DOI issue:
December 28, 1878
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17733#0297
December 28, 1878.] PUNCH, OE THE LONDON CHARIVARI. 293
IN MEMORIASVl,
GRAND DUCHESS OF HESSE-DARMSTADT.
Born, April 25, 1843. Died, December 14, 1878.
Thrones stand apart, their lives that sit thereon
Fenced in with forms, by ceremony barred
From common converse with plain truths, and lone,
Though in full light of all the world's regard.
Sad lives were theirs in such high slavery bound,
But for the love that will not be denied
Its way to human hearts, though, robed and crowned,
Their owners sit apart in sceptred pride.
For Kings and Queens are men and women too,
And palaces are homes, on which descend
The blessings that well-governed homes ensue,
The curses that on ill-ruled homes attend.
Our Queen among all Queens this truth has known,
And made us know it, for her country's cheer ;
Best-ruled of English homes in hers has shown,
Till, from the highest to the humblest here,
England has joyed her joy and grieved her grief,
Prayed at her side by her good husband's bed,
And when Heaven sent the woe beyond relief,
Our hearts, that could not comfort, for her bled.
We knew such light was round that darkened throne
As comes from children's love and widow's faith ;
And most we heard and blest the name of one
Whose heart showed firmest by that bed of death.
One sweet face earliest at the sufferer's side,
Latest to seek the rest that love gainsays;
One weakness still the stronger the more tried,
One yearning look that met his latest gaze.—
And when fond daughter was made loving wife,
And carried to her home beyond the sea
England's Ood-speed, we joyed to learn her life
Was all a life so disciplined should be.
As wife, as mother, and as sovereign there
She lived by the example set her here ;
Sowing all round the seed that fruit must bear
Of blessedness, far on, from year to year.
When joy and sorrow wove into her lot
Their weft of bright and black, we noted still
How joy into o'erweening raised her not,
How sorrow wrung no murmur at Heaven's will.—■
Just seventeen years since then, and as our Queen
Touched the dark threshold of her day of woe,
Still in that memory of love kept green,
Lo, now, she, too, hath gone—where all must go,
Princes and subjeets—gone, so young, to rest;
Cone from the home she loved, the children fair
She reared as she was reared, the land she blessed,
The wise good works whereof she made her care.
So fair, so young, so good, so much well done
Of life's best work, so much left still to do:
Sweet soul—with all those crowns so early won,
There needed not the mother-martyr 's too !
Her death was such as such a life should find,—
A death in love, caught from her boy's dear lips.
Sorrow is well for those she leaves behind
In sudden darkness of this swift eclipse,
But not for her,-she is where love sits crowned
Upon the Throne, has reached the shining shore :
Is with the sire in whom her heart was bound,
Is with the babes she finds to lose no more.
Anything but a Pleasant Berth at Christmas—In the ^Poultry,
CHRISTMAS FANCIES.
{Papa's.)
anct what a bless-
ing it would be if
Christmas bills
could be abol-
ished !
Ma mm a's. —
Fancy what a
state the boys'
clothes will be in
when they come
home for the holi-
days, and fancy
what Papa will
say when I tell
him that the girls
have been obliged
to buy new bon-
nets !
Miss Clara''s.—
Fancy if Mamma
won't let me write
to ask poor Cousin
Charley to come
and spend his
Christmas with
us!
Miss EtheVs
and Miss Edith's— Fancy if Papa won't take us to a Pantomime !
3Iiss Polhfs and Miss Dolly's.—-Fancy what a lot of sugar-plums
Aunt Jane has bought for scrambles !
Master Arthur's—-Fancy what a bore this thaw is, just as I'd
begun to do the outside edge a bit!
Master George's.—Fancy if there comes another frost to stop my
hunting, now Papa has given me a new pony !
Master Tommy''s.—Fancy Christmas Day without a jolly lot of
mince-pies and a plum-pudding!
Uncle Crusty's.—Fancy what a lucky thing it is that Christmas
comes but once a year ! Fancy having to meet one's poor relations
twice!
Cousin Charley's.—Fancy if I get the chance of catching Cousin
Clara underneath the mistletoe !
Uncle Jolliboys.—Fancy what a rush the young ones will all make
at me when they see me enter with my pockets full of presents !
Old Guttleton's.—Fancy having to dine out for a fortnight upon
roast beef and boiled turkey!
Miss Chasuble's.—Fancyif the new Curate does not quite approve
of our advanced ecclesiological style of pulpit-decoration !
Mr. Postmaii's.-—Fancy the burden of Christmas-cards but for
Christmas-boxes!
Mr. Quiver full's.-—Fancy if people would send one sack of coals,
and other useful articles, instead of Compliments of the Season, and
Happy New-Years!
'Arry's.—Fancy doing the festive without a glass of liz, and a
stunnin' caper on the light fantastic !
Miss Juliet's.—Fancy if Captain Romeo misses the down train,
and doesn't arrive in time for our theatricals !
Mr. Cutabout's.—-Fancy getting snowed up at the Slowcoaches' !
Miss Simperton's.—Fancy spending Christmas in a house without
a mistletoe!
The Nicest of War News.
This is a pleasant telegram :—
" From Viceroy, December 14.—Roberts reports reached Shutar-garden
9th; returned to Ali-ehl 10th; not a shot fired."
Better luck than might have been expected at Shutar-garden.
the ameer's education,
It is said that Shere Ali cannot read. This may be some reason
why the Government should try to bring him to book. But have
they taken the right way to teach him his lesson P
In Court— In the "Robertson v. Truth Libel Case" the Beall
Circular was far from being the "Be-all and End-all" of the affair.
Sign oe Crvic Dissolution,—The City going to De Worms.
IN MEMORIASVl,
GRAND DUCHESS OF HESSE-DARMSTADT.
Born, April 25, 1843. Died, December 14, 1878.
Thrones stand apart, their lives that sit thereon
Fenced in with forms, by ceremony barred
From common converse with plain truths, and lone,
Though in full light of all the world's regard.
Sad lives were theirs in such high slavery bound,
But for the love that will not be denied
Its way to human hearts, though, robed and crowned,
Their owners sit apart in sceptred pride.
For Kings and Queens are men and women too,
And palaces are homes, on which descend
The blessings that well-governed homes ensue,
The curses that on ill-ruled homes attend.
Our Queen among all Queens this truth has known,
And made us know it, for her country's cheer ;
Best-ruled of English homes in hers has shown,
Till, from the highest to the humblest here,
England has joyed her joy and grieved her grief,
Prayed at her side by her good husband's bed,
And when Heaven sent the woe beyond relief,
Our hearts, that could not comfort, for her bled.
We knew such light was round that darkened throne
As comes from children's love and widow's faith ;
And most we heard and blest the name of one
Whose heart showed firmest by that bed of death.
One sweet face earliest at the sufferer's side,
Latest to seek the rest that love gainsays;
One weakness still the stronger the more tried,
One yearning look that met his latest gaze.—
And when fond daughter was made loving wife,
And carried to her home beyond the sea
England's Ood-speed, we joyed to learn her life
Was all a life so disciplined should be.
As wife, as mother, and as sovereign there
She lived by the example set her here ;
Sowing all round the seed that fruit must bear
Of blessedness, far on, from year to year.
When joy and sorrow wove into her lot
Their weft of bright and black, we noted still
How joy into o'erweening raised her not,
How sorrow wrung no murmur at Heaven's will.—■
Just seventeen years since then, and as our Queen
Touched the dark threshold of her day of woe,
Still in that memory of love kept green,
Lo, now, she, too, hath gone—where all must go,
Princes and subjeets—gone, so young, to rest;
Cone from the home she loved, the children fair
She reared as she was reared, the land she blessed,
The wise good works whereof she made her care.
So fair, so young, so good, so much well done
Of life's best work, so much left still to do:
Sweet soul—with all those crowns so early won,
There needed not the mother-martyr 's too !
Her death was such as such a life should find,—
A death in love, caught from her boy's dear lips.
Sorrow is well for those she leaves behind
In sudden darkness of this swift eclipse,
But not for her,-she is where love sits crowned
Upon the Throne, has reached the shining shore :
Is with the sire in whom her heart was bound,
Is with the babes she finds to lose no more.
Anything but a Pleasant Berth at Christmas—In the ^Poultry,
CHRISTMAS FANCIES.
{Papa's.)
anct what a bless-
ing it would be if
Christmas bills
could be abol-
ished !
Ma mm a's. —
Fancy what a
state the boys'
clothes will be in
when they come
home for the holi-
days, and fancy
what Papa will
say when I tell
him that the girls
have been obliged
to buy new bon-
nets !
Miss Clara''s.—
Fancy if Mamma
won't let me write
to ask poor Cousin
Charley to come
and spend his
Christmas with
us!
Miss EtheVs
and Miss Edith's— Fancy if Papa won't take us to a Pantomime !
3Iiss Polhfs and Miss Dolly's.—-Fancy what a lot of sugar-plums
Aunt Jane has bought for scrambles !
Master Arthur's—-Fancy what a bore this thaw is, just as I'd
begun to do the outside edge a bit!
Master George's.—Fancy if there comes another frost to stop my
hunting, now Papa has given me a new pony !
Master Tommy''s.—Fancy Christmas Day without a jolly lot of
mince-pies and a plum-pudding!
Uncle Crusty's.—Fancy what a lucky thing it is that Christmas
comes but once a year ! Fancy having to meet one's poor relations
twice!
Cousin Charley's.—Fancy if I get the chance of catching Cousin
Clara underneath the mistletoe !
Uncle Jolliboys.—Fancy what a rush the young ones will all make
at me when they see me enter with my pockets full of presents !
Old Guttleton's.—Fancy having to dine out for a fortnight upon
roast beef and boiled turkey!
Miss Chasuble's.—Fancyif the new Curate does not quite approve
of our advanced ecclesiological style of pulpit-decoration !
Mr. Postmaii's.-—Fancy the burden of Christmas-cards but for
Christmas-boxes!
Mr. Quiver full's.-—Fancy if people would send one sack of coals,
and other useful articles, instead of Compliments of the Season, and
Happy New-Years!
'Arry's.—Fancy doing the festive without a glass of liz, and a
stunnin' caper on the light fantastic !
Miss Juliet's.—Fancy if Captain Romeo misses the down train,
and doesn't arrive in time for our theatricals !
Mr. Cutabout's.—-Fancy getting snowed up at the Slowcoaches' !
Miss Simperton's.—Fancy spending Christmas in a house without
a mistletoe!
The Nicest of War News.
This is a pleasant telegram :—
" From Viceroy, December 14.—Roberts reports reached Shutar-garden
9th; returned to Ali-ehl 10th; not a shot fired."
Better luck than might have been expected at Shutar-garden.
the ameer's education,
It is said that Shere Ali cannot read. This may be some reason
why the Government should try to bring him to book. But have
they taken the right way to teach him his lesson P
In Court— In the "Robertson v. Truth Libel Case" the Beall
Circular was far from being the "Be-all and End-all" of the affair.
Sign oe Crvic Dissolution,—The City going to De Worms.