The Project Gutenberg EBook of Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 104,
April 22, 1893, by Various

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Title: Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 104, April 22, 1893

Author: Various

Release Date: January 22, 2008 [EBook #24398]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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PUNCH, or the LONDON CHARIVARI

Volume 104, April 22nd 1893

edited by Sir Francis Burnand

OUR BOOKING-OFFICE.

[Illustration: "The strange sea-creatures which made their
appearance."]

Two gentlemen of artistic and literary attainments, having studied the
romances of VICTOR HUGO for the sake of being inspired by that Grand
Old Master's style, determined to essay a "thriller" of most tragic
type. These two single authors, Messrs. WYATT and ROSS, being rolled
into one, wanted, like the Pickwickian Fat Boy, "to make our flesh
creep." In their one-volume Hugoesque romance, _The Earth Girl_,
bound in pale grass-green, with blood-red title, they have most
unequivocally succeeded. The heroine, The Earth Girl, who, at
the last, is sent back whence she came, and so ends by being the
"Earth-to-Earth" Girl, is named _Terra_; she commences by being _Terra
Incognita_, she is never _Terra Firma_, but her existence, in its
consequences to all who come within her influence, is quite a reign of
_Terra_. The authors are to be congratulated on not having yielded
to a great temptation by styling their story _The Earth Girl;
or, Terra-ra-ra-Boom!_ The scene is laid chiefly in the Island of
Breke--but to give too many details would spoil the intending-reader's
pleasure. So, as _Hamlet_ observes, "Breke, Breke my heart, for I must
hold my tongue!" The Earth Girl first sees the light, such as it is,
in a cavern, and is brought up on raw eggs fresh from the sea-bird's
nest, uncooked herbs, and raw fish. No tea, coffee, milk, or liquors
of any description, were within reach of this unhappy family of three,
consisting of Pa, Ma, and the Infant Phenomenon. How they slaked their
thirst is not clearly stated, unless a so