DOI Heft:
February 6, 1864
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16873#0068
60
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI
[February 6, 1864.
AWFUL APPARITION OF THE BARD AT MRS. SCRIMMiNGE’S TEA-FIGHT.
But it was only Young Flarrop, prom next door. Larking with the Bust out op the Library ; and it being the eashion to
Make Fun op dear old Shakspeare just now, the joke took immensely.
, COLNEY HATCH QUADRILLES.
Sir,
As I suppose your readers include a great many young ladies,
and young gentlemen whose ideas of diversion are in a great measure
similar to those of young ladies, whilst both the young gentlemen and
the young ladies have learned from the perusal of your pages to think,
let me invite them to exercise their reflecting powers on some facts
which must be premised by the following explanatory quotation from
the Times:—
“ The Colney Hatch Christmas Party.—Yesterday evening the managers of
the Coluey Hatch Asylum gave their annual treat to the inmates of this excellent
Institution. On former occasions we have described so fully the incidents of these
entertainments that it is hardly necessary to say more now than that this Christmas
party was, as usual, a great success. Of the 1,900 inmates of the asylum about 600,
male and female, were permitted to take part in the festivities, and to them were
added at least 300 visitors, who mingled freely in the crowd, and helped to promote
the fictitious solemnity of the occasion.”
What I wish your young friends of both sexes to ponder is the nature
of the amusements which seem to have particularly delighted the crazy
and imbecile inmates of Colney Hatch. The report above quoted con-
tinufts:—
“ The amusements provided by the visiting committee were numerous, but
though the Nigger Minstrels were loudly applauded, the troupe of Chinese jugglers
and contortionists were by far the greatest favourites. The great dining hall of the
asylum was the chief scene of the sports. At one end was erected a temporary
stage on which the various troupes engaged kept up a constant succession of
amusements.”
The intelligent readers o{Punch, male and female, may amuse them-
selves, and perhaps instruct others, by reading to those others whom
it may concern the foregoing account of the sort of fun which is
peculiarly adapted to the class of mind to which Colney Hatch affords an
asylum. They will not be surprised to find that the Nigger, Minstrels,
and the Chinese jugglers and contortionists afford a special gratification
to the demented and insane. But the succeeding statement will puzzle
them:—■
“ In the remainder there was ample space for dancing, and, to tell the truth, if
the committee had engaged two or three quadrille bands, one to succeed the other,
so as to keep up a continual succession of dance music, perhaps they would best
have consulted the general taste. With or without partners, the patients never
seemed tired of whirling round the room either to the polka or waltz measures.”
Is it possible that much as Nigger Minstrels and Chinese mounte-
banks are to the taste of lunatics and idiots, yet that insanity and
impaired intelligence find recreation still more congenial in the sparkling
music and the graceful movements of the dance ?
What philosopher will dare to propose a solution of this apparent fact
in psychology ? Not any will be hazarded by.
Yours truly,
Wall-Flower Cottage, January, 1864. Smelfungus* *
* A Box of AntibiHous Pills is left at our Office for Mr. S.—Ed.
An Apology to Shakspeare.
Apropos of all the Blundering of the '‘National Committee."
Forgive, blest Shade, the tributary sneer
With which this trading on thy fame we hiss;
Nor think we less thy honoured name revere,
Because we shrink from snobbishness like this !
LITERARY ANECDOTE.
A Savage young man known to Mr. Punch, was looking over the list
of articles in the new Quarterly, and came to “ Eels.” “ Bother,” he
said, “ there 5s no criticism now-a-days. Instead of writing about Eels,
I wish they hi skin a few.” Mr. Punch immediately ordered the savage
young man out of the room.
Improper Expression.—Let it never be said, that when a man jumps
for joy, “ his delight knows no hounds.”
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI
[February 6, 1864.
AWFUL APPARITION OF THE BARD AT MRS. SCRIMMiNGE’S TEA-FIGHT.
But it was only Young Flarrop, prom next door. Larking with the Bust out op the Library ; and it being the eashion to
Make Fun op dear old Shakspeare just now, the joke took immensely.
, COLNEY HATCH QUADRILLES.
Sir,
As I suppose your readers include a great many young ladies,
and young gentlemen whose ideas of diversion are in a great measure
similar to those of young ladies, whilst both the young gentlemen and
the young ladies have learned from the perusal of your pages to think,
let me invite them to exercise their reflecting powers on some facts
which must be premised by the following explanatory quotation from
the Times:—
“ The Colney Hatch Christmas Party.—Yesterday evening the managers of
the Coluey Hatch Asylum gave their annual treat to the inmates of this excellent
Institution. On former occasions we have described so fully the incidents of these
entertainments that it is hardly necessary to say more now than that this Christmas
party was, as usual, a great success. Of the 1,900 inmates of the asylum about 600,
male and female, were permitted to take part in the festivities, and to them were
added at least 300 visitors, who mingled freely in the crowd, and helped to promote
the fictitious solemnity of the occasion.”
What I wish your young friends of both sexes to ponder is the nature
of the amusements which seem to have particularly delighted the crazy
and imbecile inmates of Colney Hatch. The report above quoted con-
tinufts:—
“ The amusements provided by the visiting committee were numerous, but
though the Nigger Minstrels were loudly applauded, the troupe of Chinese jugglers
and contortionists were by far the greatest favourites. The great dining hall of the
asylum was the chief scene of the sports. At one end was erected a temporary
stage on which the various troupes engaged kept up a constant succession of
amusements.”
The intelligent readers o{Punch, male and female, may amuse them-
selves, and perhaps instruct others, by reading to those others whom
it may concern the foregoing account of the sort of fun which is
peculiarly adapted to the class of mind to which Colney Hatch affords an
asylum. They will not be surprised to find that the Nigger, Minstrels,
and the Chinese jugglers and contortionists afford a special gratification
to the demented and insane. But the succeeding statement will puzzle
them:—■
“ In the remainder there was ample space for dancing, and, to tell the truth, if
the committee had engaged two or three quadrille bands, one to succeed the other,
so as to keep up a continual succession of dance music, perhaps they would best
have consulted the general taste. With or without partners, the patients never
seemed tired of whirling round the room either to the polka or waltz measures.”
Is it possible that much as Nigger Minstrels and Chinese mounte-
banks are to the taste of lunatics and idiots, yet that insanity and
impaired intelligence find recreation still more congenial in the sparkling
music and the graceful movements of the dance ?
What philosopher will dare to propose a solution of this apparent fact
in psychology ? Not any will be hazarded by.
Yours truly,
Wall-Flower Cottage, January, 1864. Smelfungus* *
* A Box of AntibiHous Pills is left at our Office for Mr. S.—Ed.
An Apology to Shakspeare.
Apropos of all the Blundering of the '‘National Committee."
Forgive, blest Shade, the tributary sneer
With which this trading on thy fame we hiss;
Nor think we less thy honoured name revere,
Because we shrink from snobbishness like this !
LITERARY ANECDOTE.
A Savage young man known to Mr. Punch, was looking over the list
of articles in the new Quarterly, and came to “ Eels.” “ Bother,” he
said, “ there 5s no criticism now-a-days. Instead of writing about Eels,
I wish they hi skin a few.” Mr. Punch immediately ordered the savage
young man out of the room.
Improper Expression.—Let it never be said, that when a man jumps
for joy, “ his delight knows no hounds.”