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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 80a

Chapter III

Chapter III.

The great City of Wellington wore its gayest and most festive garb, for the Dook and his fair lady were to exhibit themselves unto the populace. Bunting and banners waved from every window; yea, from the very telegraph poles and wires did urchins fling nosegays and garlands into the lap of the Lady York.

The Dook (scarce visible and o'ershadowed in the carriage by the huge bulk of Dick) did ever and anon, as did also his Lady, bow their august heads in acknowledgement of the clamorous ovation accorded unto them by the good citizens of the town. Here, too, were con-gregated in most glorious and motley disarray, the City would-be's and local try-to-shines, each and every one earnest in their endeavours to outvie the other in the carrying of favour with the mighty.

Hereabouts it befel there was much quibble between one Aitken, a Mayor, and the Lord of Ranfurly, in that the Mayor did demand the procession to peregrine along Cuba Strasse. "For," quoth he, "as our scribes have page 29 laid forth elsewhere, does not the street of Cuba lend itself peculiarly (for shent per shent) to effective decoration, and have not the shekels and pieces of silver of the Cuban Straters helped largely the success of the show that is 'bloomin'?' And may not the Dook behold the Arch of Triumph erected in this street of peculiarly effective decoration by the Companies of Meat, with all their Gear?" the description is here appended:—Upon bastions and buttresses of rump steak did arise columns of mutton, surmounted by gargoyls of pork chops and liver and bacon, on the summit of which, in all the fullness of their sumely magnificence, were two heads of pigs of huge immensity smiling down benignly upon the populace. From either column (of England's Greatness Illustrate) swung with graceful sweep festoons of saveloys and sausages, with an artistically wrought design, thereon inscribed the words—