Punch (51.1866)

BEHIND THE SCENES.

Artist. “Hullo, Jakes! How’s this? I’ve been trying to ho without you—I thought you said you couldn’t come
this Morning ? ”

Model. “So I did, Sir ! I was Engaged to Mr. Macmough, to sit for the Legs in the Dook of Hipswich’s Portrait.”
Artist. “Well?”

Model. “ Well, Sir, whiles I were a-sitt’n, the Dooic he come in quite hunexpected like ; an’ when he See me, he

SAY'S HE ’D A DEAL SOONER SlT FOR HIS LEGS HISSELF. So I COME ON STRAIGHT HERE ! ”

A PICTURE OE INTELLIGENCE.

The following is a reporter’s portrait of a gentleman as lie appeared
before a coroner’s jury charged with murder

“ The prisoner is of short stature and short build. He has a round bullet head,
thick neck, small dark eyes, and peculiarly overhanging beetle brows. His de-
meanour was throughout dodged and indifferent, but there was nothing in his
appearance to indicate an absence of a low order of intellectual faculty.”

There is an obscurity in the conclusion of the foregoing extract,
perhaps occasioned by a misprint. The statement that the prisoner’s
demeanour was dogged and indifferent is not clearly qualified by the
counterpoised remark, “ but there was nothing in his appearance^ to
indicate an absence of a low order of intellectual faculty.” Why
“ but ” ? Of course there is nothing in the appearance of any one
whose demeanour is dogged and indifferent to indicate an absence of a
low, as contradistinguished from a high, order of intellectual faculty.
It is conceivable that, on the contrary, the presence of a low order of
intellectual faculty might be indicated by something in such an one’s
appearance. But then again a dogged and indifferent demeanour is
compatible enough with intellectual faculty of a high order. If we
were told that a person’s demeanour was dogged and indifferent, but
that there was nothing in his appearance to indicate an absence or a
low order of intellectual faculty, we should then know that we were
given to understand that his appearance, for all his doggedness and
indifference of demeanour, did not betoken an absolute idiot or even a
very stupid man. Is this the opinion which the physiognomist above
quoted intended to express as to the prisoner whose personal charac-
teristics were a round bullet head, thick neck, small dark eyes, and
peculiarly overhanging beetle brows ? Did he mean to represent the
individual of whose appearance such were the distinctive specialties as
rather intelligent looking ? If so, he is the man to re-edit Lavater.

AETER THE BENEEIT.

Mr. Punch. Help yourself, Mr. Buckstone.

Mr. Buckstone. Sir, I usually do.

Mr. P. It is well. Now, my dear Buckstone, one word about one
word in your speech. Why did you begin by saying that you had
“ concluded ” to close ?

Mr. B. So I had, Sir.

Mr. P. Why “ concluded ” ?

Mr. B. The word is sanctioned by Webster.

Mr. P. Mr. Webster is an admirable Manager and a personal
friend of mine, but what have you to do with the Adelphi ?

Mr. B. Bother, I mean Webster, the American dictionary-man.

Mr. P. You supposed yourself to be American ?

Mr. B. Certainly, Our American Cousin.

Mr. P. I am answered. As Guardian of the British language I was
bound to ascertain your meaning. Take another cigar.

Mr. B. I will. (Does.)

“ What’s in a Name ? ”

The last new peer, Lord Strathnairn, appears to have been
doubtful what title he should assume. A question of no importance,
for has not Shakspeare, with his usual prescience, observed, A Rose
by any other name would smell as sweet ” ?

ONE GOOD TURN DESERVES ANOTHER.

Wthat wonder that the Kaiser has succeeded in running down the
! lie d’Italia at sea ! How long has Victor-Emmanuel been running
! down Francis-Joseph on shore ?