DOI Heft:
December 8, 1866
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16878#0238
230
[December 8 1866.
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
THE ART OF MAKING FACES.
‘Oa my Eva Please Remember the Grotto!”
anight, so as to enable him, if he chose, to perform, say, Julius Ceesar.
The theatrical world,
will be interested by
the subjoined extract
from a newspaper :—
“ Ira Aldridge.—Tbe
negro actor, Ira Ald-
ridge, has had a great
success at Versailles in
Othello—the only tragedy
he can appear in.”
He cannot appear
in Zanga, because no
audience would now
stand—that is to say,
sit out—Tlw Revenge.
But why should he
not appear in Mac-
beth, Richard the
Third, or Hamlet ?
Why not even in
Romeo and Juliet, as
Romeo? If a white
tragedian can play
Othello, why should
not a black one be
able to play Iago ? Is
whitewash less avail-
able than lamp-black ?
There is a Daughter
of Israel who keeps
continually advertis-
ing preparations by
which she professes
that she can make old
ladies beautiful for
ever. Surely, if she
can do that, she could
make Mr. Aldridge
equally beautiful for
GREATNESS AND GLORY.
We used continually to read in the news-
papers, and to hear in public speeches, that the
schoolmaster was abroad. Our journalists and
our orators have ceased to tell us that. The
schoolmaster is now no longer abroad. It is
the drill-sergeant who is abroad at present;
abroad and at home, too. “ The progress of
civilisation ” was, within man’s memory, a stock
phrase—a common heading of newspaper para-
graphs.
The newspapers contain few examples of
the progress in civilisation now. But they
contain a great many illustrations of the pro-
gress of brutalisation; and here, extracted from
a contemporary, is one of them:—
“ The Results of War.—A Berlin letter says : 1 The
following is one result of the late Prussian campaign.
Out of a total of rather more than 130,000 Berlin house-
holds 85,000, or 60 per cent., were unable to pay the
house-tax due in July. Add to this the number of families
not subject to this tax in consequeuce of the lowness of
their rents, and you will have a pretty accurate idea of
the sort of prosperity at present enjoyed by the inha-
bitants of the Prussian capital.’”
In these days, “ tremendous events,” as the
saying is, “ succeed one another with such extra-
ordinary rapidity,” that the immense event of
one day is put out of mind by that of the next.
The last grand battle swamps the memory of tbe
one that preceded it, and then its own dies away,
and, except for the few who have gained by it,
nothing of it remains but taxes, grief, and the
life-long wretchedness of mutilation. Oh yes,
there is one thing more—the consolidation of a
certain number of states into a military monarchy;
which is a fine thing for those who, as Mr.
Matthew Arnold says, have “got Geist.”
There are, perhaps, too many Philistines amongst
the ignoble British vulgar who will say, “Geist
be blowed! ”
A HINT ON HUMAN CHARCOAL.
IF DOUGHTY STREET MY LADY PLEASE.
The share and debenture holders of the London, Chatham and
Dover Railway have burnt their fingers, but nothing else ; unless, per-
haps, their debentures and shares, as waste paper. There is, however,
another line, on which, though its shareholders may rejoice in having
escaped the fire, certain passengers the other day, if indeed they were
not actually roasted alive for some time, appear to have narrowly
missed being burnt to death. In the Post of Tuesday last yon will find
the statement following :—
“ A Passenger Train on Fire.—Tbe 10'45 express from Bedford, which runs
through to London, was stopped yesterday morning near Hitchin, owing to one of
the second class carriages taking fire. The passengers were unable to attract the
attention of the guard by their united shoutings, whistlings, and banging of doors
for at least ten minutes, during which time a hole was burnt in the roof, and the
carriage filled with smoke.”
Erom this account the inference would seem to be that the occupants
of the burning carriage must have been, for the time above specified,
undergoing a culinary process, and that, if they had failed for a little
longer to attract the guard’s attention, they would soon have been
done. As, however, the fire was caused by a tarpaulin having been
blown over the lighted oil-lamp, it began in the roof, and raged over
their heads. But when fires occur in railway carriages, they will not
always break out in a convenient situation. Therefore, it is satisfactory
to know that—
‘‘Mr. Allport, the general Manager of the Midland Railway, was in the train,
and by his prompt exertions the fire was soon extinguished, aud tbe passenger's
removed to another carriage.”
If a preventible accident is to happen to a train, it cannot happen better
than to one which contains the Company’s Manager, unless it happens
to one containing the Chairman and the Directors. The Manager of the
Midland Counties will doubtless now take good care to press on the
Direction the necessity of instituting some means of communication be-
tween the passengers and the guard. If they think the thing is not to be
done, they are right—because it has been done; and an apparatus con-
trived for the purpose by Mr. Preece, the electrician, is now in use
on the London and South-Western line. If the other railway com-
panies know of any invention belter than Mr. Preece’s, let them
kindly give us the benefit of their information; if not, employ that one,
together with the London and South-Western.
SONG OF AN ACCEPTED SUITOR.
Air—“ If doughty deeds my lady please.”
WITH ALL APOLOGIES TO MR. ARTHUR SULLIVAN.
If Doughty Street my lady please,
1 ’ll choose our dwelling there,
WTence daily she can cross at ease
To Mecklenburgher’s Square.
The houses once were very swell,
And may be so again,
Despite the neighbouring noise and smell
Of Gray’s Inn’s squalid Lane.
Ere long that Lane, mis-called a Road,
The navvy’s pick will clear.
And many a tall and proud abode
Its stuccoed form shall rear.
Three Railway Stations near, one .sees.
Demand improvements fair :
If Doughty Street my lady please.
We ’ll take a mansion there.
TWIN TYRANTS.
We are shocked to read that—
“ The King of Dahomey has had another grand sacrifice. According to a letter
from Lagos, of the 10th of October, his Majesty was about to go to war with the
Ashantees, and to propitiate the gods he had ordered 200 men to be put to death.
This is the third sacrifice within the year.”
Well, he is a foul aud cruel savage, and we should all rejoice to hear
that some condemned victim had protested emphatically by cutting off
his Majesty’s head. But is Dahomey the only country which sanctions
the idiotic'practice of killing your men yourself instead of saving them
that they may kill the enemy ? Recollecting certain Crimean and Indian
stories, we are ashamed to say more against the King of Dahomey
than that there is another tyrant called The System, and that we wish
the two Molochs were in the same grave.
[December 8 1866.
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
THE ART OF MAKING FACES.
‘Oa my Eva Please Remember the Grotto!”
anight, so as to enable him, if he chose, to perform, say, Julius Ceesar.
The theatrical world,
will be interested by
the subjoined extract
from a newspaper :—
“ Ira Aldridge.—Tbe
negro actor, Ira Ald-
ridge, has had a great
success at Versailles in
Othello—the only tragedy
he can appear in.”
He cannot appear
in Zanga, because no
audience would now
stand—that is to say,
sit out—Tlw Revenge.
But why should he
not appear in Mac-
beth, Richard the
Third, or Hamlet ?
Why not even in
Romeo and Juliet, as
Romeo? If a white
tragedian can play
Othello, why should
not a black one be
able to play Iago ? Is
whitewash less avail-
able than lamp-black ?
There is a Daughter
of Israel who keeps
continually advertis-
ing preparations by
which she professes
that she can make old
ladies beautiful for
ever. Surely, if she
can do that, she could
make Mr. Aldridge
equally beautiful for
GREATNESS AND GLORY.
We used continually to read in the news-
papers, and to hear in public speeches, that the
schoolmaster was abroad. Our journalists and
our orators have ceased to tell us that. The
schoolmaster is now no longer abroad. It is
the drill-sergeant who is abroad at present;
abroad and at home, too. “ The progress of
civilisation ” was, within man’s memory, a stock
phrase—a common heading of newspaper para-
graphs.
The newspapers contain few examples of
the progress in civilisation now. But they
contain a great many illustrations of the pro-
gress of brutalisation; and here, extracted from
a contemporary, is one of them:—
“ The Results of War.—A Berlin letter says : 1 The
following is one result of the late Prussian campaign.
Out of a total of rather more than 130,000 Berlin house-
holds 85,000, or 60 per cent., were unable to pay the
house-tax due in July. Add to this the number of families
not subject to this tax in consequeuce of the lowness of
their rents, and you will have a pretty accurate idea of
the sort of prosperity at present enjoyed by the inha-
bitants of the Prussian capital.’”
In these days, “ tremendous events,” as the
saying is, “ succeed one another with such extra-
ordinary rapidity,” that the immense event of
one day is put out of mind by that of the next.
The last grand battle swamps the memory of tbe
one that preceded it, and then its own dies away,
and, except for the few who have gained by it,
nothing of it remains but taxes, grief, and the
life-long wretchedness of mutilation. Oh yes,
there is one thing more—the consolidation of a
certain number of states into a military monarchy;
which is a fine thing for those who, as Mr.
Matthew Arnold says, have “got Geist.”
There are, perhaps, too many Philistines amongst
the ignoble British vulgar who will say, “Geist
be blowed! ”
A HINT ON HUMAN CHARCOAL.
IF DOUGHTY STREET MY LADY PLEASE.
The share and debenture holders of the London, Chatham and
Dover Railway have burnt their fingers, but nothing else ; unless, per-
haps, their debentures and shares, as waste paper. There is, however,
another line, on which, though its shareholders may rejoice in having
escaped the fire, certain passengers the other day, if indeed they were
not actually roasted alive for some time, appear to have narrowly
missed being burnt to death. In the Post of Tuesday last yon will find
the statement following :—
“ A Passenger Train on Fire.—Tbe 10'45 express from Bedford, which runs
through to London, was stopped yesterday morning near Hitchin, owing to one of
the second class carriages taking fire. The passengers were unable to attract the
attention of the guard by their united shoutings, whistlings, and banging of doors
for at least ten minutes, during which time a hole was burnt in the roof, and the
carriage filled with smoke.”
Erom this account the inference would seem to be that the occupants
of the burning carriage must have been, for the time above specified,
undergoing a culinary process, and that, if they had failed for a little
longer to attract the guard’s attention, they would soon have been
done. As, however, the fire was caused by a tarpaulin having been
blown over the lighted oil-lamp, it began in the roof, and raged over
their heads. But when fires occur in railway carriages, they will not
always break out in a convenient situation. Therefore, it is satisfactory
to know that—
‘‘Mr. Allport, the general Manager of the Midland Railway, was in the train,
and by his prompt exertions the fire was soon extinguished, aud tbe passenger's
removed to another carriage.”
If a preventible accident is to happen to a train, it cannot happen better
than to one which contains the Company’s Manager, unless it happens
to one containing the Chairman and the Directors. The Manager of the
Midland Counties will doubtless now take good care to press on the
Direction the necessity of instituting some means of communication be-
tween the passengers and the guard. If they think the thing is not to be
done, they are right—because it has been done; and an apparatus con-
trived for the purpose by Mr. Preece, the electrician, is now in use
on the London and South-Western line. If the other railway com-
panies know of any invention belter than Mr. Preece’s, let them
kindly give us the benefit of their information; if not, employ that one,
together with the London and South-Western.
SONG OF AN ACCEPTED SUITOR.
Air—“ If doughty deeds my lady please.”
WITH ALL APOLOGIES TO MR. ARTHUR SULLIVAN.
If Doughty Street my lady please,
1 ’ll choose our dwelling there,
WTence daily she can cross at ease
To Mecklenburgher’s Square.
The houses once were very swell,
And may be so again,
Despite the neighbouring noise and smell
Of Gray’s Inn’s squalid Lane.
Ere long that Lane, mis-called a Road,
The navvy’s pick will clear.
And many a tall and proud abode
Its stuccoed form shall rear.
Three Railway Stations near, one .sees.
Demand improvements fair :
If Doughty Street my lady please.
We ’ll take a mansion there.
TWIN TYRANTS.
We are shocked to read that—
“ The King of Dahomey has had another grand sacrifice. According to a letter
from Lagos, of the 10th of October, his Majesty was about to go to war with the
Ashantees, and to propitiate the gods he had ordered 200 men to be put to death.
This is the third sacrifice within the year.”
Well, he is a foul aud cruel savage, and we should all rejoice to hear
that some condemned victim had protested emphatically by cutting off
his Majesty’s head. But is Dahomey the only country which sanctions
the idiotic'practice of killing your men yourself instead of saving them
that they may kill the enemy ? Recollecting certain Crimean and Indian
stories, we are ashamed to say more against the King of Dahomey
than that there is another tyrant called The System, and that we wish
the two Molochs were in the same grave.