PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
VOL. 109.
October 12, 1895.
TRUE LIBERALITY.
Old Millionaire. "George, I've just sent a Guinea to the 'Balaclava Veterans'Home.'"
His only Son and Heir. "A Guinea, Father? Why, I've sent more than that, outof my miserable half-pay!"
O. M. "Ah, but you've got great Expectations, George. I've got none!"
A GRAND OLD GARDENER.
["Through the death of Mr. Peter Grieve wehave lost one of our best-known landscape gardeners,also a distinguished hybridest and cross-breeder."—DailyChronicle.]
Good gardeners grieve for Mr. Peter Grieve,
Who landscape-gardening art has had to leave,
To our regret. Hybridest and cross-breeder,
He in the Garden-World was a great leader.
"Suffolk Sir Joseph Paxton" he was called.
From many an English garden, snugly walled
And florally embellished, plaints will come.
He many a zonal pelargonium,
Double petunia, and other blossom,
Has left, of a new race, to deck earth's bosom.
Better than selfish climb to place and power
It is to bless our world with a new flower.
Better than many Tsars, depend upon it,
This Floral King deserves an ode or sonnet.
Peter the Great was great, but one lived later
Whom sorrowing Punch dares dub "Peter the Greater!"
"The Cultivation of Bees."—Sir,—Isee this subject taken up in the Standard,but have not had time to peruse the correspondence.I doubt whether bees can becultivated. I have seen a Learned Pig, CleverCats, Industrious Hoppers, all thoroughlytrained; but never have I come across aCultivated Bee. The bee is too busy as aworker even to have the leisure which cultivationrequires. I have heard of a beegetting so far in his education as to becomea "Spelling Bee." But even the "SpellingBees" seem to have had their day and diedout. Yours,
A Hum from the Hummums.
LETTERS TO A FIANCÉE.
My dear Gladys,—I think your Arthur the ideal person to beengaged to. He's serious, you say—he dislikes flippancy—he'sinclined to be literal.
Well, surely that's better than being a clown, a buffoon, a merejester, a Court Fool! How tired you'd get of the cap and bells! ofhaving to laugh, all through life, at your husband's jokes! Arthuris sensible; calm in his affection. Is that a reproach? Should youlike a "Once-on-board-the-lugger-and-the-girl-is-mine" sort ofvillain as a lover? Or a "ladies' man"—a warbler of love-songs—auniversal provider of compliments, flowers, pretty speeches,—a veryWhitely of gallantry? You'd be bored to death: and dreadfullyjealous as well.
As to your tastes not being identical, that doesn't really matter.Make a few sacrifi