Punch (62.1872)

March 9, 1872.]

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

99

FAINT RECOLLECTIONS OF THE 27th.

THANKSGIVING DAY.

{From a Specially Incompetent Correspondent.)

Deae Me. Punch,

When, in your charmingly courteous way, you allotted to
me a front seat on your beautifully decorated Leads, that I might

versed with as much liveliness as could be expected from a person
who had offered his family £10 if they would let him stay away
from the Show, but his only artistic remark was, that some crows in
one of the Park trees looked very black against the sky, and that
they had got up there to see the Show for nothing.

Little that was interesting occurred as we crossed the Parks,
except that my friend threw an empty cigar-light box away, and it

witness the Procession on Thanksgiving Day, you gracefully said \ hit a policeman, who at first looked at him in a savage manner, but
that you hoped I would favour you with some sort of report of the j then seemed to recognise him, from which I drew inferences of
proceedings. On my representing that my share of the proceedings : my own.

would probably be limited to entertaining the ladies around me with 1 When we had got a good way along the Embankment, we were
brilliant conversation, and to partaking of your hospitality in the stopped by a group of police, and informed that we could go no
way of refreshments at every possible opportunity, you epigrammati- farther. Why, we could not comprehend, as there was no other
cally replied " Shut up ! " I assumed this to mean that you were vehicle between us and Blackfriars Bridge. But on my displaying
unconvinced by my argument, and I intimated this. You rejoined your credentials, the officers became most polite, deeply regretted
that an account by a single close and accurate observer of incidents that we could not go on, but we had reached the City, into which no
that came under his own eyes was worth more than any general j carriages must pass. But they offered to carry us forward on
description, which would be amply supplied by the newspapers, i stretchers: such was their courtesy. This proposal we declined, not
When you pointedly added, " No ' copy,' no card," I felt that the liking to take them off duty. Therefore we walked on, and thread-
discussion had terminated. j ing divers sinuous lanes, found ourselves at the foot of St. Bride's

I will therefore inform you, with as much brevity as is consistent, Tower,
with exactness, of what I did and saw on Thanksgiving Day. St. Bride's Church was destroyed in the Great Fire, and the

My suburban residence was quitted by me at 9'30. I had pre- present building, one of Ween's master-pieces, was completed in
viously partaken of a moderate breakfast, consisting of several chops, 1^03 at the cost of £11,430. The steeple was struck by lightning in
a few sausages, and some marmalade, with admirably strong coffee. 1"6L Wtnkin de Woede, the famous printer, was buried in the
Kindling an excellent cigar (your own gift, or at least taken from old church. So was Maey Feith, better known as " Moll Cutpurse."
your own box), I entered an open carriage, and proceeded towards Cuell's Corinna is here. But doubtless you know all these things,
Hyde Park. I was accompanied by a member of the Royal Aca- and many others. I have but just discovered the facts, in a scarce
demy, whose companionship I had solicited, partly for the charm of 1 volume called the Handbook of London, published by Me. Mtjeeay.
his variegated conversation ; partly because I thought that his artis- i As my friend could be of no further use to me, I here lost sight of
tic eye would detect any pictorial combinations which might deserve him, and obtained the delightful sitting which you had allotted tome
my notice. In the first respect I was not disappointed, for he con- | upon your Leads. Like the Claimant, I am delicate about alluding