Punch: Punch (70.1876)

82

[March 4, 1876.

A SUGGESTION IN BLACK AND WHITE.

Our Artist begs respectfully to suggest that White Evening Suits might with
Advantage be adopted by Gentlemen during the coming Season. Black Shirts might
also be worn, if contrast of Colour is desired.

[N.B.—Our Artist will have to draw a good many Evening Suits in the course of the coming Season,
and probably grudges the labour of imparting the proper amount of blackness to them.—Ed.

REAL "FASTING GIRLS."

The announcement of "Another Fasting Girl," which is going the round of the papers
does not interest Mr. Punch. He is far more concerned for the poor fasting girls whose
total earnings for a week's work of eight hours a day only amount to three or four shillings.
There is certainly something of "the miraculous" in the fact that these unfortunate
creatures manage to keep body and soul together ; rather more wonderful, thinks Mr. Punch,
than that a girl should be able to lie in bed and sustain life by the " moistening of her lips
with wine, brandy, &c." "Moistening" is a convenient word, and " &c." is a wide term.
A little wine and brandy, and a few " etceteras " would often save the life of an over-worked
sempstress, whose " fasting " had become a matter of cruel necessity.

If our readers wish to have brought home to them a real and recent case of this sadder
order of " fasting girls," let them read, mark, and digest this brief record, from last
Thursday's morning papers:—

"Last evening, Mr. Bedford held an inquest at St. Martin's Vestry-hall, Charing Cross, respecting
the death of Ada File, an unmarried woman, aged twenty-two years. Erom the evidence it appeared that

deceased and an elder sister lived in one room in
Chandos Street. Since the death of their mother,
who died recently, they have gained a precarious
livelihood by needlework. The deceased was at
work all Saturday night ani Sunday morning.
At about half-past five on Sunday morning, she
gave a sudden shriek, and fell back in her chair,
and died almost immediately. The medical evi-
dence showed that the body was extremely
emaciated, and the stomach was completely empty.
All the internal organs were healthy, with the
exception of the right side of the heart, which
was dilated. Death arose from the failure of the
action of the heart, produced by over work and
long abstinence from solid food. The Coroner
said it was a sad case, and the jury returned a
verdict in accordance with the medical evidence."

"EMPRESS " V. " QUEEN."

When Caesar shirked the kingly name,
And reigned as " Imperator,"

The choice implied no higher aim—
None deemed that title greater.

With anxious care he shunned the style
That Roman pride offended—

Content the " rives " to beguile,
And rule through forms less splendid.

What though that daring Soldier's sway,
Through scores of rogues transmitted,

Enslaved Old Europe, from the day
When E-oman freedom flitted ;

And, age by age, that name accurst
Has still, from first to latest,

Implied of Monarchies the worst,
But ne'er with us the greatest;—

WThat though the phantom of a Past
With crime and folly teeming,

Was, for a wonder, doomed to last
In faint imperial seeming,

Until this shadow of a shade,

A tyrant's views offending,
Like some old ghost, at length was laid

By Nap's resolve unbending* ;—

What though this empty name, the scorn
Of honest right and freedom,

In apish mimicry is borne
By those who little heed 'em ;—

Let mushroom dynasties that spring

From spoil and usurpation,
To this, as to each emblem cling

Of lawless domination.

For us, though now we go to school
Where crazy Crotchet's mission

Seems to be to subvert old rule
Of History or Tradition—

Still " King" or " Queen" from earliest
days,

To British understanding,
A sense of rank supreme conveys,
That brooks no rash expanding.

Symbol august of regal state,
With Freedom's spirit blended ;

Can title so securely great
Be altered or amended ?

* On the compulsory abdication of Francis
the Second, the last of the Emperors of the old
Holy Koman Empire, which was broken up by
Napoleon's conquests.

mercy to animals.

The Baring reign has come to an end
in India. Let us hope, thanks to the joint
influence of Flower, and common sense, it
will not be resumed in London.