Punch: Punch (101.1891)

220 PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [November 7, 1891.

THE TRAVELLING COMPANIONS.

No. XIII.

SCENE—A hundred yards or so from the top of Monte Generoso,
above Lake Lugano. Celchard, who, with a croiod of other
excursionists, has made the ascent by rail, is toiling up the steep
and very slippery slope to the summit.

Culchard (to himself as he stops to pant). More climbing! I
thought this line was supposed to go to the top ! But that's Italian
all over—hem—as Podbery would say ! Wonder, by the way, if he
expected to be asked to come with me. I 've no reason for sacrificing
myself like that any longer! {He sighs.) Ah, Htpatia, if you
could know what a dreary disenchanted blank you have made of my

Third T. (a British Matron, with a talent for incongruity). Yes,
dear, very—quite worth coming all this way for, but as I was telling
you, we've always been accustomed to such an evangelical service,
so that our new Rector is really rather—but we 're quite friendly of
course ; go there for tennis, and he dines with us, and all that. Still,
I do think, when it comes to having lighted candles in broad

daylight-(<§'C, fyc.)

Fourth T. (an equally incongruous American). Wa'al, yes,
they show up well, cert'nly, those peaks do. But I was about to re-
mark, Sir, I went to that particular establishment on Fleet Street. I
called for a chop. And when it came, I don't deny I felt dis-
appointed, for the plate all around was just as dry—/ But the
moment I struck a fork into that chop. Sir,—well, the way the gravy
just came gushing out was—there, it ain't no use me trying to put it

life! And I who believed you capable of appreciating such devotion in words ! But from that instant, Sir, I kinder realised the peculiar

charm of your British chop

A Voice behind. My ! If I don't know that back I '11 just give up !
How've you been getting along all this time, Mr. Celchard ?

Culch. (turning). Miss Trotter ! A most delightful and—er—
unexpected meeting, indeed '

Fifth T. (a discontented Teuton). I exbected more as zis. It is nod
glear enough—nod at all. Zey dolt me from ze dop you see Milan. I
look all aroundt. Severe I see Milan! And I lief my obera-glass
behint me in ze drain, f and I slib on ze grass and sbrain my mittle

Miss Trotter. Well, we came up on the cars in front of yours, finger, and altogedder I do not vish I had com.

We've taken rooms at the hotel up Miss T. (presenting Celchard to

here. Poppa reckoned the air would \^ -^r- Cyrus K. T.). I guess you've

be kind of fresher on the top of tins f"\ jmsS^W m--t this gentleman before !

mountain, and I don't believe but / ^ wttBEsZBk -!//•. T. Well now, that's so. I

what he's right either. I guess I v_ ls#y^%$t&\ lP§Pf«flj\ didn't just reckon I'd meet him again

shall want another hairpin through W^MTM^yV^^^^ V~ all this way above the sea-level though,

my hat. And are you still going S^k'^Mi^fii^^'M^'W/ I ;-^\ but I'm just as pleased to see him.

around with Mr. Podbery? As in- ^^^mm^T^^E^C ^ flc^ Rode up on the cars, I presume, Sir!"

separable as ever, I presume ? yMfz? ' 'W^. ^t~^^=s\ Tolerable hilly road all the way, ain't

Culch. Er — about as inseparable. W ^^^^^M^^^T^wirr1- t> \ it now ? There cann't anybody say we

That is, we are still travelling to- ^^^pf^mSmj^' ^sm^^^rji- hain'made the most of our time since

gether—only, on this particular after- -Jw/m^^ yo\i left us. Took a run over to Ber-

noon- fl'Smm '' ' '' //£*''M lin; had two hours and a haff in that

Miss. T. He went and got mislaid? 4j|£Hpt-/- ' 'i' ? city, and I dunno as I keered about

I see. He used to stray considerable iwMfw' ' A making a more pro-tracted visit,

over in Germany, didn't he P Well, SHiWm' c# •' ; Went right through to Yi-enna, saw

I'm real pleased to see you anyway. f \|$^Mfsj?' // j round Yi-enna. 1 did want, being so

And how s the poetry been panning /f^M'i *V'" J( near, to just waltz into Turkey and see

out? I hope you've had a pretty good -u^^^Mfw -A that. But I guess Turkey'11 have to

yield of sonnets ? -Q, '''/"■■^^^mWw^ J-^ ] keep till next time. Then back again

Culch. (to himself). She's really ':^2M^J^§f^F '' ./ into Switzerland, for I do seem to have

grown distinctly prettier. She might Js^^'-fe-Sp^^* kinder taken a fancy to Switzerland,

show a little more feeling, though, - \i< ' I'd like to have put in more time

considering we were almost, if not ---\. f;j-^ V^f" there, and we stayed best part of a

quite— Aloud.) So you remember . •y ^w ... week too! But Italy's an interesting

my poor poems? I'm afraid I have ^^K^- < 4i^tlMv'■ place. Yes. ['m getting considerable

not been very—er—prolific of late. ~<^iflifili interested in Italy, so far as I've got.

Miss T. You don't say! I should

think you'd have had om to show for ^ d/<>.v T. You do beaf anything for

every day, with the date to it, like a v---.,,'.' tvfjMlM \\ mixing up places, Father. And you

new-laid egg. A_^--^-':-ii^' ' ^iffi^V \ m. don't want to be letting yourself loose

Culch. Birds don't lay—er—I mean 011 CnxcHARD this way. You'd

they don't sing, in the dark. My light ^Hfflfcd l-CT better go and bring Mr. VAN Boo-

has been—er—lacking of late. jPw^ v< I f) V- / deler along; he's round somewhere.

Miss T. If that's intended for me, ^ ~ ■'d^Wfm 1 /A'' Mr- T- 1 ^° like sun"in" oft' wlien

you ought to begin chirping right ____ '^^^^^^0 v / vj I meet a friend ; but I'll shutdown,

away. But you're not going to tell \. \J Maed, I'11 shut down,

me you've been "lounjun round en ■~*"^0> u Miss T. Oh, there you are, Charley!

surTerin' " like-wasn't it Uncle Be- t« Struggling * Lth a long printed Panorama." Come right here, and be introduced to

mus s Brer Terrapin.? (Catching C. s 7^ Mr. Celchard. He s a vurry mtel-

looh of bewilderment.) What, don't you know Uncle Remits ?

Culch. (politely). Mr. Trotter is the only relation of yours I have
had the pleasure of meeting, as yet.

3fiss T. Why, I reckoned Uncle Remus was pretty most every-
body's relation by now. He's a book. But likely you've no use for
our national humorous literature ?

Culch. I—er—must confess I seldom waste time over the humorous
literature of any nation.

Miss T. I guess that accounts for your gaiety ! There, don't you
mind me, Mr. Cdxchard. But suppose we hurry along and inspect
this panorama they talk so much of; it isn't going to be any side-
show. It's just a real representative mass-meeting of Swiss moun-
tains, with every prominent peak in the country on the platform, and
a deputation down below from the leading Italian lakes. It's ever
so elegant,—and there's Poppa around on the top too.

On the top. Tourists discovered making more or less appropriate

remarks.

First Tourist (struggling with a long printed panorama, which
flaps like a sail). Grand view, Sir, get 'em all from here, you see!

Monte Rosa, Matterhorn, Breithorn-

[Works through them all conscientiously, until, much to every-
body's relief, his panorama escapes into space.
Second T. (a lady, with the air of a person making a discovery).
How wonderfully small everything looks down below!

ligent man. My cousin, Mr. Charles Yan Boodeler,—Mr. Cel
chard. Mr. Yax Boodeler's intelligent too. He's going to write
our great National Amurrcan novel, soon as ever he has time for
it. That's so, isn't it ? .

Mr. V. B. (a slim, pale young man, with a cosmopolitan air and
a languid drawl). It's our most pressing national need, Sir, and I
have long cherished the intention of supplying it. I am collecting
material, and, when the psvchological moment arrives, I shall write
that novel. And I believe it will be a big thing, a very big thing;
I mean to make it a complete compendium of every phase of our great
and complicated civilisation from State to State and from shore to
shore. [Celchard bows vaguely.

3Iiss T. Yes, and the great'Amurrcan public are going to rise up
in their millions and boom it. Only I don't believe they'd better
start booming just yet, till there 'a something more than covers to
that.1 novel. And how you're going to collect material for an
Amurrcan novel, flving round Europe, just beats me !

Mr. V. B. (icith superiority). Because you don't realise that it s
precisely in Europe that I find my best American types. Our
eitizens'show up better against a European background,—it excites
and stimulates their nationality, so to speak. And again, with a
big subject like mine, you want to step back to get the proper focus.
Xow I'm stepping back.

Miss T. I guess it's more like skipping, Charley. But so long
as you're having a good time ! And here's Mr. Celchard will fax