Punch (19.1850)

116

PUNCH, Oil THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

THE NEW CAB REGULATION. ftbe

"Me. Punch,—I knows the proverb, ' Give a dog a bad name, and
'ang him/ and cabmen as a bad name, but am I not a man and a brother,
if redooced to drive a cab, and don't ort to be made a black slave of, and
druv to distrackshun by the noo regylashuns of the pelice, wich one on
'em is wile a cabman is on wurk, he mussnt leve is cab not neither in
charge of the waterman or in charge of anybody else, or he will find
hisself in charge of a crusher and afore the beak m no time, and fined
from ten to twenty shillin with costs, wich the consekence is I am a
cabman and avin a 'ard master and a small famly, I am kep at wurk to
arn my day's munny from 8 or 9 in the mornin often till 2 or 3 nex
mornin, if lucky in regard of coves to or from Waxhall and other
gardings, wich such fares pays well but is werry late, well all this here
17 ours I'm wurkin the cab and ain't to be allowed to leve it wereby
what follers ? I ard obliged to 'ave my wittles on my box and I must
bile my drop o' coffee on the cold nites atop o' the cab and 'ave myself

shaved on the same, and other necessaries of life, in ^, ge& at, ^
public, wich it destroys all self respeck and gits one's sell ,g pint .
can't so much as step down for to lite one's pipe or taK.e ^ bo •
beer sociable at the counter of the watrin'ouse but everytln^, ^tW,
" Tork o' cruelty to hanimals ! Show the oab-oss as is 1V

and I '11 pledge my woracity as a cdfo-man you cant do alld i (
think our persition couldn't be wuss off since the joes can ^ ^e m ^
busses down to threepence, but it seems nothin ain't enun -g^toi1 j
be made prisners for life, for a man might just as well pe i pres i
Colbath fields, and would 'av mor comfort of his life tn»i .
wich I beg you will notice the abuv but do not giv my n^^d ^
enclose as a proof I'm to be depended on, or the crushers
me and I remane , » Gi-V^'

"Yours, to command, A }»
" (not an'ansum one;

THE MERMAID'S LAST NEW SONG.

The mariners brave tidings bring

That they through Dover's Strait who steer,

If, of an understanding ear,
Thus ofttimes hear a Mermaid sing

When the blue deep is calm and clear:

" A wonder have I seen below,

A marvel new and strange to me
Who dwell beneath the rolling sea,
Amir) the wrecks sunk long ago;
The wealth of Ocean's Treasury.

" There runneth an enchanted wire

O'er the sea-bed, from shore to shore,
Of nations that were foes of yore ;
The conduit of a magic fire,

Lightning beneath the waters' roar.

" The skulls of ancient enemies

Around it lying, grimly frown ,
There, where the slain of old went down,
Through wars of hoary centuries,
In many an action of renown.

" The flash amid those forms of Death ,
Flits quick as thought from land to land;
No hostile bolt, no deadly brand,
Nay: but a soft electric breath ,
Warm like the grasp of friendly hand.

"A kindly spirit guides its ami,

Benignant science bids it fly,
Conveying question and reply;
There's language in that social flame,

And Trance and England talk thereby.

" 'Mid antique arms, old gun, and sword,
Which insects of the sea o'erlay,
Of those long fallen in savage fray,
The bony fingers with the chord

That links the nations, gently play.

"And sea-sprites, as they sport along

That nerve of wire, by human skill
Between two peoples made to thrnJ,
Sing joyously the Mermaid's Song, j -|■ f **

To England, Peace !—to Erance, Goodwin-