The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-31 00:00:00

THE Si

ADELPHI THEATRE.

Madame Celeste and Mr. Wright have returned
from the provinces, and appeared here lest night in
the Harvest Home. Tlit.re was a bumper house to
welcarne back these favourite artistes to the setne of
their many triumphs. At conclution of harvest
Home, a new farce (so called iti the bills, albeit the
interest is of a somewhat serious nature) entitled The
Dance of the Shirt; or, the Sempstrese's Ball, was
produced with a tolerable degree of success—a success
which would have been complete if the author had only
condensed his piece so as to bring the good things, of
hich there are more than enough in it, closer
together. The scene is laid in the workroom of a
sempstress, Miss Mary Wheatley (Miss Woolgar)—
a good young lady—and we find her various "young
ladies," Sally Mander (Mrs. F. Matthews), the jealous
young lady ; Cordelia Gintp (Miss Emma 'larding),
the affected young lady, Julia Ginger (Miss Marian
Taylor), the passionate young lady, and a variety of
others hard at work stitching. These young ladies
have each a beau—Mary's, is George Leslie (Mr.
Boyce), a poor artist—Sally's, is Mr. Pipes (Mr. Paul
Bedford), a fireman— Cordelia's, is Mr. Evergreen
(Mr. Lambert), a retired nurseryman—Julia's, is Mr.
Augustus Hopper (Mr. Munyard), a purveyor:of asses'
milk. These young ladies subscribe to give a ball, to
which their respected admirers are invited, and Mary is
entrusted with the money and with the care of making
preparation. She, however, gives the money to a
poor old woman, whose husband Ilea been confined
for months to his bed, and who is threatened
with an execution for rent. The young ladies and
their friends arrive, and the consternation among the
sempstresses at finding no preparations for the fete,
is excessively amusing. Sally chatters and Cordelia
faints, and finding her fainting not noticed, recovers
m a rage—(this little bit was excellently given by
Miss Emma Harding) ; and Mr. Pipes is in a fume,
because Sally discovers he has been making love to
Mary ; and old Evergreen is nearly stifled in a closet,
and all is in confusion, when George Leslie, who turns
out to be a rich, instead of a poor, artist, ex-
plains what Mary has done, provides a
supper, and the piece ends with a dance.
Never was any farce better acted than this was last
night by all concerned. Paul Bedford, as the fire-
man, was superb. Munyard, as the purveyor of
asses' milk, was the very beau ideal of a" gent." His
polkeing was the perfection of Casinoism. Miss
Woolgar was deliciously sentimental, and Mrs.
Frank Mathews delightfully jealous. The piece was
given out for repetition, not, however, without some
opposition ; but if the scissors are used so as to make
it act closer, it will haae a run—there is stuff in it.

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
DBBUT OF Ai ADEmoisr.LLE DE ROHM

The chef d'ccuvre of the lamented young composer
Bellini, the popular opera of Norma was produced
last night with complete success. Madlle. De Roissi,
of the Grand Opera, Paris, was the representative of
the Druid priestess, and sung and acted throughout
the opera with a fervour that was rewarded with
many genuine bursts of applause. Madlle. de Roissi,
is stature, is about the size of Madame Persiani, with
pretty expressive features, and beautiful dark eyes,
and is a very graceful actress. She made
her debiit in Paris at the Grand Opera,
in May, 1842, in the role of Alice,
in Robert le _Diable. During the same season she
performed Mathilde in Guillaume Tell, and Isabelle
in Robert le Diable. She subsequently appeared as
the Comtesse in Le Comte Ory, Marguerite and the
Page in Les Huguenots, Lucia in Lucia de Lanimer-
muir, Elvire in La illuette, and Zaida in L'Etoile de
Seville, in which role she was eminently successful.
She is a pupil of the celebrated tenor Nourrit, I3or-
dogni, and Galli, and has a soprano sfogato of much
sweetness and brilliancy. She can sing D in alt.
with facility, the etendue of her voice being two
octaves. The debutante took the audience by storm,
having sung the slow movement of " Casta Diva" NNith
so much genuine taste, finished school, and feeling,
that an unanimous encore was demanded with enthu-
siasm, and gracefully responded to by the charming
debutante. She was also encored, with Miss Poole,
in the two duets, which were sung by the fair canta-
trices with a delicious ensemble. At the conclusion of
the first act the applause was so rapturous that Mr.
Allen led forward the debutante and Miss Poole, when
several bouquets were thrown upon the stage, two of
which Mademoselle De Roissi presented to Miss
Poole. We particularly rem4rked the nuances with
which Mdlle. De Roisse invests every piece she sings,
which is the test of an accomplished artiste. Miss
Poole's Adalgisa was a charming performance; her
fine voice being heard to the greatest advantage in
the duets. Mr. Allen's performance of Pollio, and
Mr. IVeiss's Oroveso are too well known and appre-
ciated to require more notice than to say they were
indeed excellent and highly effective. At the con-
elusion of the opera the principal characters again
appeared before the curtain, when a shower of floral
favours were liberally accorded to the talented
debutante, who was a third time summoned before the
audience, when she seemed quite overpowered with
the rapturous applause she received from a very fash-
ionable and crowed house.

LONDON,

POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION.

On Saturday Dr. Ryan delivered a lecture in the
cheatre of this institution on the peculiar conditions
of the atmosphere which render eLokra and other
epidemic diseases fatal. Notv, ithstanding the very
a:,fevourable etate ( f the weather the attendance was
considerable. The Learned Gentleman, in the com-
mencement of his address, expressed his disapprobation
of those foolish alarmists who brought the name of
cholera before the public in a manner calculated to
produce a morbid excitement, and stir up unduly
the fears of the tie.id. His object was to impress
upon the minds of his auditory some important
natural laws by which the disease might be
averted, or at least rendered less fatal in its
effects. There was a time when cholera
was considered unmanageable, and beyond the
reach of medical aid. That opinion was found by
experience to be erroneous, and was now altogether
exploded. The disease, like any other, was known to
be the subject of proper and successful treatment.
Its chief predisposing causes were intemperance, in-
sufficiency of food, ill drainage, and imperfect venti-
lation. By an avoidance of these, the victims of
cholera, as well as of fever, might be diminished in
number. The atmosphere in which we lived was con-
tinually undergoing changes, in consequence ofcombus -
tion and decomposition, and, in our artificial state of ex-
istence especially, the most dangerous mutations were
occasioned by our candles, and fires, and the exhala-
tions of our crowded streets. The most poisonous
ingredients imparted to the atmosphere arose from
respiration and combustion, and the decomposition of
vegetable matter. He did not assert that these pro-
duced cholera, but they were powerfully predisposing
causes. The Learned Gentleman then explained the
constituents of atmospheric air, and illustrated by a
variety of ingenious and interesting experiments, the
dangerous character of an atmosphere possessing an
undue proportion of carbonic acid, and impressed on
the attention of his hearers the necessity of currents
of air to remove it from our streets and houses. lie
next adverted to the deodorising process lately re-
commended, and observed that there were three kinds
of gases with which we had to deal ; namely, the
dangerous but inolorous, the odorous but slightly
offensive, and the most offensive. Under the first
head he classed remittent miasma and typhoid, the
presence of which philosophers were unable to detect;
the second was the product of ammonia and carbonated
hydrogen ; and the most offensive arcse from sulphu-
retted hydrogen, phosphorated hydrogen, or hydro-
sulphate of ammonia. Having noticed a recent case
on shipboard, where those in one part of the vessel
became affected with cholera, while those occupying
the other extreme were free from it, the lecturer called
attention to the fact that the portion of the vessel
where the disease prevailed was in contact with a
common sewer, from whence the sulphuretted hy-
drogen emanated. Nitrate of lead was Considered
useful in decomposing sulphate of hydrogen ; but he
warned the public against relying on deodorisers or
perfumes of any kind. Some parties placed great
reliance on camphor, but medical philosophers were
so far from considering it of any use, that they re-
garded it as positively dangerous, and were of opinion
that it often served to the vehicle by which the poi-
sonous atmosphere was conveyed. The lecturer con-
cluded by enforcing the necessity of efficient drainage
and ventilation as the best preventatives of the disease.
The Learned Gentleman was loudly applauded at the
close of his discourse.

Several new attractions have been recently added
to this popular and interesting institution, among
which we may notice some splendid disolving views
(from Robert's views in Palestine) and other dioramic
efFects, which of themselves will amply repay a visit
to the establishment.