Mr. Punch in Society: Being the Humours of Social Life
General
Mr. Punch in Society: Being the Humours of Social Life
England -- Social life and customs -- Humor; English wit and humor; English wit and humor, Pictorial
Lord Doubleshire entertained a small party of friends at his town house
last evening. After dinner the servants mingled freely with the guests,
and the Marchioness of Stoke Newington was presented to the second
stair-maid, Miss Elizabeth Wilkins, whose acquaintance she made.
Among the smart “bridge” parties last week must be numbered Mrs. Algey
Bounceby’s. Her butler, Thomas Scraggs, who paired for the first rubber
with the Duke of Dunkirk, is fast proving his claim to be one of the
finest exponents of this fashionable card game.
We understand that the Countess of Crumbleton has issued cards to a
distinguished but select few to meet her coachman, Mr. John Jenkins.
At the theatre the other evening, conspicuous among a remarkably
well-dressed set of people, we noticed Lord Loughboro, the Hon. Misses
Loughboro, and the head gardener, Ezekiel Jilks. The latter gentleman
wore the famous silver Albert watch-chain, a Christmas present, it is
understood, from Miss Gwendolen Loughboro, the bestowal of which gift
has aroused so much comment in aristocratic and horticultural circles.
Half-a-dozen dissatisfied members of Brooks’s club are talking of
resigning if Lord Livewell’s groom is not black-balled. He was of
course put up by Lord Livewell himself and seconded by his uncle, Earl
Gothepace. One or two rumours have certainly reached us reflecting
on the temperance of Bob Whippet, the handsome groom. But for the
old-fashioned prejudices which evidently animate the action of the
discontented six, we have nothing but the severest reproof.
Owing to the severe illness of Miss Madeline Marrowby, the stall at
the forthcoming Bazaar will be taken by her maid Ellen Cripps. As
previously arranged, the stall-holders will be presented individually
to the Royal Visitors.
In the forthcoming golf competition, at Hoylake, Miss Susan Bates, the
scullery-maid to Hon. Miss Fitzwinter, is looked on as a likely prize
winner. Her handicap playing has shown a wonderful improvement lately,
so much so that her considerate mistress has given her permission to
forego her ordinary duties of washing up the dishes and filling the
coal scuttles, in order that she may get in a good morning’s practice
on the links.
Among the presentations for the next Drawing-room we are glad to notice
the name of Kate Briggs, the pretty second parlour-maid of Lord and
Lady Wigmore. It will be remembered that their head butler attended the
last levée. A full description of Miss Briggs’s presentation costume
appears elsewhere.
* * * * *
[Illustration: _Miss Gushington._ “Well, you know, dear Mr. Robinson,
for my part, I must say I enjoy excellent health as a rule, only I do
suffer so at times from fits of _giddiness_!”]
* * * * *
[Illustration: _Lady Visitor._ “I see you still have poor old Bingo.”
_Fair Widow._ “Yes. I wouldn’t part with him on any account. I never
look at him without thinking of poor dear Marmaduke!”]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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