Punch: Punch (32.1857)

May 30, 1857.]

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

221

OUR OWN ViVANDlERE.

of these numbers now, old and worn and frayed by
many a strong hand brought low by the Russian bullet
or pestilence. It shared the high populaiity of the Illus-
trated London News, and remembering these old times, it
stirs the heart of Mother SeacjLe like the sound of the
old war-cry she may never hear again, to find her poor
name noticed in the columns which cheered on England
to a noble contest.

"And more than this. Mother SEACOi.Ein this, her
season of want—for the Peace which brought blessings to
so many ruined her—feels that the notice of her good soa
Punch brings sunshine into the poor little room—not
quite a garret yet, thank God, she has one more weary
story to climb before her pallet rests so near the sky—to
which she is reduced.

" Not that tke army's mother murmurs at her lot. She
knows that she is not flung aside like—like some of the
brave men for who9e blood there is no further need ; and
she believes there will yet be work for her to do some-
where. Terhaps in China, perhaps on some other distant
shore to which Englishmen go to serve their country,
there may be woman's work to do—and for that work if
her good son Punch will cheer her on old Mother Sea-
cole has a heart and hands left yet."

"14, Soho Square, May, 8, 1857."

It will be evident, from the foregoing, that
Mother Seacole has sunk much lower in the
world, and is also in danger of rising much
higher in it, than is consistent with the honour
of the British army, and the generosity of the
British public. Both will be disgraced if
Mother Seacole, by reason of declining circum-
stances, should have to ascend into a garret.
Although she has a heart and hands left yet
to help herself, in case of opportunity, the
opportunity may never arrive: in the mean-
while, has England no heart left to help her?
Hands England has plenty to help her, if there
are any hearts to move them, and put them into
pockets containing more money than the pro-
prietors thereof know how to employ for any
praiseworthy purpose. Who would give a guinea
Mr. Punch begs to lay before his innumerable readers the following letter. It will no to see a mimic sutler-woman, and a foreigner,
doubt be remarked that the writer says many more than two words for him, and hardly frisk and amble about the stage, when he might
one for herself; but Mr. Punch does not omit the former, because they are inseparably bestow the money on a genuine English one,
linked with the latter:— reduced to a two-pair back, and in imminent

Mother Seacole loves to acknowledge the kindness shown her by her sons, whether in black or red danger of being obliged to climb into an attic ?
coats, and hastens to assure Punch that she hag long felt a mother's affection for him. For she remembers a
time when a word of cheer and encouragement from home broke like a ray of golden bunlight through the
gloom of a suffering army, and that word Punch never failed to give her soldier sons. Nor has she forgotten

how—as sbe walked through the wards of the hospital at Spring Hill, her arms laden with papeis, the con- pAriTw'c. RinnicT t TWtct?t! a-r v

tributions of kind officers to their sick men, the sufferers would plead for a glimpse of Punch, which seldom rADDX S^-DKiAJOAhi, j_jUJNCM, .uijnjnJilt, a^
failed to have a heart-stirring piece of poetry or a noble sketch in appreciation of their struggles. She has some I dupper.— Semper Praties.

Tr„ upon which Du. Hamilton, Bishop op Salisbury, based his oppo-

PlJNCR'S ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT. sitionto the bill; namely, that people, if they were Christians, were

„, 1D 7 ; m. „ ,. bound to forgive one another all offences whatsoever. Where does

May 18 Monday. Ihe Queen sent a message to Parliament to say [ tnis priest come from p He clearly fallen upon the wrong age.

that her eldest daughter was engaged, and suggesting that somethin_
should be done to set up the young couple. Parliroient received the
message very affably, and, at the end of the week, with all sorts of
kind speeches, gave the bride £40,000 down, and £8,000 a-year for
what Mr. Punch trusts will be a long and happy life.

The Lord Chancellor introduced, once more, the Bill for reform-
vig the system of proving Wills. The proctors are not to be compen-
sated, but are to have the right of exclusive practice in the new will
courts. These astute gentlemen will not materially suffer by the

Such a doctrine might be all very well in the early days of Christianity,
when its professors had to set examples to the heathen, or it might
do for some outlandish place, where society has no claims upon one ;
but it is perfectly preposterous if advanced as a rule for our_ conduct
in these times. We had fancied that Bishops were men of this world,
but Dr. Hamilton is a painful exception, and if he would exchange
the See of Salisbury for some missionary station in a distant country,
his order would cease to suffer by his ridiculous teaching. Mr. Punch
was happy to see that t he first law officer of the Crown sanctioned no

change—where there's a Will there's a way for a proctor to pocket suca Arcadian nonsense, and though " not pretending to interpret
pickings. People are to be allowed to send their wills to an office ; Scripture," declared that it was not possible for a husband really to
m London, to be taken care of until wanted, so that from and after the ! pardon an erring wife. Some of the Lords, lay and clerical, were
passing of the Act a discouragement will be given to the novelist or very emphatic against facditating divorce, on the'eurious ground that
dramatist, who is always finding wills in old clocks, in secret drawers, 1 if you enabled a man to get rid of a bad wife you taught him to hold
behind looking-glasses, in cast-off boots, and other places where safety ; the sacredness of the marriage tie in light esteem. The Duke op
is not so much an object as mystifying one's family and creating a Norfolk as a Catholic, contended that marriage was indissoluble,
"situation.3' ■• : and gave notice that he should try to shelve the bill. This comes of

Colonel JNorth pitched into Wiscount W illiams tor vditymg the Catholic Emancipation—we set these people free, and they seek tc
Army, which the noble Wiscount denied having done ; but proceeded ! impose chains on us. If his Grace carries his motion, Mr. Punch
to accuse military men generally of trying to impose heavy expenses on ! meanS to petition for a repeal of the Act of '29. The Archbishop
the nation, for the purpose of promoting their own interests. To the j 0i. Canterbury and the Bishop of London voted for reform, and
pachydermatous Wiscount this kind of conduct seems a meie trick of indeed with the exception of a Bishop or two (Oxford for one)
trade, and it is not vilification to charge gentlemen with it. General the minority list is composed of the names of the feeblest creatures

Codrington stood up for General Ashburnham, and then the Navy
Estimates were taken. Sir Charles Wood obtained 53,700 men and
boys, and about five millions and a half of money.

Tuesday. The only tolerable debate of the week aiose in the Lords,
on the Divorce Bdl. The second reading was moved by the Lord
Chancellor, supported by Lord Lyndhurst and Lord Campbell,
and opposed by divers Bishops, a majority of the hierarchy, however,
voting m its favour. All the arguments were old enough, except one,

in the House of Lords. The second reading was carried by 47
to 18.

The Commons did one foolish and one wise thing. They rejected,
by 221 to 86, Mr. Dillwyn's bill for trying whipcord, instead of a
comfortable and costly imprisonment, upon scoundrels who beat and
illtreat women and chddren : and they carried, by 313 to 174, a motion
for abolishing Minister's Money (an objectionable church-rate, for
which an advantageous substitution is made) in Ireland.