Punch (8.1845)

As Young Aurora, with her " blaze " of light.
Into the shade throws all the pride of night.
And pales presumptuous stars, which vainly think
That every eye is on them as they blink :

So Punch, the light and glory of the time,
—His wit and wisdom brilliant as sublime,
Scares into shade Cant's hypocritic throng—
Abashes Folly, and exposes Wrong.

MRS. CAUDLE'S CURTAIN LECTURES.

INTRODUCTION.

Poor Mr. Job Caudle was one of the few men
whom Nature, in her casual bounty to women, sends
into the world as patient listeners. He was, perhaps,
in more respects than one, all ears. And these ears,
Mrs. Caudli— his lawful, wedded wife, as she
would ever and anon impress upon him, for she
was not a woman to wear chains without shaking
them — took whole and sole possession of. They
were her entire property ; as expressly made to
convey to Caudle's brain the stream of wisdom
that continually flowed from the lips of his wife, as
waa the tin funnel through which Mrs. Caudle
in vintage time bottled her elder wine. There
was, however, this difference between the wisdom
?iod the wine. The wine ".vas always sugared : the
wisdom, never. It was expressed crude from the
heart of Mrs. Caudle ; who, doubtless, trusted to
the sweetness of her husband's disposition to make
*t agree with him.

Fhiio-opbers have debated whether morning or
■ .^nL ua most conducive to the strongest and

clearest moral impressions. The Grecian sage
confessed that his labours smelt of the lamp.
In like manner, did Mrs. Caudle's wisdom smell
of the rushlight. She knew that her husband was
too much distracted by his business as toy-man
and doll-merchant to digest her lessons in the
broad day. Besides, she could never make sure
of him : he was always liable to be summoned to
the shop. Now from eleven at night until seven
in the morning, there was no retreat for him. He
was compelled to lie and listen. Perhaps there
was little magnanimity in this on the part of Mrs.
Caudle ; but in marriage, as in war, it is per-
mitted to take every advantage of the enemy.
Besides, Mrs. Caudle copied very ancient and
classic authority. Minerva's bird, the very wisest
thing in feathers, is silent all the day. So was
Mrs. Caudle. Like the owl, she hooted only at
night.

Mr. Caudle was blessed with an indomitable
constitution. One fact will prove the truth of
this. He lived thirty years with Mrs. Caudle,