PUNCH,

OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

VOL. 100.



May 16, 1891.




MR. PUNCH'S PRIZE NOVELS.

NO. XVII.--GASPS.

(_BY_ OLPH SCHREION, _AUTHOR OF "SCREAMS," "THE ALLEGORY OF AN ASIAN
RANCHE._")

["You will perceive," writes the Author of the following
story, "that this is allegorical, but it is not by any means
necessary that you should understand it. The chief charm of
allegorical writing is its absolute freedom from the trammels
of convention. You write something large and vague, with any
amount of symbols thrown in. The words flow quite easily;
you cover scores of pages. Then you read it over again next
morning. If you understand it so little as to think some other
fellow must have written it, you may be quite certain it is
an allegory. When you print it, your public reads into it