Punch: Punch (97.1889)

182

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

[October 19, 1889.

TRANSVAAL TRANSFORMATION; OR, THE COLONIAL CINDERELLA.

“ There are not wanting those who prognosticate a future for Johannesburg which is positively blinding in its brilliancyThey promise a million
inhabitants in five years, an output of gold which shall gild the whole world, a commercial importance threatening the established trade-centres of the
old world, and a political and social position second to no city in Africa, North or South.”—Daily News on the Gold discovery in the Transvaal.

0 hills, 0 valley! I rise, I rally. A ra-

diant squadron of golden birds
Of aureate feather all nock together in vision
bright, which my soul engirds.

1 who was down now wear a gown of lustre

not to be limned in words.

Swinburne sweet poet, you did not know it,
when singing lately m words of flame
Of South Coast splendour in tropes so tender,
or else I’m sure you’d have changed the
name

Of your poem new, and have told—’ tis true!
—South Afric’s title to flaming fame.

Cinderella sings:—

0 goodness gracious! is it veracious, this tale
of Ophir the New that’s told ?

At Treasure Island I now may smile, and
say Stevenson’s fancy was brave and
bold.

But at this minute he is not in it with Trans-
vaal Truth and my Tale of Gold.

My Golden Treasure I ’ll delve at leisure, but
for the moment I’m mad with joy ;

I’m all a-flutter, I scarce can utter the
thoughts that fill me. My gold-decoy

Will draw all mortals to my new portals, I ’ll
witch the rich, and the poor employ.

0 Rider Haggard, your wit was. laggard;

yea, even yours, I am sore afraid :

Your great romances may fill man’s fancies,
but I am as real as Truth, or Trade,

And I you’ll see am dark Afric’s She, the
real, “She who must he obeyed /”

Miss Kilmansegg with her Golden Leg, was
a poor attraction compared with Me.

My Fairy Godmother is Gold! No other
will mortal look at when her they

1 ’m Cinderella, but not prunella, or voir,

or glass shall my slippers be.