White Hart.

SIGNOR,—­My friend Lord Wilkshire has just arrived.  It is his opinion that:  I did use the terms “Punch, or any other puppet;” but I intended them to have been highly complimentary, as applied to Lord William Paget.

I have the honour to be, your increased admirer,
JOHN POLLEN.

To Signor Punch.

Wellington Street.

SIR,—­I and the Colonel are perfectly satisfied.  Yours ever,

PUNCH

Wellington Street.

MY LORD,—­It would have afforded me satisfaction to have consulted the wishes of Sir John Pollen in regard to the publication of this correspondence.  The over-zeal of Sir John’s friends have left me no choice in the matter, I shall print.

Your obedient servant,
PUNCH.

Earl of Wilkshire.

Thus ended this—­

[Illustration:  CURIOUS CORRESPONDENCE.]

* * * * *

HUMFERY CHEAT-’EM.—­(Vide Ainsworth’s “Guy Fawkes.”)

A city friend met us the other morning:  “Hark ’ee,” said he, “Alderman Humfery has been selling shares of the Blackwall Railway, which were not in his possession; and when the directors complained, and gave him notice that they would bring his conduct before a full meeting, inviting him at the same time to attend, and vindicate or explain his conduct as he best might, he not only declined to do so, but hurried off to Dublin.  Now, I want to know this,” and he took me by the button, “why was Alderman Humfery, when he ran away to Dublin, like the boy who ripped up his goose which laid golden eggs?”—­We were fain to give it up.—­“Because,” said he, with a cruel dig in the ribs, “because he cut his lucky!”

* * * * *

THE BOY JONES’S LOG.

PICKED UP AT SEA.

The following interesting narrative of the sufferings of the youth Jones, whose indefatigable pursuit of knowledge, under the most discouraging circumstances, has been the cause of his banishment to a distant shore, was lately picked up at sea, in a sealed bottle, by a homeward-bound East Indiaman, and since placed in our hands by the captain of the vessel; who complimented us by saying, he felt such confidence in PUNCH’S honour and honesty! (these were his very words), that he unhesitatingly confided to him the precious document, in order that it might be given to the world without alteration or curtailment.

We hasten to realise the captain’s flattering estimate of our character.

At see, on board the ship Apollo.