PUNCH,
OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
Vol. 93.
October 29th, 1887.
QUITE A LITTLE HOLIDAY.
Extract from a Grand Old Diary. Monday, Oct. 17.
Self, wife, and Herbert started early to escape our kind-hearted,clear-headed admirers; so early, that I scarcely had time beforeleaving to write thirty post-cards, seventy-six pages of notes for mynext magazine article, and to cut down half-a-dozen trees. Trainannounced to leave Chester at10:30, but got off at the hour.This little joke (Watkin’snotion) caused much amusement.Through opera-glasses we couldsee bands of music, deputations,&c., constantly coming to therailway-stations to meet our trainafter it had passed. Too bad!However, to prevent disappointment,and as Chamberlain hasbeen imitating me and vulgarisedmy original idea, I knocked offsome speeches, in pencil, andHerbert threw them out of thewindow as fast as I could writethem. So far as we could makeout with a telescope, some ofthem reached their destination,and seemed to be well received.
Master Willie Gladstone “really enjoying,and in some measure appreciatingand understanding,” ourMr. Agnew’s lectures on Art.
Vide Times Report, Oct. 18.
Awfully pleased to meet Mr.William Agnew at Manchester.Odd coincidence of Christiannames. I shall speak of himand allude to him as “The OtherWilliam.” He promised to keepby me, and show me all the picturesworth seeing.
“T’Other William,” said I,“you are very good. As youknow, I take a great and sincereinterest in pictures and works of Art, although I know very littleabout them.” T’Other William protested. “No, T’Other William,I am right. You have been the means of providing me with a commoditymost difficult of all others to procure if you do not possess ityourself—that is to say, you have provided me with brains.”Further protests from T’Other One. “No, T’Other William, hearme out; for you know in all cases where a judgment has had to bepassed upon works of Art, I have been accustomed to refer a greatdeal to you, and lean upon you, because you have been constantly themeans of enabling me really to see, and really to enjoy, and in somemeasure to appreciate and understand, all that you have shown to me.”
I was so pleased with this little speech that I made Herbert takeit down as I repeated it to him privately when T’Other was lookingin another direction. When I brought it out afterwards, at luncheonin the Palm-house, it went wonderfully. So it should, because I feltevery word of it. T’Other William is one of the kindest and mostcourteous of my friends.
I was very pleased with the Exhibition, although perhaps (I amnot certain of this) I might have seen it better had not aboutfour thousand visitors followed our little party everywhere, cheeringvociferously. I was consequently obliged to keep my attention mostcarefully fixed upon the exhibits, as when I caught any stranger’seye, the stranger immediately (but with an eagerness that did notexceed the limits of good behaviour) called upon me to make a speechthen and there upon th