New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-28
DISMAL LONDON HOLIDAYS
THE METROPOLITAN CHRISTMAS A TINE TO
BE STUNNED.

four days Of closed shops of streets crowded
with immigrants from the East E0d, of shouting
and singing and quarrelling. Sounds Of revelry
BY night have followed revelries by day for two
DAYS out of the four the churches were open for
three the theatres were shut for all four. The
public houses were open and thronged. Much OF
the better class of the population abandoned Lon
don for the country, not to return till the hol-
days were over. This morning is quiet Inc
mashers sleeping off their debauch; the shut
tiers are taken down, business slowly revives and
even the rain has ceased. The daily papers are
still Alled mostly with padding. and with the
sweepings of long standing galleys
The theatres many Of which give two per-
formances on Boxing Day, have given no novelty
of merit Drury Lane now has monopoly OF
pantomime, and the new pantomime is master
piece of gorgeous vulgarity. Nor can 1t be sald
that refinement is the distinguishing note at many
of the other London theatres. Covent Garden
is the home Of performing elephants, bears and
clowns The new melodramas at the Princesss
and Adelphi differ little from old melodramas
The burlesques at the Gaety and elsewhere are
not even new The Haymarket and St Jamess
are perhaps the only houses which aim at keeping
the lamp of comedy alight. and even at the Hay
market comedy is melodramatic. "Ihe feomen
Of the Guard" at the Savoy is, in spite OF early
The English have found some difficulty in TAX
ing serious view of the American actors pro-
lection movement and they are still puzzled
Such actors as Mr. Booth and MIR. Barrett arc so
much respected in England that their adhesion TO
this scheme is looked upon as a practical Joke
Free-Trade doctrinares, however, hail the pro-
posal as bringing ridicule on genuine protection; ;
which il does Never, suppose, was that jea-
4or,, ha fhQafr
shown to the world on such scale. The
Iime-Hehts are turned full on. The attempt to
exclude us is an admission Of our superiority
remark English actors and actresses with COM
nlacencv The news of Mr.. Jeferson's opposition
is said this morning to have gwen death-oiow
10 this shortsighted effort So be 1t. That admrapie
actor will have conferred lasting benefit on MS
profession and added one more to his many Chains
on public gratitude
Professor Rrvce's American Comm onwealth'
has now attained to the honor of a four-column
review in 81 The Times" The length OF this no
tice is precisely the as that OF Mr. george
Scharf's letter in the same journal the same day
on portraits of Mary. Queen OF ocols'
Readers may or may not infer that the two suo-
iects have the same degree of Importance. Most
of the leading daily and weekly perloolcais Vi
Iondon have now expressed their Opinions on 'hls
remarkable book. 1t is generally though' 700
big complaint which is based largely on the
t.e, that there are numerous repctitions. The
Snectator, and The Saturday Review LOT once
agree in bringing the same charge
. The Times does Justice to the author ana
nr;tes ON the whole, in spirit OF goodwin 10
America I'VE have had" says this Iournai,
:" from other writers enough and to spare OF
shallow consciousness. food OF pure hght IS
now turned upon the institutions OF AmericoN
they do not appear so picturesque as when 'ie"'u
nv the clmmer of the torches OF partisahs' We
at least see them as they are sui more JusO
and adequate is what follows: written "l'h
fuu knowledge by distinguished Enghshman
70 dispel vulgar prejudices and 10 heip Nn'ueu
neople to understand each other better, PROFESSOR
Irvce's work is in a sense an embassy OF peace,
> message of goodwill from one nauon 10 ano'ner
tn. American Girl is discussed through an
editorial column in to-day's Daily Telegraph
Il is an article which invites comment but lts
appreciation of the subject may be seen Id 'die
remark that American girls have SHOWN 'hey
ran receive. travel and live without chaperohes'
escorts or husbands, and are last deVelopihs
bright clear, intelligent sef-rellant' COURAGEOUS
and refreshing variety OF the human race
article concludes: Even II In tuturc years 'i'
slender Yankee belle is hidden behind the ampler
from her lips the wit and shrewdnesS, the acute
accent the intelligent questions and the rapo
,enartee that proclaim her original nationality"
Sir Richard Burton, no longer occupied with
the tndecencies of |" The Arabian Nights has
been giving his countrymen good advice ABOUT
Suakim I'VE cannot" says this eminent Airi
ran traveller, evacuate the unhealthy wre'cheo
slave-port because it would be Immediately oc,
cupied by rival or enemies lha' 10 eoiiu
,;.1,,o in a single sentence. So is his advice :
- Clea, Suakim of the Egyptian clique, send the
Fcvptian soldiers home garrison the town WIN
Serovs. stop ouarrellng with the Soudanese, who
oniv want to be rid of the Turks, and hoist
the English fiag once for all"
Lord Salisbury has had an opportunity OF lnow-
ing precisely how many expressions OF pr''"'o
.ymnatbv his "black man" has received Inc
,u,hor on the testimony of Mr.. Naoroii
Dodabbai himself. IS 3, 3,8O0-letters and kilograms
,roludina cable messages-number not stared
tor, America. Others came from South AFRICA
Australia Ncw-Zealand, and, OF course, lhdla
several telegraph companies are expected TO de-
.lare increased dividends.
A nrovincial Journal The Leeds Mercury,
comments in a singular tone on recent ooni-
n.,;son by q New-York journalist between Eng
sisb and American papers. Inc Ne"-io,N
journalist is not named, but was, imagine Nir
napa we are sincerely glad" says tins pro-
found provincial, " to have authoritative aSsur-
ancs that the great glory Of the American press
is it's purity. Frankly, we have been accustomed
70 believe that. with some honorable exceptions
the American press could be got at IL not Dy
money, at least by the caucus. we are 'nanN- .N
~, IN he disabused on this point This Mlnos
=, the Midlands probably does not mean TO be
or.rsiv.. but his mind wants clearing up.
G. W. S.
EXPERIMENTS WITH NEW POWDER
Paris. Dec. 27.-Experiments which nave re-
Gently been made with new po"uer sh'" Una. ~ y