The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-08-06 00:00:00

[From Punch.]

SOMETHING LIKE A (BANK) HOLIDAY.
Model Dwelling Houses, August Ist, 1881.
DEAR MOLLY,
You know as how I don't like to break a promise
when I have once made it, though I am a bit done up.
So here goes to tell you how I've been enjoying of
myself these twenty hours and more. Relaxation—
that's what I've been having—genuine relaxation I
And welcome too after the out-of-doors knocking
about me and my mates have to get through every
day of the blessed year—barring Sundays and these
here Bank Holidays. lam sure we are very much
obliged to Sir John Lubbock, and we only wish the
other "barts " were more like him I -

You may bet that I was up betimes this morning.
As I was out of bed a good while before the excursion
started for Brighton, I thought I would do a little bit
of digging in my garden plot—which is likely to get
, forgotten when I have other jobs on hand. So I
turned the ground about before breakfast. But that
didn't prevent me cleaning up and being down at
London Bridge just before they closed the barriers. If
I didn't get a seat in the train what was the odds?
There was a lot of chaps that had to stand too; as
the train was a bit crowded. But the hours
passed as quick as thought what with the
songs, and the jokes, and the laughter. When
we got to the coast, as a matter of course, I
took a stroll into the Aquarium, and the Pavilion,
over the'Downs, and to the Devil's Dyke and back.
Then, after walking on the two Piers, I thought it
was about time to have a dip in the sea. I had a
good swim! But I was soon out of the water
and on it, a pulling a select party of twenty for
half an hour or so. When we landed, who should
I see but cousin Jim, who, although he's settled at
Brighton, still keeps his hand in at cricket. Think-
ing I shouldn't mind a game myself, I stood for a
chap who didn't turn up as Square Leg, and the
balls being lively, 'did a good deal of running before
it was dinner-time. When I got to Jim's I found I had
lost the half of my return ticket Here was a pretty
to-do! But it didn't matter much, as Jim had a bicycle
which he said I could take back to London, to wait
for him there until he had time to ride it back. So up
I got as fresh as paint, and spent the next five hours
a going up hill and down dale, and through a lot of
villages. When I got home, who should I find wait-
ing for me but Bob, who belongs to our Volunteer
Corps. "Jack," says he, "you ain't turned up
these three weeks—come and do a bit of Battalio
Drill to please our blessed Adjutant." "Any-
thing for a quiet life," says I, and I puts
on my uniform, and joins Bob in a regular
field-day! By this time I was a trifle done up.
So I tells Bob that I wouldn't go to the Music Hall
this time, for I remembers too that I had promised to
write to you. So here lam with the blessed paper
, before me a telling you all about it!
So as I am a bit tired, no more for the present from
Your Affectionate Cousin, JACK.

P.S. I only hope you have enjoyed your Bank Holi-
day as much as I have. I don't know what we labour-
ing folk would do with our every-day hard work, it we
didn't have a little real rest sometimes!