The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-11 00:00:00

HAYMARKET THEATRE.

After the performance of My Wife's Dentist, a new comedy.
in three acts, called Belford Castle ; or, The Scottish Gold
Mine, was produced at this house last night. The fol-
lowing is an outline of the plot :—Mr. Muckle (Mr. May wood),
happy in the pos,ession of eountless thousands, an event of rare
occurrence, we opine, north of Auld Reekie, immediately after
the '45, which is the period in which the plot is laid, is a
bachelor, slid has a niece and nephew, both handsome and
both susceptible of soft impressions. The nephew (Mr. F.
Vining) sees and falls in love with Lady Grace Lorimer
(Mrs. Stirling), the daughSer of a proud but pennyless Earl,
and the niece (Miss P. Herter.) listens with delight to the ad-
dresses of a young military officer (Sir. Howe). The Earl of
Belford (Mr. Walled() has been obliged to leave the country,
in consequence of having been out in the 45, and his
daughter, Lady Grace, during his absence, is supported and
protected by a Mr. Stapleton (Mr. G. Bennett), her father's
steward, and on old Muckle's visiting Farmer Stapleton
one morning, tie finds to his surpri,e and indignatisn that
his nephew, of whom he is tenderly fond, is over head and
ears in love with the tocherless daughter of a haughty and
exiled aristocrat, who had always treated him with indignity.
Upon this discovery he gets in a towering passion, forbids
all further intercourse, and makes a hasty retreat, forcing.
his nephew sing with him. Next morning he relents, for-
gives, and at length becomes as violent in favour of the
match as he was before against it. The happy day is
fixed and all is sunshine, when behold a messenger ar-
rives in " haste post haste," with a letter from the lady's
father, stating that the sentence of exile had been can-
celled—that he was on his way home, and that, hearing
of her marriage, he forbade the bans. lhe proud lord of
a few barren and overburdened acres arrives at Belford, and
spurns at and breaks off the alliance; but after persuasion and
entreaty had failed, the wealthy Muckle brought his money
bags into such active operation against the pompons noble, that
he ultimately consented to pocket the insult of having his for-
tuneless daughter married to a handsome youth with a princely
fortune. This is an outline of the plot, lout the progress of
the niece and her lover fui nish materials for an underplot, and
at the last scene all is happily terminated. Mr. Maywood
was, of course, the chief actor—indeed, if we mistake
not, the play has been got up to exhibit his personation of
Scottish character ; and, with the exception of Mackay, of
Edinburgh, there is no actor on the boards can approach hint
in his particular walk. His representation of the bustling,
persevering, and wealthy, but kind-hearted Muckle, was true
to the life, and elicited much applause ; and he was ably sup-
ported by Messrs. Bennett, Wallack, and Strickland, and by
Mrs. Stirling and Miss I'. Horton. The character of Muckle
has no claims to originality, being but a diminished copy of Sir
Walter's Bailie Nicol Jarvie ; but the dialogue is generally
humorous, and seldom dull or insipid, and this, with a happy
grouping of characters in felicitous situations, obtained a de-
cided triumph for the actors and the author, which the au-
dienCe testified by frequent applause. On the falling of the
curtain, Mr. Maywood, who was called for, came forward,
and made his bow, and the piece was announced for repetition
on Saturday.

CHILDRENS' FRIEND SOCIETY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
9, Throgmor ton-street, June!), 1841.

Sir—The Committee have this morning received an intima-
tion from a gentleman, who is convinced that the Society has
benefited many poor children, who would otherwise have be-
come a burthen upon the community, that he will present the
munificent donwion of 500/. if the Committee will continue
their endeavours to ameliorate the condition of destitute chil-
dren, by receiving them as heretofore, and training them in
religious, mo, al, and industrious habits.

The Committee beg you will favour them by the insertion
of this note.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant,
J. SPARKE, Secretary.
[This liberal offer we are afraid has come too late. The
Society is broken up, in consequence of the false statements
and ingratitude of the very parties for whose relief it was
established. Captain Brenton, who was the founder of the
institution, died of a broken heart when he found his humane
and incessant labours for the benefit of poor and deserted
children so ill requited. It is altogether a melancholy history,
which we believe some of the conductors of London papers
would gladly sink into oblivion.]