Punch (94.1888)

April 21, 1888.] PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI._ 185

OUR BOOKING-OFFICE.

Long-expected come at last, and just now all the rage,
" Mister and Mrs. Bancroft both On and Off the Stage.
Two Volumes, on their pages will all eyes be fixed intently.
The binding is ecoentric, and the Publisher is Bentley.

I dropped into poetry quite naturally, as may be gathered
from the easy flow of the verse and facile rhythm; hut Woa,

sensational as the title would lead you to suppose. But it is a good story
well, picturesquely, and dramatically told.

An interesting and amusingly written little book—still little, though
revised and enlarged by the author—is Mr. Blades' The Enemies of
Books. Poor Books I What a variety of foes they have had, from their
own authors downwards, and still have. There is one chapter devoted to
the Bookworm, which is_ naturally historically interesting to the present
writer; and 1, moi qui parle, protest against our family title being
included among the names of those who are "the enemies of books."

Good Books are, indeed., the Diet of ."Worms, for the Book "Worms family
are great devourers and digesters of books. And why ?—because we love
them. On my father's side I belong to the journal-devourers, or paper-
eating species. My sire was Sir Pebtinax Anobitjm. His father was the
Erudite Anobium:, and his grandfather justly celebrated everywhere as
the Paniceum. My mother was the charming, severely critical, witty, and
accomplished CEcophoba Psetjdospbetella, with Greek and Hebrew blood
in her veins. She could attack books—alwayB justly. But none of the
real worms were ever associated with the extinct grubs of Grub Street.
This is the parentage of which I am justly proud, tracing it back, as I
can, to the Ark, in the Arkives of which House-boat there were several
most valuable works on navigation and natural history. If the "Weritable

" Turn and Turn about."

Pegasus!" or, if he doesn't ""Woa," he may come to grief.
Fascinating book Les Bancboet have produced. The arrange-
ment is excellent. It reminds me of one of those duologue
entertainments where the lady comes on the stage first, and
does her speech, and solo; then exit " She," and enter on the
other side "He," who immediately gives his speech, his solo,
and then exit "He." Re-enter She; to Her enter He:
dialogue, duet, dance, and exit one of them, and so on, until
the final duet, and curtain. Most of it is mirth-moving;
here and there is a touch of genuine pathos; all is interesting,
and the narrative is directed throughout by the best possible
taste. To quote one of our national modern ballads,—
" They wouldn't hurt a baby,

They 're a pair as you can trust."

But the publication of this book is a death-blow to a great
many theatrical raconteurs. It gives to the world nearly all
the stories which were the property of a select few, and an
annuity to their privileged possessors in the way of dinner-
parties for many years past. Directly that storehouse of
professional anecdote, Muggins McMtmmiok:, shall at any
time hereafter commence one of his many excellent stories
about the amusing Comedian Bob Romeb, he will be imme-
diately interrupted by his fellow-guests with cries of, " Oh,
yes, we've read that in the Bancbofts' Book." There is only
one chance left for him, and that is to introduce his stock-in-
trade by first mentioning the Busy B.'s Book, and then giving
his own version of their stories, affecting to set them right on
various points. The Bancbojts' reminiscences have already
run to three editions. Who started the Reminiscensing
Craze ? " Kettle began it"—that is Edmundus Mundi, and
his volumes went off like steam. There were many others:
and then came Fbtth's. Now I hear that Mr. Tooie is going
to publish his reminiscences, which Mr. Joseph Hatton is
Boswelling for him. The publishing season of 1887 and 1888
will be known as " Sacred to the Memories." Mr. R. Coeney
Gbaxn has just concluded a short series of entertaining auto-
biographical anecdotes in Murray's Magazine. "Mubbat
come up, forsooth! go to I " "Why did he bring them to so
abrupt a termination ? But perhaps he did it on Mr. Welter's
epistolary principle of " pulling up with a jerk," and then the
reader " wishes as there were more of it."

I mentioned Joseph Boswell-Hatton just now ; I '11 do
so again; for the sake of telling anyone who may be going a
railway journey, that he will get quite sixty per cent, of
interest out of his outlay of one shilling in purchasing The
Abbey Murder, at "W. H. Smith's bookstall. It is not so

"Worms had been the enemies of books, where would have been the
Papyri now? I enclose my photo, taken of me some time since by
Dr. LlNNiEUS Sahbobnius, and am, Yours, most "Wormly,

_The Babon de Book "Wobms.

NEWS OF THE HOUSE OF SAVOY.
It was recently rumoured that Mr. Geoege Gbossmith, so long one of
the " props " and ornaments of the Savoy Theatre, was about to withdraw
from D'Oyley Cabte's Company, and take a Theatre for himself—and for
an audience; as his modesty compelled him to admit (what would he "not
admitted after seven" and "bonnets not allowed")—that he, by himself,
could not fill the entire theatre. At first no reason was assigned for this
rash act, but he has lately stated that he had for some time suspected his
Manager of being in treaty with Mr. Geoege Jokin G-sch-n, the Comic
Chancellor, who, it must be owned, would be a dangerous rival of Mr. G. G.
in the eccentric Opera and Short Entertainment line. Mr. D. Caete has
explained that he was only corresponding with the Comic Chancellor on the
question of taxes, and wanted to know if a "Gee Gee" retained on his
establishment would be considered as a " Pleasure Horse." Geoege Jokin
immediately replied that he wa3 sure a Cabte could not get on without a
Gee-Gee, and so the tax would not apply. Handshaking all round, and
everyone satisfied.