The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1848-12-26 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

REPUBLICAN FIRST FRUITS.  (From Blackwood's Magazine.)  Never, since humanity first took to stocking-wearing, was a vender of that useful article more scurvily treated than he was by the French republic of 1848. The 25th of February beheld hitn a prosperous man and an ardent republican,—" a republican of the morrow," certainly. but no worse for that ; four months of liberty and fraternity brought him to ruin and suicide. At first, all his anticipations are rose-coloured. Increase of trade, an unlimited demand for hosiery, must be the consequences of the new order of things. He is fully persuaded great days are coming for the renowned establishment at the sign of the Spinning Monkey. The day atter the revolution he opens his shop as usual, but only to be bullied by an ouvrier, who steps in to buy a red cap, finds none but white, curses Bonitrdin for a Carlist, and carries off his national guardsman's musket. Uproar recommences in.the street; the ,hop is shut, and continues so for some days. The end of the month arrives ; there are payments to be made, and M. Bonardin sends t riquet to the bank with bills for discount—first-rate paper at short date. Criquet brings then► back ; the best signatures no longer find cash. N. Bonardin is in all the agonies of a punctual paymaster who sees a :..hance of his signature's dishonour, when .-4uddenly he is summoned to his duty as national guard. On his return, after a sleepness night and a fagging day, he has scarcely got amongst the blankets, when he is roused by voices in the street calling out, in a measured chant, for lamps at his windows. _ _  Bonardin, awaking in alarm, and jumping out of  What is that? (Cries in the street, `Des lampions ! des lampions !) Good ! here they are again with their infernal lamps ! Impossible to sleep under this republic?  Voices of .boys in the street. —Hallo! first floor! Spinning Monkey LLamps! lamps ! _  M. Bonardin.—What a nuisance ! (calling out)— Babet! Babet !  The boys shouting,—Lamps or candles ! . . break the ugly monkey's windows, if he does not light up directly ! M. Bonardin.—Lord bless me! Babet !  Babet !  Babel, (running in.)—What is it, sir ? M. Bonardin.—Don't you hear them ? Cut a candle in eight pieces directly. Not a minute to lose ! The boys.—it's a Carlisse, (Carli.st.) Hallo, there ! lamps or candles ! Mr. Bonardin. (in his nightgown, opening the window.) —Directly, citizens, directly ! A minute's patience!  7he boys.—Ah ! there's the old monkey himself ! Bravo ! bravo ! D'un sang impur engraissons nos sillons!'  M. Bonardin, (,flourishing his night-cap.)—Yes, yes, my friends, d'un sang impur Certainly, by all means ; Viva la Republique The bogs,—Vive la Rtfpublique I Down with the carlisses (Babet enters with eandle-ends ; .111. Bonardin retreats behind his bed-curtains.) Ah ! there's the monkey's wife lighting up at last. Bravo ! bravo ! Vive la .I?publigue The monkey's wife not bad-looking in her night-dress !  Cabet, (shutting the window.)—Do you hear, sir, those ragamuffins call me your wife?  111. Bonardin.—Well ! are you not flattered ? Babet.—Yes, indeed, the monkey's wife ! It's flattering ! They take' me for an ape, then ?  M. Bonardin.—lf they will only let me sleep at last. Midnight already. Babet.—Prav, sir, is this to last long ? This is our sixth illumination. A whole packet of fives gone already ! M. Bonardin.—No, no, Babet—it is only the first moment. Recollect, the republic is but ten days old. .. . A single decade, no more. Babet.—A proper business it has been, your decade ! Alarms at every hour of the day and night ; the shop shut three quarters of the time, and no buyers when it is open ! A nice decade! And then the bank, that refuses your paper ; and then your bills, which you can't pay ; and then....  M. Bonardin.—Let me sleep, my poor Babet. All that is very true ; but what matter ? We have got the republic ; and you know as well as I do—