[Illustration]
It may be this--that the Villain base
Has insulted the hero's girl;
It may be this--that he's brought disgrace
On a wretchedly-acted Earl.
I care not which it may chance to be,
Only this do I chance to know--
A cliff looks down at a canvas sea
And some property rocks below!
You say, perhaps, it is only there
From a love of the picturesque--
You hint, maybe, that it takes no share
In the plot of this weird burlesque;
But cliffs that tremble at every touch,
And that flap in the dreadful draught,
Have something better to do--ah, much!
Than to criticise Nature's craft!
The cliff is there, and the ocean too,
And the property rocks below.
(These last, as yet, don't appear to you,
But they're somewhere behind, I know.)
The cliff is there, and the sea besides
(As I fancy I've said before),
And yonder alone _the_ Villain hides
Who is thirsting for someone's gore!
And now there comes to the Villain bold
The unfortunate Villain Two.
He's here to ask for the promised gold
For the deeds he has had to do.
But words run high, and a struggle strong
Sends the cliff rocking to and fro,
And Villain Two topples off ere long
To the property rocks below!
The scene is changed. The revolving cliff
Now exhibits its other side.
The corpse is there, looking very stiff--
Even more than before it died!
The crime is traced to the hero JACK,
Notwithstanding the stupids know
Deceased was thrown by the Villain black
To the property rocks below!
* * * * *
RHYMES FOR READERS OF
REMINISCENCES.
If the day's (as usual) pitchy,
Take up ANNE THACKERAY RITCHIE!
If you're feeling "quisby-snitchy,"
Seek the fire--and read your RITCHIE!
If your nerves are slack or twitchy,
Quiet them with soothing RITCHIE.
If you're dull as water ditchy,
You'll be cheered by roseate RITCHIE.
Be you achey, sore, chill, itchy,
Rest you'll find in Mrs. RITCHIE!
May her light ne'er shine with slacker ray,
Gentle daughter of great THACKERAY!
* * * * *
"WORDS! WORDS! WORDS!"--The decision in "the Missing Words (and money)
Competition" is, in effect, "No more words about it, but hand over the
£23,628 to the National Debt Commissioners." Advice this of STIRLING value.
* * * * *
You Fall, Eiffel!
Are the Panama sentences rather hard?
So Monsieur EIFFEL _pro tem._ disappears.
To walk round about a prison yard
Is the _Tour d'Eiffel_ for a couple of years.
* * * * *
EVIDENT.--The little song for Mr. HARRY LAWSON to sing on reading Mr.
CHARLES DARLING'S letter in the _Times_ of Thursday last--"_Charley is my
Darling!_"
* * * * *
A REAL "OPENING" FOR A SMART YOUNG (POLITICAL) MAN.--The settling, on
rational grounds, of the great and much-muddled up "Sunday-Opening"
Question.
* * * * *
CUE FOR THE CRITICS (_if the New Coinage does not seem an improvement upon
the Jubilee failures_).--Pepper Mint!
* * * * *
IMPORTANT FINANCIAL QUESTION FOR ITALIANS.--Are the Banks of the Tiber
secure?
* * * * *