Punch, or the London Charivari, July 1, 1914

THE SILENT CHARMER.

[Speaking of flowers a contemporary recently remarked:—"These careless-looking creatures filling the air with delight, robbing tired brains of tiredness, are a delicate texture of coloured effort that has prevailed out of a thousand chances, aided in all that effort by man. Without man they would be but weeds—a profusion of Nature's quantity."]

My dearest Thomas, I would not

Deny the fact that you are clever;

You've taught Dame Nature what is what

At horticultural endeavour

(She has not got that useful thing,

The shilling book of gardening).

She has her merits, but, of course,

Her wild attempts won't stand comparing

With such a floral tour de force

As that geranium you are wearing;

Yon chosen emblem of your skill

Must surely make her wilder still.

But give me Nature; when we meet

She does not prattle of her posies,

Dull facts of what begonias eat,

The dietetic fads of roses,

And how she strove with spade and spud.

Or nipped the green fly on the bud.

'Tis she that really soothes the brain,

Spreading her weeds in bright profusion,

And never troubling to explain

How much they owe to her collusion,

While, Thomas, your achievements seem

To be your one and only theme.

Mr. J. C. Parke, writing in The Strand Magazine on the best way to beat Wilding, says:—

"Personally, after close observation and from playing against him, I would suggest a determined attack on the champion's forehead from the base-line."

That ought to learn him.

"His Majesty has been pleased to confer the dignity of an Earldom of the United Kingdom upon Field-Marshal the Viscount Kitchener of Khartoum, P.G.C., B.O.M.G.C., S.I.G.C.M., G.G.C.I.E."

Newcastle Daily Journal.

The old orders change, yielding place to new.

From a magazine cover:—

"This magazine has been the turning point in many a man's career. Spend twopence and half-an-hour on it.... Price Threepence."

We would rather pay the threepence.

"In our report of the wedding of Mr. Lee Kwee Law to Miss Chan Siew Cheen we inadvertently left out the following, who also sent presents:——"—Straits Echo.

And then they inadvertently left them out again.

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