EA, sand, sunshine, serenity, salubrity-these were the chief delights in S-se. Of those in posse, the most prominent was a posse or bevy of the very prettiest damsels that ever dipt in sea-slept on sand-basked in sunshine-disturbed serenity-or gathered salubrity. Dears with their beautiful hair blowing about their shoulders with a freedom unknown to the ordinary chignon of commerce! Dears with a glow of health on their cheeks, not to be imitated by all the cosmetics of Arabia! Dears with raven locks, dears with golden tresses, dears with nut-brown curls. Short dears, tall dears, plump dears, prim dears, young dears, old dears, and dears in their prime! It really seemed of a morning after bathing hours as if VENUS had been resolved into a joint-stock company, unlimited, and rose from the sea "in her thousands" every day. And to make it all complete, FUN was there! The season was over at last, and the well-earned holiday-time had set in. All the world, and his wife and his lovely daughters, above-mentioned, were at the sea-side. It had been a peculiarly busy and trying season. The Reform agitation had been a constant source of anxiety and uncertainty. The political atmosphere had undergone violent changes, from the Torrid Zone of MR. BEALES and Company, to the Toried Zone of MR. DISRAELI and party, with but brief and hurried pauses in the Temperate Zone, and with few, if any, descents to a LOWE temperature. Then, again, WHALLEY had been more than ordinarily irritating. Concludingvery justly, no doubt-that a Reformed Parliament would not be likely to contain him, he had taken every opportunity of making an exhibition of himself-and had certainly succeeded! The Abyssinian question had been another worry; and the French Exhibition, with the British Commission scandal, had been a further trouble. Besides these there was a host of minor harasses-not MRS. HARASSES, but actual and tangible bothers, which had aided in rendering the season a trying one. But it was all over now! Kef-the dolce far niente-the otium cum dig. in the sands -the great preservative of JACK from becoming a dull boy-the, to be brief, lying-onone's-back-and-letting-things-in-general-slide time had arrived at last. FUN whiffed his regalia, and dismissed for awhile the cares of keeping the world at large well-greased for rolling "down the ringing grooves of time," as his esteemed friend MR. ALFRED TENNYSON-(here is wishing him retirement and privacy in his new quarters!) has very neatly worded it. But, alas, his repose was not to last long. on of the dears approaching. a flock of doves, lending a fresh radiance to the golden light of day, and lading the Ivery laughter and perfumed sighs. , graciously permitting himself to be caressed by twenty of the prettiest of the deputation; the spokeswoman of the party, "it is so very dull here, don't go and fall asleep with a cigar , there's a delightful old dear, and we'll give you a kiss all round, that we will! Do-dohen we've got tired of the sea, and the promenade, and the admiration, and the tea and he books at the library are old sensation novels, and the first volumes are lost, and we are I've been here, we don't think the young men as good-looking as they ought to be, and is play all out of tune, and the fashion-books never come, and there's nothing to do, and for lack of breath rather than want of argument, FUN gave the deputation a smile and d to. I will give you something which shall give a relish to the sea, the promenade, the ps. No!" he added solemnly, fixing his eye upon a dear who was whispering slily to a kiss all round, though you may take it if you like." put and carried by acclamation. At the close of the ceremony, FUN resumed his speech :mething to read instead of stale sensation stories-something better than tatting, or any Idears like to call work;' better than new music or the latest fashions. It shall make thé at of your feet in the sands more presentable. It will teach them-if they can learn-to lish." old darling, we should like it at once," said the head of the deputation. ge of the poet-here goes!" which stood near, and in a few seconds re-appeared, bearing a pile of volumes bound in greeted him. He stood at the top of the steps, and, with a gracious smile, distributed the ones-chuckles from the middle-aged-guffaws from merry youth-smiles from old age 1 OCEAN himself added another wrinkle or two to his cheeks, puckered with "innumerable poet-and no wonder, for that glory of magenta and gold was ifth Volume of the New Series of Fun. HE Spring awakens buds On hill and vale and The birds are singing in The bees are stirring in And FUN commences He puts forth leaves the Though it may snow As in the wintry woods are found Ye who of help and food deprive Keep keen look-out! Here's Volume Five! THE ALPINE CLUB (LIMITED). THIS institution has been established to enable persons, the summits of whose ambitions are also those of mountains, to attain them with the least possible expenditure of time, trouble, and exertion. It also recommends itself as avoiding all the dangers awaiting the usual ascents of the Alps. It is proposed to collect the tops of all the highest mountains in the world, and arrange them in suitable rooms in the club house-the tops of volcanoes being confined to the smoking room. Members will then be able to stand on the summit of Mont Blanc, of Monte Rosa, of the The sturdy holly trees. Matterhorn, without danger or fatigue. Large supplies of ice will be Like evergreens that al-kept on the premises, and any member may, on paying for it, surround himself with it when on the top of a mountain, so as to experience some of the sensations due to his situation. A slab from the Grand Mulets will be arranged as a bed, that members may be able to say that they have passed a night there. ways thrive Is FUN, commencing Lo! Laughter comes to join the throng, For place, beware! Here's Volume Five! Be warned in time! Here's Volume Five! Some gentlemen of the old Alpine Club who were the first to ascend certain peaks, brought away the tops with them, so that no one could reach them again without their permission. Negotiations are in progress with these gentlemen for the possession of these valuable summits. Arrangements are also making for obtaining the tops of all the other celebrated mountains, and it is proposed that anyone presenting the summit of any famous peak to the club shall become an honorary life member. The library will furnish guides and topographical works. ILL-BRED. We have it on good authority, that the ringleaders in the late bread riots at Deptford were regular loafers. VOL. V. |