Punch (95.1888)

December 1, 1888.] PUNCH, OK THE LONDON CHARIVARI. 257

THE "RIGHT TO KNOW."
It is an axiom with the Press—no argument it needs to show-
That, " Other people's busi-ness the Public has a right to know."
Each blemish in a Hero's life—of yesterday or long ago—
His real relations with his wife, the Public has a right to know.
New works which all the world surprise are '' stolen straight from
So-and-so,"

That " all who please it plagiarise," the Public has a right to know.

Celebrities are interviewed, and all that, under torture slow,

From their reluctant lips is screwed, the Public has a right to know.

On deeds of ghastliness or gore a lurid light the Press must throw;
Details (as has been said before) the Public has a right to know.

To publish '' clues " may serve to prime the criminal that's lying low;
But—every step in tracking crime the Public has a right to know.
State secrets to disseminate may harm a friend and help a foe ;
The Cabinet may feel irate—the Public has a right to know.
"When scandals come before the Court that force a hardened cheek to
glow,

The whole unsavoury report the Public has a right to know. . .

And still the journalistic dredge seeks new impurities below,

Of which (ah, precious privilege!) the Public has the right to know.

Yet Punch at times is fain to doubt if it were folly to forego,

Or hard to learn to do without, some news we have the right to know !

OUR BOOKING-OFFICE.

Mr. F. C. Philips has scored again with his Little Mrs. Murray,
though he has not obtained the full marks entitling him to a special

prize. The reader
who takes wpLiitle
Mrs. Murray will
be loth to part
with her, as he will
be always curious
to learn what on
earth this erratic
person is going to
do next. As a
Sjj matter of fact, she
if goes to a variety of
places, but does no-
thing— absolutely

nothing, and nothing is done to her. She's not bad, she's not good—
she's ordinary ; and 1 suppose in this fact lies the real interest. Itis,
as it were, another version of Nobody''s Diary, only that in this case
the Nobody is a young widow who, wishing without visible means of
subsistence, to make herself independent, takes to the stage, then to
lady-companionship, then to Millinery, then to some sort of East-
End Anglican Sisterhood, and then to the Matronship of a Private
Lunatic Asylum; and, last scene of all, to marriage. There is no
plot as there was (and a strong one, too) in As in a Looking Glass.
The sketches seem to be from real life, and I should like to know the
originals of the Manager of the Jollity Theatre, and of the Reverend
Simon Heady, Superior of Saint Cunegonda's Sisterhood. The little
woman is an excellent companion for an hour or so,—sprightly,
interesting, and amusing.

I am choosing some Christmas Books and Cards, as, what the
lawyers call, " these presents," and am puzzled between the charm-
ing"" Photographic Opals," the original and tasteful designs of
Messrs. Hildesheimeii and Faulkner, and the artistic reproduc-
tions of well-known pictures, and the delightful booklets of that
publisher who rejoices in the truly Italian artistic Christian name of
Raphael, coupled with the truly English surname of Tuck. Tuck
in again at Christmas-time.

To help me in running through these Christmas Books I'm com-
pelled to engage a " Co."—the Christmas reading firm is Baron
De Book-Woems & Co.—and as far as " Co." has gone I am informed
that Miss Rosa Mulholland has written Gianetta, a girl's story for
a girl—quite an upper story. That Mr. Henty, who has written
plenty, is up to his best form in Captain Bayley's Heir—
(voung Bayley, we 're not interested in the old 'un)—which is all
about California, and published by Blackie. Then "Co." says
that Routledge's Pied Piper, illustrated by Kate Greenaway,
is exceptionally pretty. Now welcome Kate!"—which is not
quoted from Taming of the Shrew. Mr. Hogg, the publisher,
makes a hit with a collection of old fairy tales called Children's
Evergreens. Nice dish at Christmas, ask for Hogg and Evergreens.
Books marked Warne are brand new, yet are " Warne out! " My
"Co." recommends Waene's Posehid Annual for the little ones.

Here's one by Charles F. Rideal, illustrated by Harry Paekes.
Nothing very startling: and author and artist seem to have got on

well together, except in one instance, where they quarrelled over
" Mrs. Mashe?nall," whom the author has described as "a smart
spicy little body (blonde hair)," and the artist has depicted as a
decidedly4big body with very dark hair. Our Farm, told by Pat-
tenden, and drawn by Wain, rather! funny, but not the work of a
Wain of original humour. Good sixpenn'orth^ anyhow. Flora's
Feast, published by Cassell & Co., Limited, is a quaint Burne-
Jonesian kind of book by Walter Crane. It comes out with the
Christmas Books, and is about as Christmassy as the Sunflowerest
aesthete could possibly desire. If I could select one picture above
another, which would take the public, it would be the poppy-heads
which are likely to be poppylar. "Co." is exhausted.

I've just seen the Christmas number of the Penny Illustrated,
price fourpence, which means that this is equal to four ordinary
numbers. The cover is the pink of perfection. The central picture
in colours, of a child in bed. asking a kitten to come under the
mistletoe, might have been termed Scratch Company. The child,
whose teeth are not as white as could be wished, ought to have
been in a " Cat's-cradle." The chief story, "Diamonds' led," by
J. Latey, Junior, shows that he was quite right to lead diamonds as
Mr. W. Mackay has followed suit with a melodrama on a similar
plot in verse. Diamonds Led, is a three-volume novel essenced into
live pages ; and there is also a very funny notion for a new kind of
advertisement in the story about The Australian Parrot. Several
other good things in it; but that it is among the first to appear and
comes out early, its motto might be, " Better Latey than never."

" Co." comes up again smiling'. For a first-class piece of harmless
nonsense commend me to A Publisher's Playground, a small (not
too small) volume of poems produced by Kegan, Paul, French
& Co., and presumably written by one of the Firm. If my pre-
sumption is correct, the Author's partners must be persons blessed
with a sense of humour, which makes them ready at all times
to sacrifice business considerations for the sake of a practical joke.

Mr. Andrew Lang contributes to the Christmas store specimens
of the "Grass of Parnassus." Being a collection of poems already
published, it is not intended to be grass fresh cut, but for the matter
of that, the bundle has all the sweetness of New Mown Hay, or if a
scent is on my lips and under my very nose let me name, appro-
priately, " Y Lang Y Lang."

The old songs published by Castell Brothers are to be found
in the daintiest little books. Each miniature volume can be had
" for a mere song."

Marcus Ward & Co.'s Little Boy Blue, and other old nursery
rhymes, will be to the taste of the children young and old. Oranges
and Lemons, and Wee Willie Winkle, are charmingly illustrated
Exit "Co."

By the Sea is a short collection of Poems, commencing with
Longfellow's The Secret of the Sea, the title of which would be a
capital advertisement for an anti-mal-de-
mer remedy. Illustrations not startling.
But Marcus Ward & Co. can afford to
have a few not quite up to the mark when
giving us such a dainty work as Young
Maids and Old China, though old maids
and old china go better together, as, from
my experience, young maids play the very
doose with the old china in attempting to
wash up. " Yes, your wash-up, it blew out
of my hand, and broke all to nothing."
That's how it happens with young maids,
says the Baron.

I've just seen Marcus Ward's Christinas
Cheque Book. It's capital! I only wish
it were just that capital that would dismiss satisfactorily all my
other Christmas Books. Those of the Butcher, the Baker, and the
Candlestick Maker, &c. No matter. We may be happy yet. Christ-
mas comes but once a year. If it came twice I should be broke
entirely, says your own Reviewer, the bakon de Book-Worms.

With a Mayer Maying.

You ought to go and see
Le Monde ou Von s'ennuie,
Played at the Royaltee

Some night or Matinee,

My Pretty Jane " is there.
November, you '11 declare,
Is banished by this fair

And most refreshing May.

Sander v. the Duchess opMontorchid [new style).—What "Mr.
Manton" said of the cross-examining Counsel, "He did ask such
orchid questions." And when Her Grace heard herself so ungrace-
fully alluded to as "the old girl" in her Head Gardener's letter,
Mr. Manton is reported to have exclaimed, "Head Gardener,
indeed! I'd like to give him some top-dressing !"

Meteorological Report from the Special Commission Court
by Mr. E. Harrington.—" Wednesday, November 21. Fine."