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January 18, 1868.3 THE TOMAHAWK. 2 9 __
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THE PEEP-SHOW.
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THE MOST SHAMEFUL SIGHT IN THE WORLD ! S...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Transcript
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
January 18, 1868.3 The Tomahawk. 2 9 __
January 18 , 1868 . 3 THE TOMAHAWK . 2 9 __
The Peep-Show.
THE PEEP-SHOW .
The Most Shameful Sight In The World ! S...
THE MOST SHAMEFUL SIGHT IN THE WORLD ! SCENE . —A well-known thoroughfare by night * The pavement C drunken 7 'owded creatures with fast . shop A hoarse boys , roar slangy composed lawyer ' s of clerks blasphemy , and and language scarcely less repulsive than blasphemy . Don ' t shudder and turn awav !
should Oh , I be know put out it is of aw sig ful ht and and disgracefu forgotten l — , and something something so much that like work the its leper cure of — old something , that men so utterl are afraid y loathsome to touch that it even human to nature But it is revolts for this against reason it and that shuns I cal it as l if it were to the bear plague with . me and to aid me very in this great good work upon . Come you let us rise against it with all our heart and soul ! Let us , attack this fri firicr htful 'h tfni scandal snanrini tooth tontli and sinrl nail nail let ~\ f * t us nc tear t ^ d i- it it ci vt 7 a \ r drive rl rixre * it if
awa g y , do our very best to kill it ; ! This is the season away , of the is year , indeed of all . seasons Down with of the mock year morality for doing and this prurient good thing prudery . It and then . charity Down . No I say , rather under like our the feet Kni with ghts such of old barriers , let us to with duty a best clear actions conscience , in this and grand a fearless cause arm —the do our cause greatest of hol deeds y woman , our - have hood for ! It our is foes for the all that enemies is good of reli and gion noble , of society that we , of fight honest —we men , and pure women . country COimtrv Look — at is the it it not nnt scene ? ? before So So nice nir < you * and : inrl . A good cronrl nice and anH sight leasant for pacnnt a Christian that tYt ^ t of r » f
, , p , of course the , g we lobe can , and afford leave to this send livel rsiissionaries y , cheerful to spot the undisturbed four quartu in s . all very its satisfactory joyous mirth —to and know innocent that we gaiety have the ! It Reverend is satisfactory Thisand — the the Venerable Gospel , and That to , teach doing the their benefits very best of to commerce spread the ( chiefl truths , y in of - rum Quashee and and glass equall beads y ) ignorant in the lands Sambo inh ! abited Oh , it by is poor charming , ignorant to moment think that is the absolutel scene y I painted have set from in my Nature Peep — -Show is " realistic at this very " to p the hotogra very last phic degree ! The — onl is y photograp thing I can hic 't in quite its details reproduce —absolutel in my y mimic copy of the great original is the mirth—the gaiety—the
jollity jollity good deal . . And And of gas this this , and is is , , perhaps perhaps blaze , and , , just jus " t life as as well well ; " but , , for for somehow you vou see see there there or other is is a a the delig laug htful hter a spot amid . the Tears merriment , you know sounds , are strangel nearly y a- artificial kin to smiles for so , be and conceit but perhaps weep to enter ing that in a bal disguise is the reason , grief dressed wh in gala y some as costume Death merriment : ! the It is character seems a quaint to , is so incongruous , so very masque incongruous ! Mirth and rougewit and blanc de perle journey along together—a light pair of heels , never never , the never servan carries t of an a aching heavy heart brain — ! a lively Of course tongue of course is never of , course , a thousant times of course ! And it is because , it is so very , ing much in this " of course lively p " lace that merriment I am just sounding the least bit hollow surprised and laughter at
findmore more heartrending heartrending * than than the the wails wails of of cry rrvino ing - men m *» n ! t , However W « w *» v # » r as ne laughter kind I must of make merriment heard fancy in the g that ive ori way g I inal imag to of fact ine the , I causes scene reluctantl befo the re y very allow us is devils just that , the the to shudder Well , , there and , sets you the see angels what of we Heaven have before a-weep us ing — ! three young fellows and drunk , dressed . Sec how after they " Champagne stagger down Charlie the , street " rollicking , singing , merry their , are foolish city songs clerks and , and laughing are " seeing their life meaningless . " " Youth laughter at the Prow . They and it Pleasure a nice at scene the ? Hel so m like " the you artist know 's — fancy Etty , ' too s picture ! There . Isn you 't G £ ^ £ l vrAi 1 11 ^ «**« ^ il T nia ^ ic I *« iviusnc liaMuA < -t • a A ciuu , _ . _» J _ _ — . * _ _ _ 1 ___ ** « t 1 *
ribaldry **~ , ? « - '"«¦ " and wn . buffoonery ^ ! And ; eyes Pleasure . unsteady at the hel gait m too , witn ! But nis p never iece ( mind of course Pleasure ) knows —everyone very well , who what has Pleasure seen Etty is 's like master ! A - little to the right please . There , that group is what we call in tearing instance Englan , d and ' means a swearing row two ! " A things and sweet fi , g in hting pretty shawls ! name These and which bonnets two in things and the present gowns so full , and of oath grinning s , and throng drink , and , who murder jeeringl , are y g surrounded ive them advice by an admiring touching
the noble art of self defence ! They fight , and fight , and fight panied until they by are the torn throng asunder ( more by jeering two policemen than ever , ) and they then are , dragged accom ^ like dogs to the station-house ! Like dogs S Treating things " then wearing you bonnets see there and are shawls many like dogs dogs who ! would Well scarcer it is harsh ^ fccgLre , but to be named in the same breath with these screaming , tearing , raging creatures in their crushed bonnets and their torn shawls ! nna Anr ? me tYif > re re * iook 1 r » r » lr to tr » tne tV » ^ leu 1 f * ft unaer nn ^ pr tnat tftnt arrliwav . . uo Tiri von see s *» i = »
how that , figure , in its sombre , dress , is arenway hurrying away you ? Do you know where ? No . But I do ! Yes , I know where that poor , poor figure is hurrying to . Do you want to learn ? Well then listen to me . I'm often obliged to read the newspaper . A Peep-show man must live up to the times if he wishes to succeed in life . And it was through reading the columns of a paper that I became ngure fi possessed gure was was walking wancing of the along aiong following tnc the wet wet little pavement pavement story : — of or One the tne cold Strand strana ni . . ght The 1 ne a finot oldand not warmlcladIt
shivered gure was and sobbed very and , seemed was to be very very wretched y indeed . . It walked up and down , the Strand and met another figure , and the two figures fraternised . The first figure said " how cold it was compassion , and how upon miserable it and tried it was to , " soothe and the it . second " You fi are gure hungry took you and will cold wait , " said an the hour second or so fi on gure the . bridge " Never for mind me , , I my dare dear say . b If y the end of that time I shall be able to bring you some money . " And the first figure thanked the second figure , and the two
parted Darted— — ! th the And e first first wh to to ile wait wai the t on on first the the fi bridge hririVe waited , . the the on second second the brid to to get cret it some some bemoney , gure ge gan scen to e full think of . lig And hts and this lau is g what hter . it I thoug have ht just . " seen I have merry just peop left le a and I look gay over rooms the , parapet sparkling of wines this and bridge gorgeous I can just dresses make ! And out as in the darkness the sullen waves of a black gloomy river . Which fi shall I had choose chosen ? " ! When The the f iver second carried figure to the returned shore the the secret first
of gure her choice / And now can you guess whither that figure under the arcade with its dark shadow is hurrying ? Look a little to the left and you will see modest women and you honest . 7 Tis men cruel leaving that the they doors should of a be theatre hustled . Yes and , I elbowed agree with by such a crowd ! But what would you ? Are we not in London , the centre of civilization , the metropolis of the world ? Is not this a Christian God-fearing nation ? Are we not unlike unto other le ?—for instancein what of this inhabited
peop , part g not lobe in of Vienna ours would , not in one St find . Petersburg such a scene . No as , this assuredl ? Not y in we Paris have , much to be thankful for ! Yes , you thought that Swift drew from his imagination the p sing icture le fi of gure his in Yahoo the scene . See before how you wrong who you would were not . have Is there given a the savage man-hater the cue for his fearful satire ? Riot and those drunkenness words . , drunkenness Vice , stolid , and stupid riot , wretched ! 1 can , miserable add nothing vice to ! Oh , it is a painful thing , a fearful thing , to see men made in the
devilish figure of ! God I am so sick degraded of the , so subject utterl , y I beastlike can pursue —so it contemptibl no longer ! y should And yet London one word be cursed more . so terribl This thing y ? is should it possible not that be ! a great Why people is so wretchedly governed that it cannot escape from such a miserable scandal ? I have purposely described the scene on my . mimic stage in language most guardedly chosen . I have done this in rf-1 deference to popular ?• £ * prejudices . We have got so accustomed 1 /•/ » l 1 f » f rf ^»^*\ /^ to 4 " f \ whited 11 r \> i # -iar 1 sepulchres cam * 1 f * r * £ ? that f Unf it i 4- has | - % *^ o become V * A ^ % / "x •**¦ % A r * crime ^ - »»* 2 v »^ * % . to 4- yv
a scrape the flimsy covering from off the tomb ' s corruption ! And yet with all this we suffer a glaring scandal in our very midst ! Wh " this y ? is wrong Is there , this no is one shameful to tear , this the mask shall aside not , no be one ? " to I fear say not . Well then , if no one will attempt the task Tomahawk is a prepared grievance to , raise surely his here weapon is a . scandal The press calling has for redressed our very many best exertions . I hope most heartily that my words may find an
fall echo before in many the an wei editorial ght of our sanctum printer , ' s that ink . this A great spade evil must may be called a spade , a scoundrel a scoundrel , a thief a thief . A little healthy publicity , and all will be well . Let my motto encourage reterit me / to attempt the task . Invitat culfiam qui fieccatum p
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Citation
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Tomahawk (1867-1870), Jan. 18, 1868, page 29, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/t/issues/ttw_18011868/page/9/
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