Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-12-09
"PUNcH's" MERRY.MAKERs.

otN irmdOuSutps WHICH nave existed,
continuing until the present day, be-
tween the contributors. Under Mark
Lemons long reign the most sincere
and lasting friendships were founded.
One OF the pleasantest chapters in
Blanchard Jerrold's life of bis father is
that entitled Douglas Jerrold at Home,,
and it contains an incident characters
tic ofthe hearty spirit Of geniality which
marked the social and domestic gather
, ings of the Punch men:
Dinner, if there be no visitors, win
be at four, In the Summer cold
quarter of lamb and salad and rasp.
berry tart, with little French wine in
the tent, aud cigar. Then a short
nap-forty winks-upon the great sofa
III the study; and another long stroll
over the lawn, while the young mem-
bcrs play bowls and the tea is prepar-
ed in the tent. Over the tea table jokes
Of all kinds, as at dinner. No friend
who may happen to drop in now will
make any difference in the circle Per-
hars the fun may lie extended to a
game or some kind on the lawn. Bas-
ting the bear was one evening the rule,
, on which OCCASION grave editors and
contributors LASTED one another to
their hearts content The crowning ef-
fort Of this memorable evening was a
general attempt to go heels over head
upon baycocks in the orchard--a feat
which vanquished the skill Of the
laughing host, aud left a very stout
and very responsible editor, 1 remem-
ber, upon bis head, without power to
retrieve his natural position. Again,
after dinner party under canvas, the
hearty host. with his guests, including
Mr.. Macready, Mr.. Charles Dickens,
Mr. Maclise and Mr. John Forster,
INDUCED in most active game of leap
frog, the lacks being requested to turn
IN any ohstrusive two-pennv with the
real Zest If fourteen.
The host was Douglas Jerrcld; the
stout gentleman, Mr Mark Lemon
The little hand of Punch writers were
mostly fond Of children. 1t was Thack-
eray's delight to tip boys. When
Sidney Blanchard was little fellow.
on one of his school holidays Thackeray
gave him dinuer at the Garrick, took
'hiintotfc theatsrin the evening, aad en-
j"ycd himself immensely in the delight
Of the hoy. Leech was never happier
than in his pictures of children and
their childish humor. Du Maurier is
never more at home than when he is
delineating some quaint joke in which
the children are the actors. Tom Hood
was ono of the most simple and gentle
minded of poets. Men who love .chil-
dreu are invariably good fellows; and
IN their own homes, or round the Punch
table. Mark Lemon, Jerrold, Horace
MAYHEM Leech, Thacl,eray, Tom Hood,
John T'nniel, were simply party of
grown-up boys, full of the freedom and
unconventional geuialty of youth. In
their troubles and in their pleasures
they were a happy family. Shirley
Brooks dedicated his first novel, in af-
fcctionatc terms, to Mark and Mary
Lemon, in whose unprctending cottage
ut Crawlev much of it was written.
Jerrold was both a humorist and
wit. His wit was Of the keenest and
most transparent character. like Sidney
Smiths wit. like all true wit; for gen
uine wit is the same all the world over.
Wit gives YOU Eod in passing; bu:
with bumor Won are at home You
must he cn the alert for wit; il fash
Is, and is gone Take walk upon an
empty stomach said the doctor t. Sid
ney Smith. Upon whose: asked tie
Dean. That is wit. So is Tom Hoods
description of fellow whose hight of
folly constituted his own monument
"A column Of fop.
lighthouse, without any light atop"
So was Sidney Smiths reply to the
churchwardens, when they wanted a
wood pavement round ST Paul's: Iay
ycur heads together, and the thing is
done while his remark to little child
who was scratching tortoise. that il
WAS like scratching the dome of st.
Paui's To please the Dean and Charter.
Is fine example Of perfect humor.
The wit Of Jerrold is often equal to that
of the Dean; and many a brilliant saw
ing is attributed to beth of them. A
score Of stories of Jerrold occur 10 me,
though 1t is too late Ia add anv new
ones 10 the record, for his wit and hu
NOR have been carefully collected and
published. There are few good
things, however, which will bear repe-
tition. Nature has written honest
man upon his face said Person try
ing to make interest for his friend, with
Jerroli. Then Nature must have had
very bad pen was the prompt reply.
Everybody knows how he revenyed him
self upon . pompous fop. who bad made
himself Extensively conspicuous at a
club dinner where sleeps head was a
favori:e dish. Pushing his plate aside,
the stranger exclaimed. Well, saw,
sleeps head foreverr What egutism I
remarked Jerrold. This, no doubt, led
up taa kindred fash Of wit OH another
occa& at the expense ef literary
friend of Jerrold's, who had just order
ed Some sleeps tail soup, wai.er.'-
'Ahv said Jerrold. looking up, and
smiling with his great eyes. extremes
meet sometimes. There was an old
gentleman who drove a very slow pony
in ramshackle gig; and he was anI-
ious one day to pay Jerrold little spe.
cial attention. The humorist was on
his way to the station from his house
'Ah, MIR. Jerrold I said the old gentle.
man, shall give you q lift. No
/ thank you,' said Jerrold, i am in :
hurry. In the country. on . visit, Jer