The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-28 00:00:00

rim SUN, LOrt.;DON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28,

pRINCESS'S THEATRE.—SoIe Lessee, Ben-
jamin Webster. Managers, B. Webster and F. B. Chat-
tcrton.—THlS EVENING will be performed A CHRISTMAS
CAROL ; or Past, Present and Future, dramatised with the
especial sanction of the late Charles Dickens, by Mr. Edward
Stirling. After which will be produced an entirely new grand
spectacular extravaganza, entitled LITTLE GIL BLAS ; and
How he Played the Spanish D(j)euce. Written by H. B. Farnie.
The music selected and arranged by Frank Musgrave ; the ballet,
groupings, &c., by J. Milano ; the new and magnificent scenery
by Mr. F. Lloyds and assistants ; the costumes designed after
drawings by Gustave Dore. To conclude with HE'S A
LUNATIC. Mr. J. Clayton.—Box Office open from Ten till
Five.

GLOBE THEATRE.—Manageress, Miss klleyne.
Great Attraction for Christmas.—New Burlesque by F.
C. Burnand. New Company. Grand Ballet, in which the re-
nowned Madame Colonna and Troupe will appear. This and
EVERY EVENING until further notice, at 7, BOARD AND
RESIDENCE. At 7.30, DELICATE GROUND. Messrs. Walter
Lacy, W. H. Vernon (his first appearance under the present
management), and Miss Ada Cavendish. To be followed by a
Grand New Fairy Burlesque Extravaganza, entitled THE
WHITE CAT; or Prince Lardi-Dardi and the Radiant Rosetta.'
Gorgeous scenery by Messrs. Fenton, Johnson, and assistants.)
Superb costumes and appointments. Mr. E. Danvers, Mes-
dames Emily Fowler, Nelly Nisbett, Rose Roberts, and Miss
Montgomery (their first appearance at this theatre), in addi-
tion to the regular Company. To conclude with a popular
farce.

ItOYALTY THEATRE,
DEAN-STREET, SOHO.
Crowded Houses. Brilliant Succass of R. Reece's Genuine
Burlesque " Whittington, Junior, and his Sensation Cat," pro-
duced with New and Gorgeous Scenery, Superb Costumes,
Choice Music, Characteristic Dances, and Splendid Appoint-
ments. Every Evening, at 7.30, WEALTH. At 9.20, the New
Grand Burlesque WHITTINGTON, JUNIOR, AND HIS
SENSATION CAT. Concluding with THE RENDEZVOUS.
Box Office open from Eleven till Five. No Fees for Booking.

ASTLEY'S.—Lessee and Manager, Mr. JOHN
BALUM.—EVERY EVENING, Grand Comic Christmas
Pantomime, HARLEQUIN LITTLE TOM TITTLEMOUSE, and
the Bleven Dancing Princesses ; or, Deedle Deedle Dumplin and
the Silver Frog. Messrs. Atkins, Beckett, Russell, Smithe, and
Simpson ; Misses Osborne, Armstrong, Hobson, and Madlle.
Maury.—Private Boxes, 315. 6d. to 525. 6d. Stalls, ss. Dress
Circle 3s. ; Boxes, 25.; Upper Boxes, is. 6d. ; Pit, Is. ; Gallery,
6d. Box Office open from 11 to 4. No charge for booking.
MORNING PERFORMANCES every WEDNESDAY and
SATURDAY at 2. Children half-price to Stalls, Dress Circle,
and Boxes.

CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION of WAXWORK
ki now OPEN at 869, Oxford-street, W. (nearly opposite the
Princess's Theatre). Historical Tableaux. Moveable Figures,
a splendid German Christmas Tree.—Admission, is., Children
half-price.

JAPANESE ROYAL TYCOON TROUPE
Daily at Three and Eight. PALAIS ROYAL, Argyle-street,
Oxford Circus, W.

GORILLA CHIEF, HASSAN.—Astounding
V./4 performances on the " corde elastique," ac?ompanied by
Mulabrix, the Oriental Wizard. Daily, at Three and Eight.
Fashionable Levees Daily, from Twelve till Two. Admission,
35., 25., and I.s. Children half-price.—PALAIS ROYAL, Argyle-
street, Oxford Circus, W.

BLUE and HAIRLESS HORSE, recently exhi-
bited at Osborne House by command of Her Majesty,
Exhibiting HOURLY, from 12 noon till 10 p.m. Admission ls.,
Children 6d.—PALAIS ROYAL, Argyll-street, Oxford-circus, W.

ROYAL POLYTECHNIC. To please both
young and old, the novel and bona fide character of the
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY ENTERTAINM&NTS will be main-
tained this year with greatly increased exertions.

PROFESSOR, PEPPER on THE WAR and the
Destructive Implements used thereat ! with elaborate
and truthful Illustrations, at the ROYAL POLYTECHNIC.

MR. GEORGE GROSSMITII, Jun., has been
engaged to give one of the prettiest Fairy Tales, entitled
THE YELLOW DWARF, every Evening : and Mr. SUCHET
CHAMPION will gixe another version of the Story in the
Mornings, with Vocal !Illustrations, at the ROYAL POLY-
TECHNIC.

ENGAGEMENT of the Celebrated and Original
Warlock, Weird, Wizard, or Necromancer, Mr. J. BEAU-
MONT, for his Marvellous Entertainment, entitled THE
WORLD OF MAGIC, and for his Curious Slack Rope Auto-
maton.—Entertainment by Mr. E. D. DAV IES, Premier Ven-
triloquist, entitled THE FUNNIEST lOF FUNNY FOLKS ! at
the ROYAL POLYTECHNIC.

The Entertainment as exhibited before their Royal
Highnesses the Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia,
Princess Louise, Princess Helena, and Prince Leopold. Arrange-
ments have been made with MADAME BOUSFIELD for the
production of her New and Original Classical Illustrations of
GRECIAN STATUARY. In White Marble. At the ROYAL
POLYTECHNIC.

E-ENGAGEMENT of the accomplished
it PRAEGER FAMILY.—New Ghost Entertainment.—
Lectures on the Machine-made Watch, and Christmas and
Christmas Customs, by J. L. KING, Esq., at the ROYAL
POLYTECHNIC.

Admission to the whole One Shilling,

frf at&
flalg

p otect communications. Two or three men left to
guard a post are sure to be attacked.

CHRISTMAS AT PARIS.

If the bitter cold felt in England during the
lest few days is at all equalled in intensity by the
weather around Paris, it is difficult to imagine how
the German soldiers can be induced to keep the field
in peace. As yet no diminution of ardour is re-
prted. The happy season of the Nativity so pecu-
liarly hallowed in the German mind has been char-
acterised by no cessation of hostilities. Fight after
.fight goes on without reference to the day,
and, for all we yet know, a battle some-
where or other near Paris may have taken place
on Christmas morn itself. There are mournful asso-
ciations, which might be thought to have an effect
in turning the inclinations of the troops almost to
desperation in an anxiety to get rid of the war.
Thoughts of the 6,000 poor fellows lying wounded in
cottages between Orleans and Blois, rewind them of
the fate they are open to, perhaps only waiting for,
and they must know that all suffering is rendered
terrible by cold. Christmas trees, moreover, have
been reared in many a tent, and they have doubtless
chiefly tended to direct the men's thoughts to their
homes, far away, where wives and children are
celebrating their Christmas round other Christmas
trees, while their husbands and fathers are housed
like cattle before the slaughter on the soil of an
enemy.

CARRIER PIGEONS.

Mr. Allridge, a gentleman who •has had much
experience in the management of pigeons, says that
the term " carrier " should not be employed to
describe the birds now engaged in the convey-
ance of messages. They should be called
" courier " pigeons. The difficulties of the
French have induced them to call into
requisition the wonderful powers of these birds,
but it would be well to see if their services cannot
be adapted to the pursuits of business at home. Mr.
Alldridge says that his home is ten miles from his
office in London, and he has for some years employed
pigeons to carry any message home. They rarely
occupy more time in their flight than ten minutes,.
and the cost is nothing, while - a message
sent by telegraph would cost a shilling, and
occupy one to two hours. He has never known an
instance of a bir.l returning minus its mission. He
feels certain that if persons will make the experi-
ment they will find it most convenient to employ
pigeons for business and domestic purposes as is done
in Belgium and Holland, and he says this on good
authority, having kept pigeons more than forty
years.
Mn. LOWE.

It is said that there aro few men who can resist being
gracious at Christmas time. However hard-hearted
they may be at all other seasons. Mr. Charles Dickens
is partly answerable for the prevalence of the be-
lief perhaps, inasmuch as he made h,s coldblooded
Tackletons and Scrooges appear beneficent and
genial as the Christmas-eve approached. An un-
kind critic declares that Mr. Lowe has relaxed among
others this year, and has altogethershewn symptoms of
not always being a dry and heartless economist. Mr.
Lowe a few days since said he would give £2OO
a-year towards the endowment of Sir Roderick
Murchison's chair of geology at Edinburgh
University, and now we are told that
he is prepared to settle the claims of those who
were injured by the change of reducing the sugar
duties ordered last spring, so far as it can be shewn
that they have sustained injury. At the beginning
of the year it may be remembered the Chancellor of
the Exchequer heard with complacency the outcry
of all those merchants who had large stocks on hand
when the Budget was made public. He refused then
the relief Christmastide has now made him acknow-
ledge to be just.