The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-26
LETTER FROM MRS. A. C. M. RITcHIE.

Dramatic Fair at the Sydenham Palace
Mr.. Watts Phillips New Play, "Ehe
HuKUenOI Captain''-Princess Helena
and Prince Christian at OsbOrne-HOw
the NuPttaIs of the Princess are Re-
garded-A New Cure for Blindness
CAthRrine Lutber-SInguIAr Narrative
of the Count - The Original of tho
''Marquis'' I'm SardOu's Play of "Les
Vieux Garc0Ds.''
LONDON, July A.-Finy-two thousand five
hundred and sixty-seven persons visited Syden-
ham Palace during the two days (July and 81
o. the Fancy Falr, held in aid of the funds OF
the Royal Dramatic College, With but very few
exceptions, the whole theatrical profession
placed its services at the disposal of the active
managers OF the fete. The most popular actresses
presided over stalls and for the information of
Untheatrcal visitors, their names were traced
upon the surrounding 0rapery. These fair
beings had been gaZed upon with rapture,
through the glamor of the tootliRhts, by how
tunlty Tor the enthusiastic admirer to have the
supreme happiness OF actually speaking to queens
and sylphs, heroic maidens and saucy pages
--ot speaking TO them upon the absurdly
inadequate condition of purchasing some elegant
trihe, at price which, however large it might
seem when the value of the object itself was
considered, was small indeed to insure that
much-coVeted privilege. The voice OF the fair
salesWoman might be familiar enough TO the
happy purchasers ears, but TO hear the words
addressed to hm-to him in partcuar-himself
10 nave pChlleu IOrLn lndl smile W0lcQ so
enchanted an audience when the fair one was
summoned before the curtain-to claim it as his
own especial tribute-wHs that not worth golden
coin? At all events, the youthful British public
seemed to think so, while emptying their purses
| at the Fancy Fair.
1t was remarked that those favorites of many,
| many years standing, Mrs. Stirling and Mrs. A.
| Mellon (Miss Woolgar that wasl, were even
more surroundedu and effected larger sales than
members OF the profession who were still in their
| spring.tme bloom.
Mr.. I. l.. Toole delivered at the ''Chnese Ex-
| hibtion" an instructive and highly imaginative
lecture on China as it is and as it isn't but more
| especially the latter, TO the great diversion of
| crowd of merry hearers. He introduced to the
spectators new "Chsng," Mr.. Paul Bedford,
| and Mrs Chang" otherwise MIR. G. J. Smith ;
| and though the veritable Chinese giant, the real
| Chang with his veritable wife, were to be seen
| in another part of the building, they quite faded
into lnslgnifcance-were looked upon as by no
means genuine artists" or worthy of contem-
plation, so totally were they eclipsed by their
extraordinary representatives,.
Then there was Richardson's show" at
| which that most ancient tavorite, Mr.. Kelley,
was m0ney-taker, aud two dramas were enacted
In hlgh mock tragic style. Their names will
give the imaginative reader some idea OF the
thrlllingy sensational, heart-rending, startling,
and appalling scenes which were TO elecuity
and territy the audience. The Mysterious
Monk, or the Secret of the Iron Pillar, and The
White Witness, Orthe Blood Red Gauntlet and the
MdnidCis Moan.
MIR. Blackstone and Mr.. Sothern presided over
''Orignal Aunt Sallys." Mr.. Felix Rogers very
| cleVeriy represented an Outrageous ourang.
| outang" and reproduced all the familiar gri
msces of the monkey tribe Then there we're
''White Lilies Of the Prairie" represented by
negro minstrels; dog show and cat show
and necrOmancy, and numerous other enter
tainments Indeed, the multiplicity of amuse
| ments provided was absolutely bewldering, anC
not 10 be brought within the compass OF any
| reasonable description.
Mr.. Watts PHILIPPE new play, at the Princess
The HugueHOI Captain, must be chrOnicled as I