With apologies for the great bareness of the cover, a bareness which he believes will soon be remedied by the blushes of the Misses Grimston.
In the sad and incomprehensible continuance of negligence manifested by the Editor of the Busy Bee, the Sub-Editor presents his complements and umbel dooty [sic.] to the Misses Grimston, and sends them a copy of his magazine.
He begs to apologise for the delay in publication, consequent on the press of work caused by the impunctuality of some of his contributors, an impunctuality from which the Misses Grimston are excluded.
He has no comments to offer on the contents, save that at the last a versifier or two did turn up to redeem the character of the magazine Their efforts he will not criticize, as he would not discourage any from doing the like for another number.
With regard to blotting paper, which seems to be prevalent in the minds of some of his contributors, he can only say that when he read over the MSS (in the neglect of the Editor - for which he begs to apologize) his eye-brows were elevated, and a twitching might have been observed at the corners of his mouth. His ingenuity has not been sufficient to paint a hive on the cover of his Magazine and he was too modest to exhibit his ignorance of the fine arts to his fair correspondents.
A Conscientious Ghost
The Skeleton of St. Amand