Douglas Jerrold and 'Punch' . among the immortal type-figures offiction, has even been ingeniously utilised for purposes ofadvertisement—that final ratifying of immortality in thesedays! It has been recorded that so real was the influenceof Mrs. Caudle on the fortunes of Punch that the news-vendors would inquire whether the number contained afurther instalment of the lectures before giving their ordersfor a new issue. Douglas Jerrold was, it has been said,a little impatient of the fact that it was this particular oneof his works which became most widely popular, for heknew that it did not repr
Douglas Jerrold and 'Punch' . among the immortal type-figures offiction, has even been ingeniously utilised for purposes ofadvertisement—that final ratifying of immortality in thesedays! It has been recorded that so real was the influenceof Mrs. Caudle on the fortunes of Punch that the news-vendors would inquire whether the number contained afurther instalment of the lectures before giving their ordersfor a new issue. Douglas Jerrold was, it has been said,a little impatient of the fact that it was this particular oneof his works which became most widely popular, for heknew that it did not represent his best contribution toliterature. Broadly speaking, however, it may be said ^ By way of introduction to the edition reissued in 1903 as tlie Centenary hold which the Curtain Lectures has upon the public imagination has since thenbeen newly illustrated by the late gifted humorous draughtsman, Mr. Tom Browne, ina series of picture postcards depicting Mrs. Caudle and Job her husband in > o MRS. CAUDLE AND OTHER SERIALS 127 that a celebrated writers literary best is rarely that whichappeals to the widest circle of readers. Jerrold himselfshould have known this from his experience as the literary point of view he wrote a number of playsbetter than the one which took on lasting popularity, yetBubbles of the Day, Time Works Wonders, Thomas aBeckety The Housekeeper, are unknown even by name tomany to whom Black-Eyed Susan is familiar as a stageclassic. Though the Lectures were given an instantpopularity, there were apparently people who took themall too seriously, for Mrs. Newton Crosland — known tothe periodical literature of the time as Camilla Toulmin—has recorded that : It was while the Caudle Lectures were appearing in Punchythat one summer day my mother and I were invited to a friendlymidday dinner at the Jerrolds, who were then residing in a pleasantcountry house at Putney. Towards the close of the meal apacket a
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