Punch (70.1876)

May 20, 1876.]

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

207

"FAT, FAIR, AND FORTY."

Mamma.. " A Penny fob, your Thoughts, Ethel ! "

Ethel. " Oh, I was thinking about what the Clergyman said about our all being

Weighed in the Balance, you know, and—and-"

Mamma. "And what, Love?"

Ethel. " Well—that you and Papa avouldn't be found Wanting I"

THE REAL THING AT LAST !

" An Extraordinary Sea Monster, resembling
the sea-serpent, was encountered by the P. and
0. steamer Hydaspes on her voyage from Bom-
bay to Aden. The creature was discovered early
one morning to be following the vessel, and was
seen, says a correspondent of the Bombay Ga-
zette, by every one on board except the captain.
It was composed of a dark mass looking like
tangled seaweed, 20 or 30 feet long, and 10 feet
wide, crowned by a huge black head, with a flat
top, like a toad, a thick fringe of reddish hair
over the mouth, and bright copper-hued scintil-
lating eyes. The monster followed peaceably
enough till aroused by the cries of some children,
when it raised itself out of the water, gave a
hideous bellow, and aimed three blows at the
mainmast. The last touched the mast, making
the ship sway violently, and the monster imme-
diately disappeared, leaving not even a ripple on
the water. The correspondent declares the crea-
ture, could not have been a serpent, and gives his
name as a warrant of good faith."-—News of the
Bay.

. Sir,—No doubt, owing to your having
taken a deep interest in the last sea-
serpent, you will be overwhelmed with
letters, speculating- upon the nature of
the one alleged to have been seen by the
passengers of the P. and O. steamship
Hydaspes in last March. I take leave to
anticipate futile conjecture, by pointing
out that the "thing" so eloquently de-
scribed by the Rev. Mr. Strong in his
letter to the Bombay Gazette, can be no
other than the Jahberwock, whose name
and habits are now so familiar to us all.

No doubt the unwillingness of the Cap-
tain of the ship to face the hideous monster,
may be accounted for by the fact that he
couldn't find a " vorpal blade " on the spur
of the moment.

I am, Sir, 3Tours obediently,

Thomas Longbow.

A Big- Fish.

A telegram from Rome announces that
the Pope has received Sir Salar Jung,
though only as Prime Minister of Hyder-
abad, not as a convert. It does not appear
that the Fisherman has as yet had the
happiness of hooking this considerable
Indian Salmo Salar.

following the hold of Virginia, falls through the open door, while
Bella lies helpless and gasping, with the brown, crisp, curly,
pomaded locks in her hand, which had but now glistened on the
head of her lover, Percy Shortwynd.

Virginia lays her cold, white hand on his shining head, and
bending down her white neck in a despondent attitude, strokes it
with mournful reproachfulness. She is sad, even in the moment of
her great victory, she is sad. Was it for this she had played, and
won ?

" I can soon get a new one," he murmurs, biting his lips.

" Come," says Virginia, drawing herself up to her stately height,
and taking Percy Shortwynd with her. Bella followed him with
her large, mournful eyes, as he was thus taken up by his affianced
bride, until he disappeared.

" Oh my wig ! " she heard him utter, faintly, as he was lost to
her view. Then, with a great cry, and with the very little wool
that had so lately come from the Honourable Percy's head, she
threw herself despairingly into a tank ; and the Fishkeeper, one
hour later, entering, found her wailing in the Aquarium.

"Promise me," she said, piteously, falling upon and kissing his
broad shoulder, '' promise me that I shall not catch it, and I will
hook it."

The Fishkeeper had a light figure, and a small, questioning,
retrousse face.

" I'm a married man, Miss," he said, drawing himself up to his
full height with an appearance of calmness, " with a family ; but,"
he added, relenting a little, as her white, plump, blue-veined hand
unexpectedly strikes his first blue, then black eye, " I will see you
to the railway station ? "

" Will you not see me further first ? " she asked, imploringly.

I will," he answered ; and so they passed out into the quiet
street, and onward to the sleeping station, where, true to his pro-
mise, he not only took her ticket, but accompanied her up to the
house of the Rev. Thomas Hassock, where, lifting his hat stiffly
and politely, he bade her farewell, and returned by the next train.

Then she went up-stairs, to where poor Thomas Hassock was
lying, and entered his room.

" You telegraphed for me ? " she said.

But poor, wan, wasted Tommy did not hear her ; he was lying in
bed and playing the concertina under the bedclothes.

As she approached the bedside, she heard his muffled voice from
under the blanket gently singing these words,—

" Here's another good man gone wrong."

"Perhaps," she said to herself, "he may have water on the
brain ; and, if so, a tap on the head will relieve him."

So communing with herself, she seizes the boot-jack, and, as
Tommy raises himself from his ambush, she lets it fall sharply on
his pretty, silk, light-brown hair, the one thing commendable about
his outward man.

" So," he exclaimed, with a golden smile on his calm, passionless
face, " you have come at last." He felt that he loved her—as he
had always done, madly. So he lay back on his pillow, and, gazing
wistfully into her moist, full eyes, murmured, " Bella! "

She stooped over him, and listened greedily.

{To be continued.')

A Tight Fit.—A state of coma, which Bobbies are too apt to
confound with apoplexy.