An After Dinner Conversation.

hospitable thoughts intent , " married a few years ago , much to the consternation of his nephews and nieces , as well as of an old maiden aunt , a " sonsie lass , " as the Scotch say , of three-andtwenty . ¦

I will not say what my old friend ' s age really is , though , as he and I are contemporaries , and I have long fallen into the " sere and yellow" leafage of advancing years , I may simply remark that Jorum , excellent fellow as he is ,

is nevertheless not " dans sa premiere jeunesse . " His wife is a charming person , and Jorum is very happy . But his wife lias a mother , and that mother , like a good many more wives ' mothers , is a strong-minded , resolute woman , riding everybody , with a decided opinion of the debt of gratitude

Jorum owes her for giving him her dear daughter , and by no means without a very clear idea , too , of improving both the opportunity and the occasion . Accordingly she likes to take , and does take , the lead in everything , and

thinking it constitutionally bad for Jorum to be too much now in the company of his bachelor friends , surrounds him with her select and agreeable circle of family relations and connexions . The consequence is that poor Jorum ,

when he meets any of his quondam comrades , those whom he knew so well and liked so much , looks downcast and woebegone , as much as to say , " Ah , Master Shallow , Master Shallow , what far pleasanter days were those when you and I heard the chimes at midnight , or even of the cool , calm , virtuous morm ' np-1 "

I had not seen Jorum for some time , not , indeed , since I went to stand as godfather to his firstborn , Theophilus John Jorum , named after me and an uncle of Mrs . Jorum ' s , and which young hopeful isI may observe" en passant "

, , , one of the most howling little brutes I ever set eyes upon or listened to , in my long life . But then , as Jorum always says to , me , " sotto voce " of course , " His dear

mother and his dear grandmother , Tommy , my boy , " ( my real name being Tomlinson , Theophilus Tomlinson ) , "have such lungs !" However , the other day I received a letter from Jorum to say that his

mother-in-law was going on a visit to another daughter of her ' s , equally well married , and in a most interesting condition , as Jorum added , " hourly

expected . " And then he told me that if I would drive over and stay for a week with them , Mrs . Jorum and he would be greatly pleased . As regards Jorum himself I knew

he was speaking the truth , and though not feeling quite so sure about Mrs . Jorum ' s " inner mind , " I wrote a cheerful and affirmative reply at once , and on the appointed day bowled over in a dog cart to Jorum Hall .

Old Jo , as we used to call him , was evidently on the look-out for me , for he met me at the lodge gates , and said , " Tommy , you and I will walk up to the hall ; it will do you good to stretch your legs a bit , and I want to show you

some fine shorthorns , and a neat twoyear-old . " So sending my portmanteau and the dog-cart on , Jorum and I walked up arm-in-arm , glad to find ourselves tOQ'ether once again .

Jorum seemed quite pleased to welcome me , and yet somehow he also appeared to be a little nervous about something .

At last he spoke out with an effort , and looking on the ground . " Tommy , Mrs . J . is an angel , but I think you had better know , she is a little queer in her temper at times . I think it ' s the nursing , though she does take a deal of

porter , which Dr . Hoggins says is good for her . Don't be annoyed if she gets a little sharp !" " Oh , " I replied , gaily , " don't you be alarmed Jo , a bachelor like myself is a citizen of the world , and I always do

get on with the women , for I never contradict them . " But to say the truth and to do them