, 1877-03-04

Lane" In the first, what eager, oycrloyed, 1rr-
pressible little beings are those unsophIsticated
little folks on each side If Grandpapa: in the
second, what an utterly exhausted, bored, but
good-hun,ored old gentleman is this who is es-
cortips this critical, larguilplea:ed little lady
| and gentleman Of S and 10 years! Thus lhe
there is good deal Of childhood left still. II
you doubt it, so to Drury Lane with me, and,
taking seat III front OF the dress-circlc, sur
yey both sides Of the glittcriug guadran1, from
strung, but there is no laclz Of attentive par
Of the mother in Curtis 1nimitable
description Of the circus, who says, II don't
care for the succus myself, but have to take
the children.'' But it is the children who en-
gross you, spite OF certain comicalities of the
British matron whic1, YOU note not To-. the first
time. Look ut those children in the box oppo-
site. How their eyes sparkle! how red their
fair faces bloom out against their dark velvet
the upper gallery. Is it any less happiness per-
so1iitied which is glowing on those tanned little
cheeks. and raging out Of those eager eyes!
How they enjoy the farce, when the jealous
| vile says in the most concentrated OF stage
tones, "He's gone to his paramount and the
prylng, ilnpudcnt, absurd, aud altogether de-
| 1fghttul fellow OF a footman chucklcs, " He's
| gone to his panorama!''
THEN THE ORCHESTRA
begins to play. None of your "gavottes," nor
operate orertures, nor - pieeolo obli=atos." M !"
60 Home Till Morning. Poor Old Robinson
Crusoc," and that charming and mysterious cx-
travaganza whicl, We used to carol in nursery
days under the title OF " Tun-tum Peniily
Saucy." Then comes "Rule Britannia" and
God Save the Queen" when everybody rises
loyalty and stands while 1t is played. But one
or two Americans become n little confused, and
fancy they arc in great church On the North
| Side in your city, hearing the minister say,
NOW let lis all sing america sn;1hti1Y."
Then the curtain rises OH the Marl1ct-Plaee at
Baglad. Here is Ali Baba and his .nischievous
son Gaucm; Cassin,, his rich brother, nil span
| giles aud gold. And st What nose!'' whisper
the little follls. Here arc the Forty Thieves
Prigs, and Steele, and Filch, and Snatch, Bait,
Mizzle, and Cutaway. What satisfaction the
the merchants, Messrs. Hobb, and Nobb, and
| Snubb, and Bubb; in the conjurer, tianki-
panki, and the Turkish guards, Middle, Noddlc.
Widdle Wadlle, Mugaway, and Mufti. And
awful which causes many i rosy little cheek
near us to turn .palc) when the Captain says,
| OPEN sEsAME!"
! and-klang!-t great cavern opens, and the
stacks Of gold and silver. and the glitterin:
vases and gOblcts. CLEAN from its mouth! Then
there Is the enchanted cavern In the depths vi
the forest; tho wonderful donkey who rises on
! his hind lcgs and dances; Ali Baha's house in
Bngdad, aud the chalkng Of the doors, which
| VIC all remember so well. There il ttle court
yard by moonlight, and the rett-eappcd heads of
the robbers popping every now and then out Of
! the jars, till Morgiana comes with her boiling
ofl and was not that groas,, as she killed them
! ono by one?
| Prcttiest Of all, the children think, is ::The
Dyan of tue Gcnii. on the Mccrscilanm Rocks,
Amber Island" Which t'f them ever imagined
anything more beautiful than the Genii,
dressed in cloudy tissues flashing silver and gold,
the Peris dancing III the many-roinrc.t light;
and the wonderful cur, ovcrshal,wc,l !,y silver
tcrns and golden poppics, which til;klc Us they
nod with the motion oi the car. And, When 1t
spangled with scuuins. and with icwc1ed trou-
sers. Finally comes the rer::s Paralisc,-
"GnASD TRANSFORMATION SCENE"
as the programme llas it. The curtain rises OH
shrubs with great dropping fronds. The
bonghs trcab1e; the great arch parts in the
centre, and opens u glowing vista beyond;
foliage, boughs, and fronds become trcmulous
with light: the heart of every flower becomes
globe OF glory; the ground opens, and slowly
rises into view group after group of Siren-like
figures, with radiant robes, jcwclcd hair, aud
glowing 1aces,-cach group rising higher than
the last till far on the summit unclose the gntes
OF q gorgeous temple filled with bright forms
tributary to central figure; Oh each side the
temple the boughs blossom with maidens their
white arms uplifting silver wards that catch the
light upon their elittcritg tips. moment the
whole is flooded With dissolying hues.-now
azure. now emerald, now rose,-and then the
curtain falls; it has all melted away like a
dreatn-fhe children draw great breath of
wonder and regret, and all Is over. They and
you have seen your first pantomime. 1t is Of no
use to tell them that 1t is all the effect OF little
tinsel, machinery. and chemicals. with the lid
Of few plain ba1let-girls. The Pcri's Paradise,
the Temple of St. Valentine, or the Palace Of
Truth, remains glorious reality to them, and a
JOY, II not forever, at least for several happy |
years.
So far the pantomime closely resembles, as
has been said, a Ffencll spectacle But the |!
features which follow are, by long tradition,
special characteristics Of the English panto- |
lni,nc,-which, as may be observed, has lost a1l |
its original claim to that title, having long
ceased to be a play without words. In the |
modern sense, no panton'ime could be panto-
mime, Us every schoolhoy knows. without |
uARLEqu1St co1uNslsE, THE CLOWN, PAsTA- !
LOON,
and the assistants Of their antics. AS to Harlc |
quin, lie must be a marvel OF agility, dartins !
hither and ththcr in his parti- colored garb, and
sar9g rsaf q lend pct se ptn
her airy skirts. rel checks, and ninlble |
feet As to the Clown, lie must |
be fellow Of infinite jest, with wretghed sort
Of factotum, whom he belabors, knocks down,
jokes. Of course there Is butchers shop,
with q white-aproned butcher crying Buy! |
Buy!" and sturdy legs OF mutton which the
Clown prctends to bargain for. and ends By
thwack upon the head or back of Pantaloon, who
thereupon ..oes dutSn upon the floor with re- ]
sounding thump which anuscs the children
nightly. In fa;t, the amount Of padding which
the draIlatis-pcrsonn Of the harlsquinadc must
hare undergone needs be extraordinary, for no
common flesh and blood could endure the inces-
sant beating, humping, knocking down, and
cudgclins Which they suffer, and which seems
to constitute the chief delight Of the audience.
1t@is regarded rs particularly appropriate also,
if the Clown seasons Ills jokes with occasional
to the politics Of the day; as, when
he takes down the great turkey above which
hangs the price, Q sillings and 8 pence and en-
beavers to prove that it is & and 6; finally he
flies into passion and dccamps with it, crying,
IS Herct we've had enough conference over Tur-
key:' In many theatres this absurd badinagc is
made
VEHICLE FOR ADVERTISING
The largest firms for the sale Of watches, sew
ladies' hats, cigars. and brandy,
have been advertised from the stage of Coyent
Garden. This part OF the pantoninc seems i'll
terminable: the children cling to it till Mamma
is exhausted, Gran1papa has fallen asleep, Papa
looks Hike patience Oh monument; still they !
p1cad to see "Just this one lnore.'' At last the
Stalls begin to thin out, the drcss-circlc dwndes
away, the gallery begins to put OH its things to
depart. iorgot to mention that policeman