The Strand Magazine, Vol. 01, No. 05, May 1891: An Illustrated MonthlyVarious
General
The Strand Magazine, Vol. 01, No. 05, May 1891: An Illustrated Monthly
Various
English literature -- Periodicals; Short stories, English -- Periodicals
One to a naval man at South Africa has "Peace" typified by a
blue-jacket hobbling along on a couple of crutches, minus his legs.
Another from Cheltenham to Port Elizabeth has a highly coloured drawing
of a big policeman chasing a small and bony dog, "Ye Cheltenham Bobby
sees a cheeky dog in the park." The animal's impudence lies in the fact
that he had dared to wear the prescribed muzzle on his tail instead of
on his head.
A visitor to Broadstairs finds the name of this seaside resort
represented by a pair of immense optics remarkably wide open (Fig. 6).
[Illustration: FIG. 6.]
[Illustration: FIG. 7.]
[Illustration: FIG. 8.]
An Irishman has adopted a good means of making the donkey he is riding
go (Fig. 7). He is holding a bunch of carrots in front of the animal,
which the energetic creature is frantically endeavouring to reach.
Hence the pace. There rests a traveller, far from home, on his hotel
bed. Visions in the distance appear of a wife washing the children
and putting them to bed. The traveller may be happy in his domestic
dreams, but he does not know that the mice are seeking refuge for
the night within his boots, which are thrown down at the foot of the
bedstead (Fig. 8). A Mrs. Cook was the recipient of a wrapper on which
a sportsman is seen "missing" a hare with his gun--the animal making a
rapid retreat. Is this meant for "miss his cook?" (Fig. 9). Indeed,
animals are well represented amongst the humours of the Post Office.
An elephant is amusing itself on a euphonium, with its trunk to the
mouthpiece, a crocodile is after a very diminutive boy wishing him "A
Merry Christmas"; and a vocalist receives a view of house-tops and
chimney-pots, round which cats are raising their voices, and a note in
the corner to the effect that "the opera season has commenced." Perhaps
the cleverest of these animal studies is that of the method employed
by a number of mice to secure the meat of a pet puppy. Whilst the dog
was innocently sleeping against a small perch a mouse has heroically
climbed to the summit of it, and being the fortunate possessor of a
tail both strong and long, has wound it round the poor puppy's neck
whilst its relations are feeding in perfect safety and contentment
(Fig. 10).
[Illustration: FIG. 9.]
[Illustration: FIG. 10.]
Matrimonial squabbles are not missing. One is an Irish scene. Pat,
to escape the wrath of his loving wife, has shut himself up in his
hut, and appears at the window with a radiant smile, alas! only of
a temporary kind, we fear. For at the door is standing a lady armed
with a mighty shillelagh, over whose head is written the refrain of a
popular ballad, "Waiting here to meet her little darling!" Songs, it
seems, are frequently quoted. Mephistopheles, in his traditional red,
is eyeing a young lady, and declaring "I shall have her by and by." A
banjoist is fingering his instrument whilst giving expression to his
feelings with
"But whilst I listen to thy voice,
Thy face I never see."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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