPussyfoot feeling in New York. Each ward had its band, its decorated cars, its "captains,' its matrons in white, and its banners-particularly its banners. They fascinated us those banners, and it will be a lasting regret to me that I forgot so many of them. Many were enough 66 go." 66 But when the Sleepy Owls' Pleasure Club came by with, "Only a mother could love a Prohibitionist's face," we began to think that we would stay and watch a little longer. We were rewarded. "This is a free country. Drink water, you poor fish," said the Lodas Fishing Club. "A nation too cowardly to drink is on the Tobog was followed by Take a little wine for thy stomach's sake, says St Paul," and "This country is suffering from dryrot-sprinkle it." "Russia went dry in 1916; went mad in 1917. How rational do you feel yourself? inquired the Peter C. Hochdorffer Association. Then a procession of lorries inscribed, "To hell with whisky, conventional give us beer," closely followed by Charles Feldman's Indians, The Volstead Act must preceded by a camel, and more Liberty-not License." "What does Bryan get from the soft drink interests? "They fought for Liberty -they return to-What? "No law is above repeal. All are man-made." lorries containing large men with megaphones singing "Frankie - America's latest song hit for good fellows, sweethearts, and mothers." "Our fourfathers made the American constootion," asserted the Polish-American contingent with doubtful accuracy, and the employees of Mouquin the restaurant man trolled a French song as they trudged along. One car contained a large Statue of Liberty in chains, another a picture of the marriage-feast of Cana, and a third a gentleman who, Prohibition or no Prohibition, had managed to get it somewhere. He was of doubtful advertising value to his cause and the American Liberty League. Prominent amongst other demonstrators were the HouseWreckers' Union, the Jolly Owls and the Lady Owls, the Riggers' Lodge, the Garibaldi Veterans, the Consolidated Bowling Club, the Original Nut Club of Yorkville, and the White Rats Actors' Union. All with their banners of varying degrees of merit. "This picture would have been better if the artist had had beer," said one candidly. "Greenwich village wants a drink-have a heart! " was pathetic, but it was all interesting. The more so because one feels that it will never happen again. It is a last, expiring, pitiful protest. For Prohibition has come to stay. Its advocates have only to organise a procession of children to touch the great heart of the American people-that great sentimental heart to which surface appeals are so easy. DESMOND YOUNG. AS BEFITS MY POSITION.-III. BY MRS SAMUEL PEPYS. (BEING EXTRACTS FROM HER DIARY.) Dec. 4th, 1665.-Home to and also, as is well known, our house in Seething Lane things stolen, or kept from after being six months away destruction, out of better houses for fear of the Plague, which and even off the bodies of the is now, God be thanked, very dead. For the poor and ignomuch lessened, and quite gone rant, having no knowledge, have from our part. 'Tis dreadful no reasoned fear, but only to see what a desolation that panic, or else fool-hardiness. Greate Plague hath wrought. So many houses shut up, with the red crosses, and "Lord, have mercy on us writ on the doors which none have been concerned to rub off again, and the shops mostly closed, and no gay people about, nor nothing doing; men, all that there be, thinking of nothing else but to learn who among their servants and acquaintance is still left alive. And here we note a strange thing, that whereas formerly there was grief and surprise at hearing that such an one was dead, or had lost wife or child, now that will pass almost un-noticed; but if one is found alive, and not to have suffered at all in his family, there is joy and rejoicing. Nor is the danger over, for there be many deaths from Plague every week. And 'tis clear that in all those mean streets where the Plague was worst, and least controlled, the poor folk have sure Lord's Day.-To Church with my husband, the first time in our own Church since I left London-my husband mighty discomfortable at seeing the Churchyard through which we must pass so high piled up with hastily made graves; and indeed resolved to go there no more till something be done. Rather will we go to that Church where the old clergyman did tend those of his congregation who were Plaguestricken, and who would not carry the infection to their homes. For that, men say, hath been all new white-washed with three coats, and all the wood work, such as could not be white-washed, newly and thickly painted, and the church yard well covered with lime; so that, men say, it is now the safest Church to go to, for that also, it having been in such constant use, fewer people were buried under the there-to could not be gain- but find the sausages not so said, thoroughly well covered good as before. up with lime. Lady Batten do tell me she has it from her husband that Prince Rupert who is a man of great understanding protests that our Church is greatly mistaken to have left off the use of incense, that being such a clean smell and of great virtue to purify the air, as was well known to the ancients. For that cause also, he said, it was ordained by God Almighty to be used in the Temple of the Jews. But I think him to be a prophane man, and wholly unversed in the temper of men's minds concerning matters of religion, being given over to Science. The City now near as full of people as before, but the better parts of the town still empty, and the streets full of grass. 'Tis true those grand streets be so muddy, the cobble stones so ill-laid and worn into such great deep muddy holes, that grass do grow there as fast as ill weeds in a garden. Our nice little good sausage maker, that was tucked away in a corner of St Paul's Churchyard that few did know of, and that was called dead of the Plague, is come back, having merely gone into the country to escape from it. I, thinking sadly of her as I passed by, and finding her shop open, and she sitting at her door, all alive and smiling, was mighty This day a gentleman back from Portugall, whose name I have forgot, said he had there met an old sea captain who told him that, having once lost his way on the high seas, he came to a desert island; and going on shore to seek water and fresh food, did see what he took to be a wild goat among the rocks, and did shoot the same. But the creature, being only wounded, got away, and he after it, into the thickets, and when he was near come up to it and was about to shoot again, that same creature did call out to him by his name; the which, when he heard it, did make him fair swoon for fear. And that, when he came back to himself, there was that Creature, squat quite close to him, and did say in good Portugueese, that it was his brother, that had set out in a ship for Cathay twenty years agone, and was never since heard of, nor any of his shipmates. And that the poor Creature did die there of his wounds, and that he did give him Xtian burial, though the sailors that were with him in the ship were for bringing home his skin for a curiosity, it being so entirely covered with long thick hair, as no man had ever seen the like. This day a great dinner at Sir William Pen's, with much good talk, and good meat and in a good vein, did tell many did change all the blood out storys both gay and strange, of the one into the other, so for the which I thinke, without that neither of them had his vanity, I have some small own blood, but each the blood talent. And my husband did of the other dog; and that put me in a great anger, for they did then both run away, that he called out to me across and lived as before. Which the table, before all the com- must clearly have been a fable; pany, that what I said was and therewith all those at not true. To which a gallant table with us did agree. But gentleman made answer that my husband maintained the fair lady's speech is meant truth of his story, saying that but to charm and please and learned gentlemen of the Royal furthermore, said he, to speake Society to which he had the truth is cleane beyond all our honour to belong did indeed powers, for that Truth being do many strange things but a jewell at the bottom of a did not ordinarily lend themwell no man may come at it, selves to the spreading of fables. though he dredge with what Then, one did say that he had bucket he please. To which To which seen at Gresham College a my husband, being obstinate bone, said to be taken out of to prove me wrong did main- a mermaid's head: but that, tain that he spoke not of witty as all did agree, might well be quips nor yet of speech with true, there being no evidence intent to deceive, which said of common sense or knowledge he, we of the public service do to prove it false. Rather is it have intimate knowledge of, a known thing among persons but that he blames one who will of any education, that the world collect and repeat all manner is full of strange creatures and of tales which do seem to be wonderful happenings, for which reliable facts, had on good there is no explanation found authority, but which, when nor indeed ever likely to be told to persons of intelligence found. So that nothing can are seen to be fables, without be proclaimed untrue except any wit to redeem them. To those simple things concerning which I made answer, being which we have the evidence of angered, without more ado, our own senses, for or against. saying that 'tis not I alone that do tell facts which seem to be reliable and do then turn out to be fables. For, said I, did not he himself come home to me some nights agone, with a tale how that some of his friends, he being by at the Last night again I did fall out with my husband, for that, coming back in the coach after a long day's pleasuring, I thinking to while away the time, did discourse to him of my deare romance Great Cyrus, |