The Sun.
London, England, 1840-12-07 00:00:00

EiTENING EDITION.

HAYMARKET THEATRE.

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A new farce, in one act, wns produced at this
theatre, on Saturday evening, under the elegant title
of Bob Short. It is said to be written by Mr. Lemon,
and the plot, like the piece itself, is short and simple.
Bob Short (Wrench) is a personage whose means bear
too close a resemblance to his name. He has the mis-
fortune to be two or three weeks in debt for lodging to
his landlady, Mrs. Ticknot (Mrs. Stanley) a prudent
indivilual, who, under the dread of his incurring a long
score, deems it boat in concert with her servant, Betty,
(Mrs. P. Mathews), to put up the chain, to prevent the
entrasice of so undesirable a lodger. Bob is, in fact, barred
out" and in revenge takes up his post near the door, and
by sundry little fictions frightensaway the family butcher
Ind baker from delivering the usual supply. While mus-
ing and moralising on the emptiness of his pockets, he
has the good luck to encounter a former schooltellow,
one Mr. Tot (Mr. D. Rees) a fat and flourishing cock-
ney, who, in the plenitude of old recollections and pre-
sent friendship, offers to amend his pecuniary prospects
—on one condition, however, and that one highly fit-
ted to put Bob Short's philosophy to the test. It is,
Its ;t, on receiving one hundred pounds sterling, he
sh ill assist him (rot) in gaining the hand of Miss
Es her Dipwick (Miss P. Horton), only daughter of a
wealahy tallow-chandler—a " flame," in fact, of Bob
himself. Necessity has no law, and Bab consents ; he
has nevertheless his wits about him, and persuades Tot
to send a note to Miss Esther proposing an elopement,
while he himself pens another, informing the young
lady how ho intended to turn that accident to account.
Dipwick (Mr. Strickland) favours the pretensions of the
rich suitor, Tot, and vehemently denounces the poor one,
Short. Miss Esther does ex ictly the reverse. Night having
ars4ved, Tot serenades his lady-love, preparatory to his
elopement, more to the surprise than the delight of his
intended father-in-law, and afterwards is persuaded to
get on the tiles, in order to receive sundry bundles es-
sential to a matrimonial jaunt. By his ungainly ma-
neeqvres, however, ho breaks through the tiles, and, with
one leg through the roof, he has the mortification of
seeing Miss Esther and the faithless Short depart, with
ful*ntent to make use of the chaise he has in waiting.
In his subsequent struggle he tumbles through
into the tallow-vat, while Short's travels are put a
sudden stop to by a couple of policemen, who object
to his departure at that unseasonable how. Dipwick
enters upon the scene in his night dress, and Tot, too,
having smerged from the tallow tub, the general
confusion is compete. A Mr. Hoyle, a friend of Bob
Short's fan.ily, now comes most opportunely forward,
his ing been in quest of the gentleman in 'order to con-
vey the welcome news of the death of an old aunt, whet
by a bequest of six thousand pounds puts him in pos-
session of a long purse for the future ; Dipsriek's scru-
ples venial, Short gains the lady, and 'lot gains no-
thing but a dipping gratis. The piece is lively, and
smartly written ; it gives a promise of richness of hu-
maur at the beginning that the offer dialogue scarcely
bore out. It was in all respects well acted, and received
with laughter and plaudits throughout.