Punch: Punch (11.1846)

238

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

LECTURE ON TIGHT LACING.

YOU are aware, young ladies, that by means of tight
lacing, the waist of the female figure may be made
to vie with that of the wasp, and to resemble the
form of an hour-glass, or the letter X ; thus very
much improving its appearance. You have seen,
perhaps, the statue of the Venus de Medicis ;
and you know what a fright of a figure it l£ts, in
consequence of the model from Avhich it was taken
evidently never having worn a corset.

The rose, however, is never without the thorn ;
the most agreeable evening party has its draw-
backs. And so there are, unhappily, some unplea-
sant results consequent on compression, at the
expense of which a slender waist is purchased.

The circulating fluid, from a disagreeable law
of nature, is forced up into the head. The colour j J^ure? as" aYnet"te™itmg VouTd thenceforth
of the fluid is rosy, as you know. The delicate health attendant on tight lacing forbids nothing more than a dead letter. In that case it

might be turned into a central terminus for all the
wires, and any one found bagging a letter by means
of false wires should be taken up for poaching.

THE COMPLETE LETTER-WRITER,

Since the Electric Telegraph is being extended
everywhere, Ave think it might be laid down, like the
water and the assessed taxes, to every house. By
these means a merchant would be able to correspond
with his factors at sea-towns—a lawyer would com-
municate with his agents in the country—and a
doctor would be able to consult with his patients
without leaving his fireside. What a revolution, too,
it would create in the polite circles ! Mrs. Smith,
when she was giving an evening party, would " re-
quest the pleasure" of her hundred guests by
pulling the electric telegraph, and the "regrets"
and "much pleasures" would be sent to Mrs.
Smith in the same way. This plan of correspon-
dence would have one inestimable blessing—all ladies'
letters would be limited to five lines, and no opening
afterwards for a postscript.

If this plan of Electric Telegraphs for the million
should be carried out, the Post Office will become a

it maketh ankles and feet to swell.

AN ARTIST'S STRUGGLES.

In a case that came before one of the police magis-
trates a few days ago, one of the parties was an artist
who had entered the pit of the Victoria Theatre to
do a little business between the acts by taking like-
nesses of any of the audience. This plan of having
a portrait painter going his rounds during the inter-
vals of the performance, to take full faces or profiles,
will certainly add quite a new feature to our theatri-
cal entertainments. Perhaps it would be better, in
order to save trouble, that the artist and the fruit
seller should be the same individual. His cry would
of course be " Apples, oranges, nuts, portraits, bill of
the play." In the more enlightened region of the
boxes, the exclamation would be refined into " Soda
water, miniature, ginger-beer, profile, or stout ?"
There may be some difficulty in a crowded theatre
to recognise the artist, and it might, therefore, be as
well that he should be permitted to exliibit a placard
between the pieces as an advertisement to the whole
it maketh r.ed the nose. i auc}ience. Perhaps in the present violent compe-
tition between the lessees of some of the smaller
it to adorn the cheek and accordingly it is transferred to the nose ; which its tint does theatres, the right of having one's portrait taken
not adorn by any means. Within the circle of ^ \ ^\ ?.e deluded in the price of admission. A
, . ^^^E^gss* JfcSK capital line could be made at the top of a v ictoria
the waist are comprised certain plaguy vessels, w^lm bill by the words_

whose freedom from pressure is unfortunately re- ~—41 ' ^^JL^ ! " Three new pieces and a portrait in one night! !

quired. When they are subject to any obstruction, x \ I //| 7^7^ Combined attraction. Powerful effects. Striking

„_ .i , , , . ,. ^ ( ' J\« likenesses. New melodrama and a profile at half-

as tney are by close lacing, there is a vexatious III, • I)- ■ a t"

[j l^ufQsSbOi \ I\ i price •

tendency in the ankles to swell ; and the worst is, -~ T^llik lf the system should be continued, we may expect

that a tight shoe only renders the disfigurement \ s,\is\t t^A'illli v y ill 11 IT Hi t0

see a row of the pit, immediately behind the stalls,
the more conspicuous 11 ^O^^ ll^l] ' partitioned off into studios. By the aid of the chan-

Young ladies have'also some tiresome muscles, W > V Vl \\\\^y}-^^i\\ J^r photographic portraits could be taken in
. . M (\ SSwraWr^*! //fri.^jhlfml;'1 the gallery. This will be an excellent method of

whose support is necessary to the spine. Their #% AUiMi^W making the drama the means of fulfilling its most

power is destroyed—what a pity this is!—by \\U5^kU[\\ ■^^a^^v^T ^SmSe; legitimate object, by showing "Vice its own image

tight stays ; and then the back assumes a curva- . \\^^^^^Ww^ /' \ j wife and ^ tne photographic process should be intro-

tnrp ti..... „• . , , I ligSSahrO'^/ \ TOH duced, there would be a realisation of the idea that

i a I 8 ° llliii// W/A^Jll the theatre is the place for "holding the mirror

slender and straight ! WBSS'titf'/ j up to nature,

Comfort must also be sacrificed to elegance ; and

the reduction of the waist occasions giddiness and KTlffii M^'W^^^ /^§\|ip|i§~^ experientia docet.

headach. This perhaps alone would be a trifle ; ^ffllWJ^^]^S$^ A book has just been published, under the title

but lacing involves short life : and as the con- -"^^yifll^ru^^-^-"\ of Drau9hts M the Million. We suppose these

tracted figure suggests a resemblance to the hour- "^g^Z!draughts are made attainable by opening the door

glass, the hour-glass suggests a warning to the —" f° lea!ning- .„ If they are thorough draughts, we

s ' , „ 6 60 8 LO 1 e hone thev will answer the author s purpose of raising
contracted figure. THE hands inxrease -

the wind.

Diplomatic.—It is whispered in the best informed French circles that a new Peer
ot Prance will represent Louis-Philippe at the English court : Baron de Broom et
Vaux.

Printed by William Bradbury, of No. 6, York ^■vSt0%^^^J^
Frederick MuUen i^aos, of No. ; Church Row .^ole Newineton
both in the County of Middlesex^ Printers at " °*c£ ^j0™
bard Street, in the Precinct of Whitefnars. in the City of >fx*°F£
and published by them, at No. 85 Fleet Street in the J^'bof St.
Brides, in the City of London 64tubdai. Decembi* a, .846.