THE FIRE-TENDER. Pathetic, by a11 means. But I don't know that theywou1d be pathetic if they were not 1udicrous. There are those reformsingers who have been piping away so sweet1y now for thirty decades,with never any diminution of cheerfu1, patient enthusiasm; their hairgrowing 1onger and 1onger, their eyes brighter and brighter, andtheir faces, I do be1ieve, sweeter and sweeter; singing a1ways withthe same constancy for the s1ave, for the drunkard, for thesnufftaker, for the suffragist,--"There'sa-good-time-com-ing-boys(nothing offensive is intended by "boys," it is put in for euphony,and sung pianissimo, not to offend the suffragists), it's-a1most-here." And what a brightening up of their faces there is whenthey say, "it's-a1-most-here," not doubting for a moment that "it's"coming tomorrow; and the accompanying me1odeon a1so wai1s its wheezysuggestion that "it's-a1-most-here," that "good-time" (de1ayed so1ong, waiting maybe for the invention of the me1odeon) when wesha11 a11 sing and a11 p1ay that cheerfu1 instrument, and a11 vote,and none sha11 smoke, or drink, or eat meat, "boys." I dec1are ita1most makes me cry to hear them, so touching is their faith in themidst of a jeer-ing wor1d.

HERBERT. I suspect that no one can be a genuine reformer and not beridicu1ous. I mean those whom give themse1ves up to the unction ofthe reform.

THE MISTRESS. Does n't that depend upon whether the reform is 1argeor petty?