THAMES JOTTINGS

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 5, 16 October 1880, Page 38

THAMES JOTTINGS

The anniversary ball of the Thames Naval Brigade took place on Tuesday, the sth. October, in the Academy of Music. The affair was a great success, nearly 200 people being present. Another -whale has "been observed over at the Miranda. 'Twas a cold afternoon and the usually quiet streets of Shortland presented a positively desolate appearance. The only individuals to be seen, were three young men lazily lolling against the firebell. Presently a gentleman appeared on the scene, accompanied by his favourite pet— a bull dog yclept Crib. One of our gentlemen toned round and remarked, " Hello ! here s and his dog." " Yes !" said his friend, " which is and which is the dog." There must have been a striking resemblance to give occasion to such a question The hostess of one of our large hotels had a fit the other day.and turned all her domestics out of the house at a moment's notice. This should have been considered a " warning" with a vengeance. Dr. Payne has recovered from h isindisposition and may now be seen as of yore, on "his galloping horse," -with the top of his nose just discernible above Ms thick muffler. I wonder what his tailor s boll amounts to in six months ? Mrs. Huxtable was undoubtedly the belle of the naval ball. She wore white satin, with a necklace of cerise. The Mayoress wore amber trimmed with black lace, and a dolly varden cap with cerise flowers and black lace. Travellers by steamers running to the Thames haveoftenremarkedhowsingular it is thatthe ladies prefer the gentlemen's saloon to their own, in order, I presume, to lounge at full length before' the admiring gaze of the sterner sex. A gentlemen recently on his way by one of the boats to the Thames, observed two ladies in tins interesting position lying head to head and fast asleep. One was the worthy spouse of a well-known medico, not at all bod looking, and the other was the wife of a Government official, passed and on whose face the fingers of time had made sad havoc. The gentleman thought to himself, "I would run some risk to kiss that pretty face," meaning the aforesaid medico's lady. " Fortune favotirs the brave," and so it happened that a gust of wind extinguished the lanrps. My gentleman with all the passionate ardour of an Adonis imprinted two kisses on the " cherry lips" of his inamorata. A few minutes elapsed before the lamps were relighted, when to his utter amazement and discomfiture he found he had been smacking away at the wrong party ! Ugh ! The lady had, it must be surmised, guessed his object, and shammed sleep until the light went out, when she " turned over and drew her face to the opposite side, thereby eluding his passionate embrace.