Christmas Present for Sir Charles Dilke.—Packet of Court Plaster and some Household Bread.
NEW YEAR'S "NOTE" TO CORRESPONDENTS.
Mr. Punch, in spite of his emphatic and repeated Notices and Explanations, being still copiously afflicted with Communications from Persons whom he has not invited to take the liberty of addressing him, issues the following Note, and advises such persons to study it closely.
He calls them "Correspondents," but does so only for convenience. A Correspondent means a person who not only writes, but to whom the recipient of the letter also writes. Ninety-nine out of a hundred of those who address Mr. Punch are, and will be, unanswered, except by this Note.
Let all understand that he is answerable for the real or supposed value of No literary or artistic matter which may be sent him, unasked. This is law. Let all understand that at the earliest possible moment after his discovery that such matter is useless to him, it is Destroyed. This is fact.
Notice also that stamped and directed envelopes, for the return of such matters, will not operate to the fracture of his rule.
After this notice, "Correspondents" will have no one but themselves to thank for the Snub Mr. Punch's silence implies.
But is he unwise enough to believe that the plague of foolish Correspondence will thus be stayed? Verily, no.