The Project Gutenberg EBook of Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 99,
August 9, 1890., by Various

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Title: Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 99, August 9, 1890.

Author: Various

Release Date: July 5, 2004 [EBook #12825]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

VOLUME 99.

August 9, 1890.

FIRST AID TO TOMMY ATKINS.

Sir,--I visited the Military Exhibition the other day according to
your instructions, my bosom glowing with patriotic ardour. If anything
besides your instructions and the general appropriateness of the
occasion had been necessary to make my bosom glow thus, it would have
been found in the fact that I formerly served my country in a Yeomanry
Regiment. I shall never forget the glorious occasions on which I wore
a cavalry uniform, and induced some of my best friends to believe
I had gone to the dogs and enlisted. However, to relate my Yeomanry
adventures, which included a charge by six of us upon a whole army,
would be to stray from my point, which is to describe what I saw at
the Military Exhibition. I was lame (oh, dear no, not the gout, a mere
strain) and took a friend, an amiable young man, with me to lean upon.

[Illustration]

"There's one place I really _do_ know," he had said to me, "and that's
this bally place."

I therefore felt I was safe with him. We arrived. We entered. "Take
me," I said, "to the battle-pictures, so that I may study my country's
glories."

"Right!" he answered, and with a promptitude that does him immense
credit, he brought me out into a huge arena in the open air with seats
all round it, a grand stand, and crowds of spectators. The performance
in the arena so deeply interested me that I forgot all about the
pictures. I saw at once what it was. Detachments of our citizen
soldiers were going through ambulance drill. The sight was one which
appealed to our common humanity. My daring, dangerous Yeomanry days
rose up again before me, and I felt that if ever I had had to bleed
for my QUEEN I should not h