The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-14
THE JANUARY MAGAZINES.
ULippincOtt's."

time, but particularly so about the Christmas
and New Year season. To begin with, we
have the FIRST instalment of the new serial
novel, "Beyond the Breakers" with full
page illustration by Mr.. E. B. Bensell. Messrs.
r. II. Stoddard, George H. Boxer, and Bayard
Taylor contribute "Poems for Golden We'd
ding" r. C. de Leon discourses about
"Christmas Pantomimes." Here is a descrip-
tion Of "Boxing- Night at Drury Lane -
AS it is the blest province OF Fairy-laud, let
us put on our magic cap, set back some dozen
ticks of the year-haud that will run 80 fast
round the dial of our fe-clocks, and, presto !
we are in the pit of "Drury Lane" on Boxing
Night of '55. Lights are up, but the curtain
is not; and yet the house is jammed-boxes,
pit, and galleries mot perhaps with an
audience so select as on other nights, but with
one of solid responsibility. Stately doWagers
are slowly tanning themselves, and settling
comfortably in their seats for a long session;
grave old gents wipe their specs carefully be-
fore adjusting them to study the bill; little
Miss, with faxen plaits, has a sparkle in her
eye and bright spot in her cheek that for
bode many delighted nudge into the portly
paunch of the well-fed 'grocery-person" by
her side; young Oxford men rove 6IdS6S round
the stalls, trying to look at the audience, but
furtively eying the curtain while still younger
Master j. Bull eats lollipops with furious,
but, alas vain resolve to dissolve the lump in
his throat from anxiety for the overture.
The prompter's bell! The curtain rises,
and, the lolipop effort suspended, Master j.
Bull may yet be reserved for the Chiltern
Hundreds. AS usual, a play precedes the
pantomime-the dessert of the great feast of
fun set forth ON Boxing Night. This time we
have Little IoddtebiaS, given as only Charles
Matthews can give it, and followed by his in
tensely funny Trying 1t On. The audience
81
would not to the King of Comedy but it is
the attention that protests against being
amused very much before the object of the
evening appears. AT last the comedies are
over. Perhaps, not being as young as we
were, for all our fairy cap, we give little
quiet sigh to ourselves that they didn't last
longer.
If we do, it is drowned in the first notes of
the overture, founded on that popular air,
f'The Rat-eatcher's Daughter" with chorus
OF cat-calls pleasant chaff and whistles from
''the gods !" for Boxing Night allows many
liberties, even in Old Drury. The overture
ends, hushed stiffness falls upon the house,
and the curtain rolls up on the panEOmime.
1t is clever effort of Mr.. Blanchard, bearing
the comprehensive title of Hey -Diddie-D D,ddie;
or, Harlequin King Nonsense and the .Seven
AqeS of Man.
The first age shows King Nonsense upon
his throne, surrounded by Little Red Riding
Hood, Simple Simon, Mother Hubbard, Little
Boy Blue-the whole Court of Nursery
rhymes. The Spirit of Common Sense, petit
tioning the King for little more sense in
nursery literature, is interrupted by the sud
den entrance of Routine and Red Tape
burlesques of official tardiness; the first with
inkstand for cap and huge placards of salient
abuses, and the latter made up like a giant
bundle of his namesake. After some talk and
more gesture, the influence OF Common Sense
banishes these unpleasant parties to Noodle
dom for lite. This prelude affords many capi-
tai hits at local abuses, especially the Circum-
locution Office.
The second age, the Sohool-boy, shows
beautiful scenery of the village of Prettywell,
with the traditional pedagogue, DR.. Syntsx,
melting out grim tasks to the disgust of au-
dience and terror of urchins, until, playing
at cricket with the latter, a well-directed
ball sends him, with true pantomimic JUS
tice, into the stream beyond.
With the third age-the Lover sighiug like
furnace-the miSe-en-scn9e improves in bril-
lance; and the fourth-the pard-like Soldier
introduces much pantomimic fun and trickery
by a double troupe, with two Harlequins, two
Clowns, and two Columbines, aided by an ad-
mirable ballet corps. The other ages have
each its appropriate scene, till, in tbs seventh,
a change from the snowy winter OF old age to
the ''realms ofperpetual summer" gives daz-
cling fairy transformation. The fairy becomes
COlumbine, and King Nonsense, Pantaloon,
ready to grant all her desres 80 in the midst
of golden showers and red fire Virtue is-as
ever-rewarded, and the curtain drops.
Throughout, the audience gives signs, by
frequent laughter and loud applause, of its
keen relish of the humor and delight at the
brilliance of the scenic pageant. At the last
transformation, all rise to their feet with one
impulse, and perfect storm of applause and
braves follows the fall of the curtain, continu-
ing till it slowly rolls up again on hastily re-
posed fairies and tired actors. Mr.. Blanchard
shows much experience in the dramatic con-
structiOn of the piece, though it be but
thread of plot on which to string some ad-
mirable hits at the humOrs of the time, and
the management of the machinery could
scarcely be improved. Through its aid the
production of illusion is complete; and nothing
on the other side of the Atlantic can compare
with the London theatre in this regard, and
in that OF transformation tinsel. Fairies fit,
Clowns fly, and Harlequins disappear as if by
their own volition, with never a click to tell
of springs and trap-doors. Tinsels, zinc and
gauze are so artistically handled that
the solid masses of varied ight-cross-
ing and recross4g, yet retaining each its indi-
vidual color-blend the whole into a scene of
almost real enchantment.
But the pantomime is over. Master Bulls
eyes have already begun to draw straws, and
more than one chubby cheek rests quietly on
the friendly shoulder near. The curtain rolls
down again. Master Bull wakes, dizzy but still
delighted; the gas is lowered, and we step out
once more into the nipping, foggy air of Box
ing Night.
"The Blue Cabinet: Christmas Story" is
bV Lucy Hamilton HOOnar. NTha Old Yaar and