Punch (72.1877)

30 PUNCH, OK THE LONDON CHARIVARL_ [January 27, 1877.

LIGHT READING WITH A VENGEANCE.

Keeper of Circulating Library. "I'm very sorry, Miss, the Third Volume happens still to be out; but here is the entire
Novel in Ons Volume !"

Young Lady. " Oh, that won't do ! How on Earth am I to find my Place in it?"

ON THE CLOSE OE A CONFERENCE.

Finis coronat opus ! Never sat

A better meaning Conference than that

Just now put out by the Imperial Hatt.

Easy it were to raise the scornful laugh,
To poke cheap fun, and heap unsifted chaff
On the Wise West's strong diplomatic staff,

That cracks and bends and breaks and lets us down,
And lays low more than one Imperial crown
Under grave Mid hat's fez and stubborn frown.

"Was't that the Turk the game of brag read right,
Eoresaw that lluss tall talk would not mean fight;
And knew Ignatieff's bark worse than his bite ?

Or fathomed Austria's plight, by dual law

Eorced now with Slav, and now with Turk to draw,

And felt 'twas safe to ride on that see-saw P

Or was't that Bismarck: bred more hopes than fears,
Whose interest should be to lop Bruin's ears,
Scarce feed him fat on Turkey—for some years ?

Whate'er the secret of the Turks' sang-froid,
He looked cool, and he ivas cool: dans son droit:
Borgne parmi les aveugles, et partant Hoi !

And blew his bubble Constitution bright,

With brave French colours tricked in rainbow light,

And bade young Turkey spread tail at the sight.

And ere he made the Conference " shut up,"
Helped them to Humble Pie, and in their cup,
For bitters, gave them failure's gall to sup.

Let not the scorn of scoffers rub aside

This salve to ruffled self-conceits applied,

" We have done buffers' work—be that our pride."

And let not Salisbury his fate deplore :
No credit he has lost on Stamboul's shore :
For he that does his best can do no more.

And had the British Lion meant that he
Should raise a voice to sound from sea to sea,
He'd but to will, for what he willed, to be.

So ends the Conference ; shall we say "for good,"
With Christian wrongs unrighted, claims withstood ?
Best not halloo, till well out of the wood.

"A Thing no Fellah can Understand."

In an article of the Cork Examiner, on the 13th ult., on the
recent Election for Sligo, we read :—

" Captain King Harman, who was yesterday returned unopposed for
Sligo, will very likely sit on the Conservative benches, though he will vote
on all Irish questions with the rest of the Home-Eulers. His family has
always been the leading Conservative power in the counties of Sligo, Long-
ford, and Boscommon, and are possessed of great territorial influence. The
new Member created a great impression in Irish politics at the time.*
Though he represents, as to property, two titles, he bears none, lie holds all
or more of the estates of his grandfather, Lord Lorton, on one side, of his
uncle, Lord Kingston, on the other."

Given the last sentence of the above, as the terms of the problem ;
required, to find what estate Captain King Harman does hold.

* Query, What time ?

What we want to see in the Navy.—The Engineer "hoisted"
not by his own petard., but by rank, pay, and consideration.