burst upon me is this, that if you want to restore good temper to a
shattered party, you must start talking about woodcocks. If you saw
a woodcock in the morning, talk about that one. If not, begin about
the woodcock you saw last week, or the woodcock somebody else missed
the week before. But whatever you do, always keep a woodcock for
a (metaphorically) rainy day. Bring him out at lunch next time you
shoot, and watch the effect.

* * * * *

"GRIEVANCES OF CIVIL SERVANTS."--Sir, seeing this heading in the
_Times_ to a letter which I didn't stop to read, I can only say, for
my part, that us servants as is really civil ought not never to have
any "grievancies." Tips is the reward to "_civil_ servants."--Yours,
THE BUTLER.

* * * * *

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