The Project Gutenberg EBook of Punch, Or The London Charivari, Vol. 100,
May 16, 1891, by Various

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Title: Punch, Or The London Charivari, Vol. 100, May 16, 1891

Author: Various

Release Date: September 1, 2004 [EBook #13348]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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PUNCH,

OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

VOL. 100.

May 16, 1891.

MR. PUNCH'S PRIZE NOVELS.

NO. XVII.--GASPS.

(_BY_ OLPH SCHREION, _AUTHOR OF "SCREAMS," "THE ALLEGORY OF AN ASIAN
RANCHE._")

["You will perceive," writes the Author of the following
story, "that this is allegorical, but it is not by any means
necessary that you should understand it. The chief charm of
allegorical writing is its absolute freedom from the trammels
of convention. You write something large and vague, with any
amount of symbols thrown in. The words flow quite easily;
you cover scores of pages. Then you read it over again next
morning. If you understand it so little as to think some other
fellow must have written it, you may be quite certain it is
an allegory. When you print it, your public reads into it
all kinds of mysterious and morbid religious emotions, and
confused misinterpretations of life-problems, and everybody
tacks on his own special explanation. That being so, it is
quite unnecessary for you to explain things--which saves
a great deal of trouble. The plan is an excellent one. Try
it.--Yours, allegorically, O.S."]

CHAPTER I.

TANT' SANNIE was stewing _kraut_ in the old Dutch saucepan. The
scorching rays of the African sun were beating down upon BONAPARTE
BLENKINS who was doing his best to be sun-like by beating WALDO.
His nose was red and disagreeable. He was something like HUCKLEBERRY
FINN's Dauphin, an amusing, callous, cruel rogue, but less
resourceful. TANT' SANNIE laughed; it was so pleasant to see a German
boy beaten black and blue. But the Hottentot servants merely gaped. It
was their custom.

[Illustration]

But in the middle distance Life was playing m