Railways in China! Ah! _Mr. Punch_ thinks he has heard of _that_ before. He hopes it may be true this time; though, to the Mandarin, the Locomotive is a Bogey, and the Line sacrilege. Arab advance on Suakin! Neither is _that_ a novel item of news! Gallantly repelled this time, though, and partly, at least, by native valour. A good omen!
Trials at Maryborough, consequent on the lamentable Gweedore evictions, and yet more lamentable crime attending them. When will _this_ sort of thing be wiped out of the panorama of the year?
Raid of the egregious MCDOUGALL, compound, apparently, of _Bottom_ and _Paul Pry_. Well, all's well that ends well, eh, "Mister" ROSEBERY? Glad, anyhow, _you_ are to boss the London County Council yet a little longer. You may be counted on to minimise the MCDOUGALL element.
Greek Royal Wedding. Rare year this for what may be called Splendid Splices! Royal Princes, Princesses, and lucky Dukes well to the fore! As a set-off--alas!--_Mr. Punch's_ Panorama has reluctantly, and delicately, to record many lamented deceases of great, or worthy, or well-beloved ones. Poor Crown Prince RUDOLPH, stout and eloquent JOHN BRIGHT, quaint and clever PELLEGRINI, the _Vanity Fair_ Caricaturist, Lady HOLLAND, of politico-social fame, WILKIE COLLINS, the master of ingeniously Sensational Romance; and last, but, to _Mr. Punch_ and his young men certainly not least, PERCIVAL LEIGH, of _Comic Latin Grammar_, and _Mr. Pips's Diary_ fame--to the world, and, to his private friends, "dear old Professor," of pleasant and unfading memory.
Royal Globe-trotters again? The German Emperor visits Constantinople, and hob-nobs with the SULTAN; the Prince of WALES is off to Egypt, where, perhaps, he hob-nobs with Father Nile. Thence returning, _Punch_ hopes, happy, and with renewed stores of sturdy health!
Yet later in the year come two Big Shows, the Lord Mayor's to wit, with pretty reproductions of old English dresses and disportings, and that of the evergreen P. T. BARNUM, with--well--with everything in the marvel line, if _Mr. Punch_ may trust PHINEAS'S posters.
The Public, anyhow, may trust _Mr. Punch's!_ By such a Panoramic Poster even the Great Showman will admit himself outdone.