The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-28 00:00:00

A. ROWLAND and SONS, 20. Hatton-garden, London; and by

Chemists and Perfumers.
*** BEWARE OF SPURIOUS IMITATIONS ! ! !

TO THE NERVOUS AND DEBILITATED.
CHARLES WATSON, M.D. (Physician to the Bedford Dis-
pensary), 27, Alfred-Place, Bedford-square, London, continues to
',Ate, on receipt of ■ix stamps, " THE GUIDE TO SELF-CURE."
Medical Correspondence conducted.
"The first man of the day in these complaints."
♦iew, July. 1856.
"The true Guide to those who dealre a speedy and private cure."
—University Magazine.
" The NEW AMERICAN DISCOVERY' showing the absurdity of
the English mode of treating such complaints, will prove a blessing to
the afflicted, who may safely and easily regain pristine health by
adopting the means presented."—Evening Star.

'—liedical Re-

nu BARRY'S CELEBRATED INFANTS'
it 1 FOOD, for DELIC ATE INFANTS, CHILDREN, and IN-
VALIDS. Supersedes the expense and dangers of wet-nursing, IS
more easily digested, and imparts more healthful nourishment than
Milk ; acidity, cramps, bowel complaints, flatulency, cough, restless-
neSs. scrofula, eruptions. are avoided by it, And perfect regularity of
*U. SE ~y respectable famlUeS who
have reared and saved delicate Infants by this Food can be referred
to, and a copy of their Testimonials may be had free on forwarding
a stamped and addressed envelope to Barry Da Barry and Co., T 7,
Regeat-street, London Prices :—ln Canisters, Is.; 25.; and 121 b.:
at 21s. The large Canister will be forwarded free of carriage on
raceiot of Post Office Order.

TILE CHRISTMAS PANTOMIMES AND
ENTERTAINMBNTS.

DRURY-LANE.
A larger concourse of people probably never assembled
within the wails of Drury-lane Theatre than on Saturday
night, to witness the new Christmas pantomime, which
under the vigilant auspices of Mr. E. T. Smith, hail been
for some time in preparation. To render the occasion
still more interesting that enterprising gentleman—" pet
lessee" of the Drury-lane Committee (in consequence of

his strict veneration for rent-day I) had busily employed
himself during the recess in renovating the interior of the
house. An aspect of splendour combined with cleanli-
ness is now presented, and, in addition, the new decora-
tions are not merely bright and cheerful to the eye, but

appropriate and in good taste.
If on the first night of Christmas festivities managers
could be persuaded to commence at once with the chief
incident, and allow the pantomime to reign unmolested,

such a course might lead to many desirable advantages.
To begin, there would be a good chance of seeing the
curtain descend before midnight an innovation greatly to
be coveted. The first performance of a pantomime Li, at
best, a rehearz-al, to witness which the (paying) public)
is invited. As this is only a preliminary to the curtail-

neents that invariably ensue ; it generally conruines at
least an hour longer tha❑ subsequent representations,

when, the indispensable " cuts" having been effected, the
action marches with greater rapidity, the mechanical
contrivances are realised more glibly, and the whole
works " closer." In the next place—and this is worth
consideration—actors and actresses who enjoy the esteem
of the public would be spared the ungrateful labour of
gesticulating through a play in dumb-show, amid the
deafening exclamations of an impatient crowd. The
French have what they term lever-de-rideau"—a
short piece, during the performance of which, at
their great theatres, the audience have time to get
comfortably seated, in anticipation of the real attrac-
tion of the evening ; but the " lever-de-rideau"
which acts the part of usher to an English

pantomime has not to encounter the silent indifference of
straggling and late arrivals, but the absolute scorn and
noisy oppositio❑ of a multitude that fills the house before
the orchestra has struck the first chord of the overture.

Seriously, those respectable artists who are made to
figure in such an exhibition are exposed to useless humi-
liation The farce of "Too Much of a Good Thing," in
which the principal charact,rs were " mimed' by Miss
Mary Oliver, Mrs. F. Matthews, and Mr. Roxby (for
not a word they were presumed to utter could be heard,
even in the stalls)—all well-deserving favourites of the
public—suggested the above reflection. On Saturday
night the inhabitants of the "upper regions" were more
unruly, uproarious, and overbearing than in any previ-
ous instance we can remember. The unfortunate "pit"
was never more aptly the symbol of a " dust-hole" (a
chosen epi.het of the aggressive "gods"); and it was
highly creditable to the occupants that they submitted to
incessant annoyance with such rarely perturbed good
humour. How easily these excesses might be averted by
limiting the spectacle on Boxing night to the pantomime
—and how reasonably, since not a man, woman, or
child in the theatre bad come to see anything else—will
be evident to the plainest understanding.
The name of the new comic pantomime—the introduc
tion to which is by Mr. E. L. Blanchard, the music by
Mr. J. H. Tully, and the scenery by Mr. W. Beverley—
is se long that our readers must be satisfied with a slice
of it—" Little Jack Horner ; or Harlequin A B C." The
opening is a burlesque allegory, which we hold to be a
mistake. " Ignorance," " Intelligence," " Imagination,"
"Perseverance," "Anagram," "Proverb," &c., may do
famously as symbolical personages in a poem ; but in a
pantomime they are rather bores than otherwise. Thus
the commencement of the builesque, where " Intelli-
gence " is engaged in strife against " Ignorance,"
only becomes interesting when " Imagination," en-
listed on the side of the former, conveys us to one of
her own airy castles, in the precincts of which we are
treated to a splendidchoregraphicdisplay. Here "nearly
100" fair daughters of Terpsichore, with that clever and
vivacious " scorner of the ground," Miss Rosina Wright
(" Rosy Wright," as she is familiarly termed by her
admirers) as Queen, arrayed in etherial and sparkling
costumes, executed a series of evolutions, under the
name of " Grand Ballet of the Belles Lettres," which,
allegorical or literal, mattered little to the audience,
since it was the first thing to rouse their enthusiasm.
' Miss Rosina Wright danced in her most animated style,
and (not for the first time by many) put the house in
good humour with the pantomime, which from that mo-
ment never once " flagged " What part is enacted by
Little Jack Horne/ in the burlesque may be briefly told.
Jack has a good and a bad demon—" Intellgence" and
" Ignorance," besides a hoary Mentor, in the guise of
!‘ Proverb." This last commendable sage admonishes