The Project Gutenberg EBook of Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. CL, April 26, 1916, by Various This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. CL, April 26, 1916 Author: Various Editor: Owen Seaman Release Date: December 1, 2009 [EBook #30575] Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PUNCH-CHARIVARI, APRIL 26, 1916 *** Produced by Ritu Aggarwal, Jonathan Ingram and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: Printer's inconsistencies in spelling, punctuation, hyphenation, and ligature usage have been retained. PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.VOL. CL.APRIL 26, 1916.CHARIVARIA. General Villa, in pursuit of whom a United States army has already penetrated four hundred miles into Mexico, is alleged to have died. It is not considered likely, however, that he will escape as easily as all that. "Germans net the Sound," says a recent issue of a contemporary. We don't know what profit they will get out of it, but we ourselves in these hard times are only too glad to net anything. Bags of coffee taken from a Norwegian steamer and destined for German consumption have been found to contain rubber. Once more the immeasurable superiority of the German chemist as a deviser of ...
Title: Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. CL, April 26, 1916 Author: Various Editor: Owen Seaman Release Date: December 1, 2009 [EBook #30575] Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PUNCH-CHARIVARI, APRIL 26, 1916 ***
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. CL, April 26, 1916, by Various This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
Produced by Ritu Aggarwal, Jonathan Ingram and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Bags of coffee taken from a Norwegian steamer and destined for German consumption have been found to contain rubber. Once more the immeasurable superiority of the German chemist as a deviser of synthetic substitutes for ordinary household commodities is clearly illustrated. What a contrast to our own scientists, whose use of this most valuable food substitute has never gone far beyond an occasional fowl or beefsteak.
"Germans net the Sound," says a recent issue of a contemporary. We don't know what profit they will get out of it, but we ourselves in these hard times are only too glad to net anything.
A Chance for the Illiterate. "Wanted, a good, all-round Gardener; illegible."—Provincial Paper.
"Gardener.—Wanted at once, clever experienced man with good knowledge of toms., cucs., mums., &c., to work up small nursery." Provincial Paper.
One with a knowledge of nursery language preferred.
.g
Shopkeeper."Yes, I want a good useful lad to be partly indoors and partly outdoors." Applicant."And what becomes of me when the door slams?"
The Austrian Government has issued an appeal for dogs "for sanitary purposes." The valuable properties of the dog for sterilising sausage casings have long been a secret of the Teuton.
Wandsworth Borough has refused the offer of a horse trough on the ground that there are not enough horses to use it. But there are always plenty of shirkers.
Colonel Churchill was reported on Tuesday last as having been seen entering the side door of No. 11, Downing Street. It was, of course, the critical stage door.
It has been suggested that in honour of the tercentenary of Shakspeare's birth Barclay's brewery should be replaced by a new theatre, a replica of the old Globe Theatre, whose site it is supposed to occupy; and Mr. Reginald McKenna is understood to have stated that it is quite immaterial to him.
"Horseflesh is on sale in the West End," saysThe Daily Telegraph, "and the public analyst at Westminster reports having examined a smoked horseflesh sausage and found it genuine." It is only fair to our readers, however, to point out that the method of testing sausages now in vogue,i.e.with a stethoscope, is only useful for ascertaining the identity of the animal (if any) contained therein, and is valueless in the case of sausages that are filled with sawdust, india-rubber shavings, horsehair and other vegetables.
THE CURSE OF BABEL. Let me tell you about the Baronne de Blanqueville and her grandson. The Baronne is a Belgian lady who came to England in the early days of the refugee movement, and established herself here in our village. With her came her younger daughter and Lou-lou, the infant son of an elder daughter, who had for some reason to be left behind in Belgium. Lou-lou was a year old when, with his grandmother and his aunt, he settled in England as anémigré. He was then inarticulate; now he has gained the use of his tongue. He has had a little English nursemaid to attend on him, and he has become a familiar object in many English families of the neighbourhood. In fact, he has had a very English bringing up, and now that he is more than two years old and can talk, he insists on talking English with volubility and understanding it with completeness. I may mention, by the way, that someone has taught him some expressions unusual in so young a mouth. The other day I met him in his perambulator. He said, "I take the air. I'm damn comfable;" whereupon the nursemaid blushed and chid him. That, however, is not the point—at any rate, not the whole of it. What I wish to make clear is this: the Baronne neither speaks nor understands English, whereas Lou-lou speaks a great deal of English and no French at all. He rejects that language with a violent shake of his curly head. He stamps his small foot and tells his adoring grandmother to speak English or leave him alone. Thus a gulf has begun to yawn between the Baronne and her beloved Lou-lou. Communications are all but broken off. Lou-lou's aunt is in better case, for she is slowly acquiring English; but the Baronne, I think, will never learnanyEnglish. What is to be done?
"The rage for flower-trimming is nothing short of an obeisance."—Evening Paper. In spite of the War we still bow to the decrees of fashion.
THE JOY TAX.
[By one who is prepared to accept it like a patriot without further protest.]
Now Spring comes laughing down the sky To see her buds all busy hatching; With tender green the woods are gay, And birds, as is their April way, Chirp merrily on the bough, and I Chirp, too, because it's catching.
Full many a joy I must eschew And to the tempter's voice "No! No!" say; With taxes laid on all delights Must miss, with other mirthful sights, On Monday next my annual view Of England's Art Exposé.
I must forgo (and bear the worst With what I can of noble calm) a Pure bliss from which I only part With horrid pain about the heart— I mean the humour unrehearsed Of serious British drama.
But, thank the Lord, I need not miss The birds that in their leafy nook coo; Young Spring is mine to taste at large, The Ministry has made no charge For earth that warms to April's kiss; They haven't taxed the cuckoo!
Intelligent Anticipation. "Bucharest, 8.—The 'Universul' has opened a list of subscriptions in favour of the widows and victims of the coming Austro-Roumanian war."—Balkan News.
"'Where Angels fear to Tread' at the —— Picture Theatre."—Hastings Observer. The management doesn't mind so long as the fools rush in.
"The Smyth-Pigotts are the owners of Brockley Court and Brockley Hall, near Congresbury, a pretty village which— like Majoribanks—is pronounced Coomesbury."Daily Sketch. — Just as, according to the old story, Cholmondeley is pronounced Marjoribanks.
"Monster Carnival! In aid of Returned Soldiers' Association. Novel Attractions!!! Realistic Egyptian Pillage, just as our soldiers saw it. Egyptian goods can be purchased here."—Adelaide Register. We hope this does not mean that our gallant Anzacs have been spoiling the Egyptians.