Punch (91.1886)

Dboembeb 11, 1886.] PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVAKI. 277

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

Me. Punch has rarely been more pained than on hearing that a lady, and
especially so charming a lady as Mrs. Gent-Davis, had felt herself aggrieved by
a sharp sketch recently made in the course of the series of "Studies" now
issuing from his Studio, to which, as it has already been publicly exhibited for
two days, in'the presence of the Lobd Mayob, at the Mansion House, further
reference in this place is unnecessary. Mr. Punch is delighted to be able to in-
form this lady—and her friends, including those—ahem!—" good-natured

friends"--that she, personally, was not in that picture which came from

Mr. P.'s literary easel ■ and, d propos of pictures, he wishes her every success on
her next political canvass. By the way, at the Mansion House last Friday, Mr.
Gent-Davis, M.P., who is not a likely man to miss a chance of saying some-
thing happy when it occurs to him, lost a great opportunity of making a brilliant
jeu de mot. " Our " Mr. Montagu Williams asked him something or other, to
which Mr. Gent-Davis replied to the effect that he'couldn't solve riddles. He
ought to'have answered, "Davis sum, non CEdipus." But he didn't; and
Mr. Punch presents it to him, gratis, for use on any future occasion, and so
bids both of them heartily farewell._

MR. PICKWICK'S JUBILEE.

Messes. Macmillan as Publishers, and Mr. Charles Dickens — "The
Younger"—as Editor, are to be congratulated on their Jubilee lidition of Pick-
wick in two volumes. The illus-
trations are most interesting, and
give the work a real historical
value.

In addition to the editor's
preface, is an account written
by Mr. Waltee Besant, of how
the celebrated Pickwick Exam-
ination at Christ's College, Cam-

bridge, was conducted by the
Junior Fellow, Mr. C. S. Cax-
veeley, and how the prize was
won by the narrator, Mr. Skeat
being a good second. The Exam-
ination Paper, a masterly tra-
, vestie of the University degree
fjvy— ^^JP"' ^^^^60^ and little-go papers of thatperiod,

" They come as a boon and a blessing to Men."

is also given in full, and most of
its questions will, at this date,

be genuine posers even [to those students who have not recently refreshed their
memories, by carefully perusing the book which, years ago, was to them as a
household word.

What will certainly strike the reader who undertakes the pleasant task of
going right through the book again in its present form, is the variety of
picturesque spots in town and country that the Pickwickians visited, and they
will probably wonder that not one question in Pickwickian Topography occurs in
Mr. Calyeeley's examination paper. He could have framed, several questions
calculated to test the accuracy and memory of the candidate, such for example
as (1) an inquiry into the peculiarities of the ancient precincts of St. Clement's
Church, Ipswich, (2) of the Great White Horse in the same town, (3) of the route
to Ipswich, (4) a question as to the probable geographical position of Eatanswill,

(5) on what occasion Mr. Pickwick visited Dunchuroh, Daventry, and Towcester,

(6) and at what hostelrie did Mr. Pickwick put up at Birmingham ?

Mr. Charles Dickens has compiled guide-books, for home and abroad, for
river and road, he should now give us the Pickwickian Tourist's Guide. In
fact nothing hut a set of coloured maps, indicating Mr. Pickwick's line of route
on various occasions, is wanting to complete this First Jubilee Edition, and
perhaps in the twentieth edition of this re-issue the maps may be added.

As for the sketches of Old London—"the remains" of which are fast dis-
appearing—they will have for all Londoners a peculiar charm. Looking at the
picturesque old places, Staple Inn, Barnard's Inn, Furnival's Inn, where Chaeles
Dickens lived, and the ghostly corner in Clifford's Inn, as depicted in these pages,
we can only hope that the architecture of the future, will combine the beauty
of the past with the sanitary improvements of the present.

Yes, Mr. Pickwick is a Welcome Guest at Christmas-time—the time so
specially dear to the great Novelist and Humorist—for Mr. Pickwick, gaiters
and all, is no stranger to any one of us,—though we shall never look upon his
like again,—and, he is immortal. Times change, manners and customs change,
modes of expression change, and modes of thought too, but Human Nature is
the one constant quantity, and grotesque and exaggerated as are some of the
types in Pickivick, yet the motives and the actions are human, the humour
throughout is unforced and irresistible, and the absurd complications in which
the principal characters found themselves involved, arise out of the most natural
and ordinary causes.

As a present, and particularly as a Christmas Present, for young and old,
the Jubilee Edition of Pickwick will be very difficult to beat. Mr. Punch is of
opinion that it is the prize-book for the Jubilee Tear.

" Philological." —The attempts at solution are arriving in shoals. Our
Artist " C. K.," says he must draw the line somewhere, and he refuses to receive
any further correspondence after Saturday, Dec. 11. He has not yet determined
what the prize is to be.

WESTMINSTER AT SILYERTOWN.

The Duke of Westminster, with that kindness and
good sense that always distinguishes him, took the chair
at a public meeting at Silvertown, the other day, which
was held for the purpose of securing North Woolwich
Gardens as an open space for the recreation and enjoy-
ment of the inhabitants of that cheerless and neglected
locality. Y/hen a vote of thanks was proposed to him
for presiding, it was said by the seconder of the pro-
posal, a working man,, that it was pleasant to see
Westminster coming so far East for the purpose of
doing a kind action; to which the Duke replied, with
his usual quiet smile, that Westminster was very glad
indeed to come to Silvertown to help in a good cause,
adding, that Westminster would be pleased at any time
to re-visit Silvertown, if Silvertown thought that such
a visit would be of the slightest service either to the plaoe
itself or to its hard-working inhabitants.

" Ah! " said one man, as the meeting broke up "if all
Dooks was like this Dook, they'd be a precious sight
more popular among us than they ever have been."

" Yes," replied his friend, " and to bring his beautiful
wife with him to show her that life wasn't all beer and
skittles, that's what pleases me most of all."

" Ah ! I should just like to know what she thought of
us all, and of onr not very lovely surroundings, and of
the swarms of shouting kids. Why, it must have been
quite a revelation for her! And what a contrast to what
she's accustomed to, bless her beautiful face!"

Perhaps if the West occasionally visited the East when
some good deed is to be accomplished, a better under-
standing might result in a larger amount of sympathy
on the one hand, and of respect on the other.

Tell it to the Submaeines.—The new Submarine
Boat, of which experimental trial was made the other
day in the" Yictoria Dock, seems from all; accounts of
the facility with which it immersed itself, certainly to
have gone down well with the naval experts who were
present to witness its performance. Lord Chaeles
Bebeseobd, who went on board and allowed himself to
be submerged in it, in seventeen feet of water, expressed
his approval of the little craft, which, apparently with a
view to a prospective look ahead at the marine warfare of
the future, is appropriately constructed on a telescopic
principle. Indeed the inventor, who manoeuvred it at the
bottom of the dock, took, as the official occupants of the
tiny cabin expressed it, "quite a rise " out of them, by
thej facility with which he again brought them to the
surface. On the whole the essay was peculiarly success-
ful, and if the Admiralty give orders for the construction
of a number of similar craft, it is understood that, for
divers obvious reasons, the cost will be defrayed from a
sinking fund. _

ANGLING.

(&f)anghd by D. Cranibo, Junior.

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Early Example of an Artificially. Orange Bumble.

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Fly-rod. "Whipping for Chub.

VOL. XOT.

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