The Comic Almanack, Volume 1: An Ephemeris in Jest and Earnest, Containing Merry Tales, Humerous Poetry, Quips, and OdditiesThackeray, William Makepeace
Philosophy
The Comic Almanack, Volume 1: An Ephemeris in Jest and Earnest, Containing Merry Tales, Humerous Poetry, Quips, and Oddities
Thackeray, William Makepeace
Almanacs, English -- England -- London; English wit and humor
Pray, Ma'am, can you move ever such a little scrinch? Indeed, Marm,
its quite unpossable for me to stir an inch.—Well, if I'd stay'd at
Dorking I should have sat more at my ease, but I thought it best to
leave such a nest, for we're all swarming alive with fleas.—Then I'll
take my leave, Marm, to shift a little further from where you are
sittin', for though I don't like to be crushed, I don't choose to be
bitten.
[Illustration:
AUGUST.—"Sic Omnes."
]
PLEASURING.
_Miss Henrietta Julia Wiggins, on her Travels, to Miss Adelaide
Theresa Ditto, in Bucklersbury. With a short Postscript from
Mamma, and another from Papa._
"_Ma chère Sœur_—According to promise, I now send you the journal of my
tour; but, _hélas!_ if you expect it has been a happy one, you _trompez_
yourself most sadly. _Mon dieu!_ the sufferings we have undergone! _Mais
voilà_ the journal.
"MONDAY, SEPT. 1.—Embarked on board the "Emerald" steamer at London
Bridge for Boulogne, at one o'clock in the morning, after having passed
a miserable night in packing up, and trying to go to sleep in easy
chairs. Pa complaining of symptoms of lumbago.—All the berths taken,
mostly by gentlemen—or rather, by monsters in the form of gentlemen.
_Mon dieu!_ what brutes the English men are! to suffer us poor helpless
_femelles_ to pass the night on deck, while they are snoring away
comfortably in the cabins! Ma's blue silk pelisse was soon put _hors de
combat_ by the nasty tar and stuff, and my new French-white bonnet was
turned into a regular London smoke in ten minutes by the horrid
chimney.—Ma has made the acquaintance of a very nice _Dame Française_,
who speaks pretty good English, and abounds in anecdotes about _la
grande nation_. Also, has kindly taken charge of one of Ma's _sacs de
nuit_; as she says the French _douaniers_ won't allow people to land
more than one carpet-bag a-piece, and Ma not choosing to leave her
valuables at the mercy of those _vilains bêtes_, the custom-house
officers. _Moi aussi, j'ai fait connaissance_ with a charming fellow,
the _Marquís de Mandeville_, a young _militaire_, in black moustaches
and a green foraging cap.—Marquis beginning to make himself very
agreeable; in fact, becoming quite _amoureux_, when both taken suddenly
ill, and obliged to part. Ah! Adelaide dear! it's a sad change, from
love-sick to sea-sick! French lady very kind, and asked me if I had the
_mal de mere_—thought she meant "my mother's complaint," which you know
is rheumatism in the hips—answered accordingly, and got horribly laughed
at by a lot of rude fellows in make-believe sailors' jackets.—Ma next
attacked—Pa next—_tout le monde_ soon in the same plight. Sensation
dreadful—headache worse and worse—Ma wanted to be set down at Dover, but
Captain wouldn't hear of it. French lady very attentive—_would_ fetch
tumblers of brandy and water for Pa and Ma and me—couldn't drink a drop—
_she_ did, and wasn't sick at all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account