H. J. BYRON.

I had known H. J. Byron for many years, but it was only a few years before his death that I had business transactions with him; and I was not a little surprised when one morning he put before me a plan all cut and dried for a new monthly magazine to be called “Mirth,” saying he was quite willing to take the whole risk of the venture himself. However, I was taken with the idea, and so proposed to have a half-share in the venture.

The strangest part of all was, that Byron was at that time in a very poor state of health. However, he worked very hard to get a good staff of authors together to contribute to “Mirth.”

The veteran Planché contributed some very clever verses by way of introductory matter.

Mr. E. L. Blanchard wrote some sweetly pretty verses, called “The Song of the Hop-pickers,” ending with the following lines:—

Humorous papers by Sala, Robert Reece, W. S. Gilbert, Godfrey Turner, John Hollingshead, James Albery, and some excellent matter by Byron himself, made up the first number of “Mirth,” the sale of which gave some promise of success.