DOI issue:
October 25, 1884
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17757#0205
198
PUNCH, OB, THE LONDON CHABIVABI.
; October 95, 1 *S4.
COUNT SMORLTORK'S NOTES.
What did Monsieur Max O’Rell mean by calling his book Les
Filles de John Bull f A general title, when he only deals with a
particular division of the subject, is a misnomer. He is, however,
fairly complimentary to the good looks and conduct of the class he
describes.
He might have taken for his title, Some Maids of Merry England,
and then he could have given us,—as perhaps he will, not having
by any means exhausted the subject, or anywhere near it,—The
House-Maids of John Bull, then John Bull's Nursery-Maids, Ladies'
Maids, Kitchen-Maids, Old Maids, Dairy-Maids, and so forth.
Thepresent book is not up to John Bull et son He. His experiences
are of genteel families in suburban villas, where he remarks the
absence of dressing-rooms, sees inappropriate Scriptural texts cover-
ing the bedroom walls—(How did he get there ? but no matter)—and
is impressed with a general idea of untidiness.
In fact, there’s very little about John Bull’s daughters in it at
all; but there is a lot of irrelevant matter, and some dialogues which
are, apparently, weak imitations of the epigrammatic style of
Monsieur, Madame et Bebe.
We agree with him in two things, certainly: first, when he
professes a decided preference for a young English lad of twenty to
a French youth of the same age, and when he expresses his utter
astonishment that the Marriage Service should remain as it is in the
English Church Service. The Explanatory Lecturing in it certainly
has a strong and unpleasant flavour, and is quite unnecessary.
Max O’Rell is right, and it seems strange that the objection has not
been strongly urged before this. He is complimentary to the Q,uf,f,n
and Court, for which they must all feel grateful, as “approbation
from” M. Max O’Rell “ is praise indeed” !
He repeats the trash about Englishmen selling their wives ; but
he must know that the only time they do “ sell their wives” is
when they go in for such larks as form the staple commodity of the
Palais Royal farces. Mr. Max O'Rell, in a suburban villa, or in a
country house, or, in fact, on a visit anywhere, seems to have gone
about like Dickens’s celebrated Count Smorltork, ever ready with
his piencil to jot down his observations on men, manners, and sayings,
which were entered on his tablets “ with such variations and addi-
tions as the Count's exuberant fancy suggested.”
“ Wonderful man, Count Smorltork,” said Mrs. Leo Hunter.
“ Sound philosopher,” said Pott.
“ Clear-headed, strong-minded person,” added Afr. Snodgrass.
And so say all of us, in chorus, of our Count Smorltork, Mr. Max
O’Rell.
W. E. O. on “the Hittxtes.”—Oar indefatigable Premier has
written to a Mr. William Wright.—the Premier himself being a
“Will Write,”—to say that Mr. Wright is all right about the
Hittites. It is a good omen that he is interesting himself about the
Hittites, but he ’ll have to think about the “ Hit-outs,” if John Bull
is to keep up his reputation for pluck, and retain what he has had to
fight for. _ _
Old Book and New Edition.—This week will be republished,
with additions by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, appealing to
Three-per-Cent. Stockholders, Richard Baxter’s celebrated Call to
the Unconverted. _
A City Correspondent suggests, that, as a delieate^ compliment to
Alderman Nottage, the Lord Mayor Elect, all cases that come before
him should be tried “ in Camera."
{It causes Wilson to forget the Names of Things, Places, and People he is talking about, and thereby robs his Conversation of much of the Charm
and Interest it would otherwise possess.)
“ Er—AHEM—ER—there’s REALLY NO ACCOUNTING FOR TASTES ! FOR INSTANCE, THERE’S AN OLD FRIEND OF MINE, A WELL-
KNOWN Man, called—er—his Name escapes me just now—anyhow he’s by Profession a—a—a—1 don’t recollect at
PRESENT THE PRECISE NATURE OF HIS OCCUPATION —BUT HIS OFFICE, OR HIS PLACE OF BUSINESS, OR WHATEVER IT IS, IS IN—IN—I
FORGET THE EXACT STREET—ER—ER—WHEREAS HIS PRIVATE RESIDENCE IS NEAR—NEAR—DEAR ME ! WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE
Square—I’ve got it on the Tip of my Tongue !-AVell, at all events, it struck me as very odd in that kind of Man,
his Business being what and where it is, that he himself should reside—er—er—where he does, you know ! ”
[Anecdote falls rather flat.
DIFFERENT EFFECTS OF SHYNESS.
PUNCH, OB, THE LONDON CHABIVABI.
; October 95, 1 *S4.
COUNT SMORLTORK'S NOTES.
What did Monsieur Max O’Rell mean by calling his book Les
Filles de John Bull f A general title, when he only deals with a
particular division of the subject, is a misnomer. He is, however,
fairly complimentary to the good looks and conduct of the class he
describes.
He might have taken for his title, Some Maids of Merry England,
and then he could have given us,—as perhaps he will, not having
by any means exhausted the subject, or anywhere near it,—The
House-Maids of John Bull, then John Bull's Nursery-Maids, Ladies'
Maids, Kitchen-Maids, Old Maids, Dairy-Maids, and so forth.
Thepresent book is not up to John Bull et son He. His experiences
are of genteel families in suburban villas, where he remarks the
absence of dressing-rooms, sees inappropriate Scriptural texts cover-
ing the bedroom walls—(How did he get there ? but no matter)—and
is impressed with a general idea of untidiness.
In fact, there’s very little about John Bull’s daughters in it at
all; but there is a lot of irrelevant matter, and some dialogues which
are, apparently, weak imitations of the epigrammatic style of
Monsieur, Madame et Bebe.
We agree with him in two things, certainly: first, when he
professes a decided preference for a young English lad of twenty to
a French youth of the same age, and when he expresses his utter
astonishment that the Marriage Service should remain as it is in the
English Church Service. The Explanatory Lecturing in it certainly
has a strong and unpleasant flavour, and is quite unnecessary.
Max O’Rell is right, and it seems strange that the objection has not
been strongly urged before this. He is complimentary to the Q,uf,f,n
and Court, for which they must all feel grateful, as “approbation
from” M. Max O’Rell “ is praise indeed” !
He repeats the trash about Englishmen selling their wives ; but
he must know that the only time they do “ sell their wives” is
when they go in for such larks as form the staple commodity of the
Palais Royal farces. Mr. Max O'Rell, in a suburban villa, or in a
country house, or, in fact, on a visit anywhere, seems to have gone
about like Dickens’s celebrated Count Smorltork, ever ready with
his piencil to jot down his observations on men, manners, and sayings,
which were entered on his tablets “ with such variations and addi-
tions as the Count's exuberant fancy suggested.”
“ Wonderful man, Count Smorltork,” said Mrs. Leo Hunter.
“ Sound philosopher,” said Pott.
“ Clear-headed, strong-minded person,” added Afr. Snodgrass.
And so say all of us, in chorus, of our Count Smorltork, Mr. Max
O’Rell.
W. E. O. on “the Hittxtes.”—Oar indefatigable Premier has
written to a Mr. William Wright.—the Premier himself being a
“Will Write,”—to say that Mr. Wright is all right about the
Hittites. It is a good omen that he is interesting himself about the
Hittites, but he ’ll have to think about the “ Hit-outs,” if John Bull
is to keep up his reputation for pluck, and retain what he has had to
fight for. _ _
Old Book and New Edition.—This week will be republished,
with additions by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, appealing to
Three-per-Cent. Stockholders, Richard Baxter’s celebrated Call to
the Unconverted. _
A City Correspondent suggests, that, as a delieate^ compliment to
Alderman Nottage, the Lord Mayor Elect, all cases that come before
him should be tried “ in Camera."
{It causes Wilson to forget the Names of Things, Places, and People he is talking about, and thereby robs his Conversation of much of the Charm
and Interest it would otherwise possess.)
“ Er—AHEM—ER—there’s REALLY NO ACCOUNTING FOR TASTES ! FOR INSTANCE, THERE’S AN OLD FRIEND OF MINE, A WELL-
KNOWN Man, called—er—his Name escapes me just now—anyhow he’s by Profession a—a—a—1 don’t recollect at
PRESENT THE PRECISE NATURE OF HIS OCCUPATION —BUT HIS OFFICE, OR HIS PLACE OF BUSINESS, OR WHATEVER IT IS, IS IN—IN—I
FORGET THE EXACT STREET—ER—ER—WHEREAS HIS PRIVATE RESIDENCE IS NEAR—NEAR—DEAR ME ! WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE
Square—I’ve got it on the Tip of my Tongue !-AVell, at all events, it struck me as very odd in that kind of Man,
his Business being what and where it is, that he himself should reside—er—er—where he does, you know ! ”
[Anecdote falls rather flat.
DIFFERENT EFFECTS OF SHYNESS.