Punch, Or The London Charivari, Volume 102, April 2, 1892Various
General
Punch, Or The London Charivari, Volume 102, April 2, 1892
Various
English wit and humor -- Periodicals
"I sat for Colchester for five years, you know," he said, "and grew
into habit of regarding the Natives as my constituents. For five years
never swallowed one without thinking I was reducing the number on
the Register. Used to excuse myself on the ground that the particular
bivalve that had disappeared must have been a Conservative, or it
would never have been so stupid as to leave its comfortable bed to
embark on such a journey. My interest in the oyster is now secondary.
They don't flourish in Southwark; whelks more in our way down there.
Still one cannot forget old associations, and confess I'm rather
knocked over to hear this report MACINNES has brought up. Can't
imagine anything more distressing than the spectacle of a drunken
oyster--probably with dishevelled beard--coming home late at night and
trying to get into another Native's shell under impression that he has
recognised his own front door. Must see WILFRID LAWSON about this; get
up an Oyster Temperance Society; framed certificates, blue ribbon, and
all that, if the thing spreads, we shall have oysters emitting quite a
rum-punch flavour when we add the lemon."
Gloom dissipated two hours later by appearance of BOBBY SPENCER at the
Table. BOBBY doesn't often witch the House with oratory. Content with
important though to outsiders obscure position he occupies in Party
administration. His is the hand that pulls the strings to which
Liberal Party dance. SCHNADHORST gets some credit, but everybody knows
BOBBY's the man. To see these two political strategists in conference
is sufficient to reassure the Liberal Party on the possible issues of
the General Election.
SCHNADHORST complains that BOBBY has a trick, after addressing him
through the ear-trumpet he (S.) carries in reminiscence of JOSHUA
REYNOLDS, of putting his ear to the trumpet as if he expected the
answer to arrive through that medium.
[Illustration: MR. JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN ON "THE HUMOURS OF PARLIAMENT."]
"Very embarrassing." SCHNADHORST says, "to have a fellow first putting
his mouth and then his ear to other end of your trumpet. Sometimes
I say to him, sharply, '_I_ don't speak through the trumpet.' 'Oh,
no, of course not,' he says, 'I beg your pardon,' and draws away.
Presently he's back again, politely, as I speak, applying his ear
to the trumpet. But it's only the absence of mind that arises from
preoccupation in matters of State."
BOBBY, besides being the political director of the strategy of the
Liberal Party, is a County Member. It was in this last capacity
he appeared at Table to-night in Debate on Second Reading of Small
Holdings Bill. House received him with hearty cheer. No one more
popular than BOBBY. Delight uproariously manifested when, daintily
pulling at his abundant shirt-cuff, and settling his fair young
head more comfortably upon summit of his monumental collar, he
deprecatingly observed--
"Mr. SPEAKER, Sir, I am not an Agricultural Labourer."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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