I never ’eard that cannon afore give sech a tremenjious pop—
(Solemnly.) And a peal o’ thunder responded, as seemed all over the shop!
For a second Bob stood in the lightning, so noble, and bold, and big;—
Then ... a stagger ... a flutter ... a broken chirp— (you can add immensely to the effect here by a little appropriate action. Pause, and give time for a solemn hush to fall upon the audience, then, with a forced calm, as if you were doing violence to your own feelings)—he was orf, Sir,—(a slight gulp)—he’d ’opped the twig!
(Second Pause: then more briskly, but still with strong emotion to the close)
So now you’ve the hexplanation of the crape round the tabbies’ necks,
And kin understand why we close to-day “in token of our respecks.”
The time has now come for Mr. Punch to bid his pupils farewell, which he does with a pleasure that he has some reason to hope will be not unreciprocated. During the few months over which this course has extended, he has made it his aim to furnish the young carpet-knight for the fray as completely as possible, and, if the Amateur Reciter be not (as some hold) already invulnerable, the panoply of pieces with which he has been armed here should go far to render him so.
All Mr. Punch would ask in return is that, when any one of his young friends is retiring, flushed with triumph, amidst an intoxicating murmur of faint applause and renewed conversation, after delivering some composition of his Preceptor’s, he will not suffer himself to be completely dazzled by success, but will remember the means which have contributed thereto with such gratitude as he may be able to command.