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burlesques-第125部分
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〃That's Mr。 Hicks; the Husher; ma'am;〃 says my lord。 〃We keep him;
for he's very useful to throw stones at; and he keeps the chaps'
coats when there's a fight; or a game at cricket。Well; Hicks;
how's your mother? what's the row now?〃 〃I believe; my lord;〃 said
the usher; very meekly; 〃there is a pugilistic encounter somewhere
on the premisesthe Honorable Mr。 Mac〃
〃Oh! COME along;〃 said Lord Lollypop; 〃come along: this way; ma'am!
Go it; ye cripples!〃 And my lord pulled my dear Jemmy's gown in
the kindest and most familiar way; she trotting on after him;
mightily pleased to be so taken notice of; and I after her。 A
little boy went running across the green。 〃Who is it; Petitoes?〃
screams my lord。 〃Turk and the barber;〃 pipes Petitoes; and runs
to the pastry…cook's like mad。 〃Turk and the ba;〃 laughs out my
lord; looking at us。 〃HURRA! THIS way; ma'am!〃 And turning round
a corner; he opened a door into a court…yard; where a number of
boys were collected; and a great noise of shrill voices might be
heard。 〃Go it; Turk!〃 says one。 〃Go it; barber!〃 says another。
〃PUNCH HITH LIFE OUT!〃 roars another; whose voice was just cracked;
and his clothes half a yard too short for him!
Fancy our horror when; on the crowd making way; we saw Tug
pummelling away at the Honorable Master MacTurk! My dear Jemmy;
who don't understand such things; pounced upon the two at once;
and; with one hand tearing away Tug; sent him spinning back into
the arms of his seconds; while; with the other; she clawed hold of
Master MacTurk's red hair; and; as soon as she got her second hand
free; banged it about his face and ears like a good one。
〃You nastywickedquarrelsomearistocratic〃 (each word was a
bang)〃aristocraticoh! oh! oh!〃Here the words stopped; for what
with the agitation; maternal solicitude; and a dreadful kick on the
shins which; I am ashamed to say; Master MacTurk administered; my
dear Jemmy could bear it no longer; and sunk fainting away in my
arms。
DOWN AT BEULAH。
Although there was a regular cut between the next…door people and
us; yet Tug and the Honorable Master MacTurk kept up their
acquaintance over the back…garden wall; and in the stables; where
they were fighting; making friends; and playing tricks from morning
to night; during the holidays。 Indeed; it was from young Mac that
we first heard of Madame de Flicflac; of whom my Jemmy robbed Lady
Kilblazes; as I before have related。 When our friend the Baron
first saw Madame; a very tender greeting passed between them; for
they had; as it appeared; been old friends abroad。 〃Sapristie;〃
said the Baron; in his lingo; 〃que fais…tu ici; Amenaide?〃 〃Et
toi; mon pauvre Chicot;〃 says she; 〃est…ce qu'on t'a mis a la
retraite? Il parait que tu n'es plus General chez Franco〃
CHUT!〃 says the Baron; putting his finger to his lips。
〃What are they saying; my dear?〃 says my wife to Jemimarann; who
had a pretty knowledge of the language by this time。
〃I don't know what 'Sapristie' means; mamma; but the Baron asked
Madame what she was doing here? and Madame said; 'And you; Chicot;
you are no more a General at Franco。'Have I not translated
rightly; Madame?〃
〃Oui; mon chou; mon ange。 Yase; my angel; my cabbage; quite right。
Figure yourself; I have known my dear Chicot dis twenty years。〃
〃Chicot is my name of baptism;〃 says the Baron; 〃Baron Chicot de
Punter is my name。〃
〃And being a General at Franco;〃 says Jemmy; 〃means; I suppose;
being a French General?〃
〃Yes; I vas;〃 said he; 〃General Baron de Puntern'est 'a pas;
Amenaide?〃
〃Oh; yes!〃 said Madame Flicflac; and laughed; and I and Jemmy
laughed out of politeness: and a pretty laughing matter it was; as
you shall hear。
About this time my Jemmy became one of the Lady…Patronesses of that
admirable institution; 〃The Washerwoman's…Orphans' Home;〃 Lady de
Sudley was the great projector of it; and the manager and chaplain;
the excellent and Reverend Sidney Slopper。 His salary; as
chaplain; and that of Doctor Leitch; the physician (both cousins of
her ladyship's); drew away five hundred pounds from the six
subscribed to the Charity: and Lady de Sudley thought a fete at
Beulah Spa; with the aid of some of the foreign princes who were in
town last year; might bring a little more money into its treasury。
A tender appeal was accordingly drawn up; and published in all the
papers:
〃APPEAL。
〃BRITISH WASHERWOMAN'S…ORPHANS' HOME。
〃The 'Washerwoman's…Orphans' Home' has now been established seven
years: and the good which it has effected is; it may be confidently
stated; INCALCULABLE。 Ninety…eight orphan children of Washerwomen
have been lodged within its walls。 One hundred and two British
Washerwomen have been relieved when in the last state of decay。
ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY…EIGHT THOUSAND articles of male and female
dress have been washed; mended; buttoned; ironed; and mangled in
the Establishment。 And; by an arrangement with the governors of
the Foundling; it is hoped that THE BABY…LINEN OF THAT HOSPITAL
will be confided to the British Washerwoman's Home!
〃With such prospects before it; is it not sad; is it not lamentable
to think; that the Patronesses of the Society have been compelled
to reject the applications of no less than THREE THOUSAND EIGHT
HUNDRED AND ONE BRITISH WASHERWOMEN; from lack of means for their
support? Ladies of England! Mothers of England! to you we appeal。
Is there one of you that will not respond to the cry in behalf of
these deserving members of our sex?
〃It has been determined by the Ladies…Patronesses to give a fete at
Beulah Spa; on Thursday; July 25; which will be graced with the
first foreign and native TALENT; by the first foreign and native
RANK; and where they beg for the attendance of every WASHERWOMAN'S
FRIEND。〃
Her Highness the Princess of Schloppenzollernschwigmaringen; the
Duke of Sacks…Tubbingen; His Excellency Baron Strumpff; His
Excellency Lootf…Allee…Koolee…Bismillah…Mohamed…Rusheed…Allah; the
Persian Ambassador; Prince Futtee…Jaw; Envoy from the King of Oude;
His Excellency Don Alonzo di Cachachero…y…Fandango…y…Castanete; the
Spanish Ambassador; Count Ravioli; from Milan; the Envoy of the
Republic of Topinambo; and a host of other fashionables; promised
to honor the festival: and their names made a famous show in the
bills。 Besides these; we had the celebrated band of Moscow…musiks;
the seventy…seven Transylvanian trumpeters; and the famous Bohemian
Minnesingers; with all the leading artists of London; Paris; the
Continent; and the rest of Europe。
I leave you to fancy what a splendid triumph for the British
Washerwoman's Home was to come off on that day。 A beautiful tent
was erected; in which the Ladies…Patronesses were to meet: it was
hung round with specimens of the skill of the washerwomen's
orphans; ninety…six of whom were to be feasted in the gardens;
and waited on by the Ladies…P
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