Page images
PDF
EPUB
[graphic][ocr errors]

HOW THEY SERVED POOR PEACE AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE.

FROM OUR STALL.

THE most exciting and poetical of sensation-plays, "Arrah-naPogue," suffers somewhat from the substitutions attending its revival. MR. G. VINING'S O'Grady is only pretty good, and MR. BROUGHAM'S was perfect. MR. GRESHAM, a clever actor in heavy business, plays the Sergeant with a terribly coarse kind of humour; the first representative of the character was admirable. Other alterations in the cast have taken place, few of them for the better. MR. and MRS. BOUCICAULT have resumed their old parts, and very charmingly they play them. MR. DOMINICK MURRAY, who has retouched and intensified Michael Feeny, was called before the curtain two or three times on the first night of the revival. By the way, the author has very judiciously substituted the "Shan Van Voght" for the "Wearin' of the Green." The treason of the former song is comparatively mild, and therefore less likely to stimulate the Fenians in the gallery to go into the streets and commit murder.

The pretty and comfortable Prince of Wales's has been re-opened with "Caste," which seemed to have got its second breath and gone in for another "spurt." MRS. LEIGH MURRAY is now playing the part originally given to MISS LARKIN.

MR. CAVE, the manager of the Marylebone Theatre, has just entered into the command of the Victoria. The house has been thoroughly cleaned, and everything about it looks very nice. A noticeable change has taken place in the behaviour of the "gods," who now listen soberly and sensibly to the pieces, instead of hooting, whistling, and fighting throughout the livelong performance. This improvement has been brougnt about by large placards, pasted against the gallery walls, which threaten instant expulsion in case of disturbance. We admire MR. CAVE's vigorous measures; he evidently knows how to deal with a transpontine audience. The pieces at present on the Victoria bills are a melodrama called "The Sin of a Life," and the comic drama "Giralda," which are very respectably played. MR, LEWIS NANTON, who seems the favourite, is an actor who will make a name.

THE PATRON SAINT OF ENTOMOLOGISTS.-Good St. Antennæ.

Above Parr.

A REMARKABLE case of longevity has come under our notice. It is on record that "OLD PARR" attained the great age of 152 years nine months. Far be it from us to make light of so venerable a subject, still we may not be out of place in stating that this great fact has been completely cast into the shade by an acquaintance of ours-a chandelier manufacturer-who has already seen considerably more than thirty lustres, and, we are happy to add, has every prospect of witnessing as many more.

[blocks in formation]

VOL. VI.

[merged small][ocr errors][subsumed][merged small][merged small][graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed]
[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed]

OUR NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY.-No. 5. BENJAMIN WEBSTER.

LITTLE ADDRESSES TO BIG NAMES.

Роон, never mind the Times!

Perhaps your supers are a seedy lot;

(And oh! good gracious, WEBSTER, are they not?)
Perhaps your scenery has had its day

(And that was rather distant, I should say);
Perhaps your house does want a little scrubbing;
The critic must be mad who takes to dubbing
Such little matters crimes.

A manager, an author, and an actor;-
In one so versatile as you, my BEN,
The stage has got a triple benefactor-

And, if you lose your temper now and then
When critically lectured or admonished,
Of course we're sorry, but we're not astonished.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
[graphic]

or simple BILL SIKES, hanged he must be for a cowardly murderer. And although I think all should be sentenced to death, the punishment might be commuted to penal servitude in the cases of those not proved to have been seen armed with revolvers.

The War Office has already opened its campaign of blunders in connection with the Abyssinian expedition. Four officers have been sent to Constantinople to purchase mules-they might as well have gone to the Eddystone Lighthouse for an elephant! This is the first time the Department has been called upon to do any work of this sort since it was supposed to be entirely re-organised and reformed after the Crimean war. At present the bungling is only comical, but when the campaign commences, it is to be feared it will assume its old tragic aspect. I verily believe that we should save money as well as prestige if we got our Public Office work done by private enterprise on commission. Meanwhile, the mild clerk who sent those officers out on the fool's-or mule's-errand is doubtless saying, "Bless my soul! I was under the impression-Ah!" while his fellow-clerks chaff him, and the authorities pen a minute about him, which he need not read unless he likes.

The Cornhill this month is welcome for its charming drawings by WALKER-now, alas, far too seldom met with on the wood. Miss EDWARDS's picture is charming, and the number, on the whole, less ponderous than usual. "Our Rosalinds" will, I fear, scarcely persuade the public to the belief its writer holds of MRS. SCOTT-SIDDONS'S powers. The new magazine, St. Paul's, is very unattractive quoad wrapper, but the contents seem good, of the Cornhill class. Belgravia is good, though some of the pictures are very poor-"Lusignan" is a clever Doresque bit, though. C. S. C. (the initials are well enough known to be those of MR. CALVERLEY) contributes some smart vers de societe; MR. THORNBURY, MR. SALA, and MR. MORTIMER COLLINS are pleasant reading. MR. SCOFFERN'S "Memoir of Faraday" is inferior. Apropos of the mags., I see that Cassell's announces a new novel with a very telling title-"Poor Humanity."

I am sorry to see the name of MESSRS. METZLER AND CO. to a collection of comic songs, of the most worthless Music Hall style, and called (no, I shall not advertise her gratis) "MISS -'s Comic Song Book." I believe the respectable publishers I name were not aware of the improper practices resorted to in the book. In the first place, a puffing preface is signed G. A. S, with the obvious intention of leading people to suppose it is by a well-known writer. In the second place, several pages are devoted to quotations of the opinions of the press on the singer-and if MR. HOLLINGSHEAD wants anything to give dramatic criticisms a knock-down blow, I commend these pages to him. Among these notices appears the following:

HALL BY THE SEA, MARGATE.-If Mademoiselle wishes to cultivate a fascinating style of singing, she should imitate . . . . Miss --"-Fun. This contains two misrepresentations. First of all, by heading the paragraph "Hall by the Sea," as the others are headed "Weston's," &c., it implies that Miss - has sung at the Hall, which she has not. And finally, the sentence quoted in a garbled form originally ran, "should imitate MADAME LEMMENS SHERRINGTON rather than Miss "If this way of getting a favourable criticism is honest, I should like to know what is dishonest. I am not an opponent of the Music Hall, which I believe to be capable of good; but the sooner it gets rid of that awful thing, "the Comic Songstress," the better for it and the sex.

CORRECT SOLUTIONS OF ACROSTIC No. 29, RECEIVED 2ND OCTOBER :-Ada M.; The Sixty-Eight; Happy Isle; Ruby; Trotty F., Sebrach; Fanny B.; "For John C." Bo!; Cigarette; Uyterlimmage; Dignall; Sparkie; Four Brokers; K. P.; Boxley Breakside and H.; F. H.; J. D. P.; Old Trafford; Two B. C.; V. J. R.; Chumpkin A. A.; Tosh; Painfully; M. B. P.; Betsy H.; Valentine; Tiny Ditton; D. M. Y. Pal o' Mine; Timber; Mike; S. and K.; Bunnie P.; C. N. W.; Dot; The Don; Coombes; Erin go Bragh; Brummagem B.; Little B.; Doodles; N. N. N.; Varney the V.; Elton; Canterbury; Hedgehog; W. E. W.; E. M. H.; Nemo; Gwallia; A Clever Boy; A 'Cute Youth; Froggy; Cecil; Neptune 22; D. E. H.; Nobody's Child; Engineers Out of Work; Holdfast; W. H. T.; Epton; Gyp Amicus; 2 Moreton Owls; Fanny; W. A. W.; B.; Scantine; A Little D.; Anna L.; Ixion: Chang; Jowhit; Bowa; J. R. W. L.; E. S. K.; Edgely; R. O. Y.; T. M. H.; Scarle; A. G.; E. L. O.; Keg Meg; A Dark-Fyed Hussy; Effigy; Bondellis B. B.; Emma's H; Stockenstrasse; Mrs. M.'s Twins; J. E. A.; F.A.; Due Foscari Hookey W.; Long J.; C. M. S.; F. W.; Polar; Knurr and Spell; Little Woman; L; Two Clapham Contortionists; Philofun. O. K.; Blinkbonry; A. J. R.; H. T.; Joyful Bufums; Darling Fluffy; Lolliquer

LOOKING over the daily and weekly journals, a sub-editor of our be, they most of them were in dire need of one reader more-the acquaintance was led to remark that, whatever their circulation might printer's reader!

« PreviousContinue »