Pickwick put on a pair of spectacles without any... Pickwick put on a pair of spectacles without any glass, rapped upon the table, hemmed, and having stared hard at MrSnodgrass, who was tilting back in his chair, till he arranged himself properly, began to read:
"THE PICKWICK PORTFOLIO"
MAY 20, 18---
POET'S CORNER
ANNIVERSARY ODE
Again we meet to celebrate
With badge and solemn rite,
Our fifty-second anniversary,
In Pickwick Hall, tonight
We all are here in perfect health,
None gone from our small band:
Again we see each well-known face,
And press each friendly hand
Our Pickwick, always at his post,
With reverence we greet,
As, spectacles on nose, he reads
Our well-filled weekly sheet
Although he suffers from a cold,
We joy to hear him speak,
For words of wisdom from him fall,
In spite of croak or squeak
Old six-foot Snodgrass looms on high,
With elephantine grace,
And beams upon the company,
With brown and jovial face
Poetic fire lights up his eye,
He struggles 'gainst his lot
Behold ambition on his brow,
And on his nose, a blot
Next our peaceful Tupman comes,
So rosy, plump, and sweet,
Who chokes with laughter at the puns,
And tumbles off his seat
Prim little Winkle too is here,
With every hair in place,
A model of propriety,
Though he hates
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The year is gone, we still unite
To joke and laugh and read,
And tread the path of literature
That doth to glory lead
Long may our paper prosper well,
Our club unbroken be,
And coming years their blessings pour
On the useful, gay `PSNODGRASS
________
THE MASKED MARRIAGE
(A Tale Of Venice)
Gondola after gondola swept up to the marble steps, and left its lovely load to swell the brilliant throng that filled the stately halls of Count AdelonKnights and ladies, elves and pages, monks and flower girls, all mingled gaily in the dance
Sweet voices and rich melody filled the air, and so with mirth and music the masquerade went on"Has your Highness seen the Lady viola tonight?" asked a gallant troubadour of the fairy queen who floated down the hall upon his arm
"Yes, is she not lovely, though so sad! Her dress is well chosen, too, for in a week she weds Count Antonio, whom she passionately hates
"By my faith, I envy himYonder he comes, arrayed like a bridegroom, except the black maskWhen that is off we shall see how he regards the fair maid whose heart he cannot win, though her stern father bestows her hand," returned the troubadour
"Tis whispered that she loves the young English artist who haunts her steps, and is spurned by
white chanel j12 watch the old Count," said the lady, as they joined the danceThe revel was at its height when a priest appeared, and withdrawing the young pair to an alcove, hung with purple velvet, he motioned them to kneelInstant silence fell on the gay throng, and not a sound, but he dash of fountains or the rustle of orange groves sleeping in the moonlight, broke the hush, as Count de Adelon spoke thus:
"My lords and ladies, pardon the ruse by which I have gathered you here to witness the marriage of my daughterFather, we wait your services All eyes turned toward the bridal party, and a murmur of amazement went through the throng, for neither bride nor groom removed their masksCuriosity and wonder possessed all hearts, but respect restrained all tongues till the holy rite was overThen the eager spectators gathered round the count, demanding an explanation
"Gladly would I give it if I could, but I only know that it was the whim of my timid Viola, and I yielded to itNow, my children, let the play endUnmask and receive my blessing
But neither bent the knee, for the young bridegroom replied in a tone that startled all listeners as the mask fell, disclosing the noble face of Ferdinand Devereux, the artist lover, and leaning on the breast where now flashed the star of an English
christian dior saddle bag earl was the lovely Viola, radiant with joy and beauty
"My lord, you scornfully bade me claim your daughter when I could boast as high a name and vast a fortune as the Count antonioI can do more, for even your ambitious soul cannot refuse the Earl of Devereux and De Vere, when he gives his ancient name and boundless wealth in return for the beloved hand of this fair lady, now my wife
The count stood like one changed to stone, and turning to the bewildered crowd, Ferdinand added, with a gay smile of triumph, "To you, my gallant friends, I can only wish that your wooing may prosper as mine has done, and that you may all win as fair a bride as I have by this masked marriagePICKWICK
Why is the Plike the Tower of Babel? It is full of unruly members
___________
THE HISTORY OF A SQUASH
_____
Once upon a time a farmer planted a little seedin his garden, and after a while it sprouted and became a vine and bore many squashesOne day in October, when they were ripe, he picked one and took it to marketA gorcerman bought and put it in his shopThat same morning, a little girl in a brown hat and blue dress, with a round face and snub nose, went and bought it for her motherShe lugged it home, cut it up, and boiled it in the big pot, mashed some of it salt and
gucci horsebit hobo butter, for dinnerAnd to the rest she added a pint of milk, two eggs, four spoons of sugar, nutmeg, and some crackers, put it in a deep dish, and baked it till it was brown and nice, and next day it was eaten by a family named MarchTUPMAN
_____________
MrPickwick, Sir:
I address you upon the subject of sin the sinner I mean is a man named Winkle who makes trouble in his club by laughing and sometimes won't write his piece in this fine paper I hope you will pardon his badness and let him send a French fable because he can't write out of his head as he has so many lessons to do and no brains in future I will try to take time by the fetlock and prepare some work which will be all commy la fo that means all right I am in haste as it is nearly school time
Yours respectably,
NWINKLE
[The above is a manly and handsome aknowledgment of past misdemeanorsIf our young friend studied punctuation, it would be well
_________
A SAD ACCIDENT
On Friday last, we were startled by a violent shock in our basement, followed by cries of distressOn rushing in a body to the cellar, we discovered our beloved President prostrate upon the floor, having tripped and fallen while getting wood for domestic purposesA perfect scene of ruin met our eyes, for in his fall
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