The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-12-24
BY ALMER G.. SANBORN.

!, ,vrRICA VIC arc wont TO think of Christmas
| !, ENGLAND AS meaning a family reunion at the
v,por house and blazing yule log. We never for
%, ibo yulc log We consider that the one dis
|ksiye thing about sn English Christmas Aside from
h il is The same oil story, ever new TO the chill
IL Of Christmas stockings and Christmas trees. 1t Is
N tbc wlc Iog, in opinion, that makes The Eng
+ festival different from own.
Il, reali,y however, the Enlc log has passed into
II ',ool old tines along with many another
hasn't romantic custom aud is scarcely 10 he found
E,y except in Of the provincial districts. 1t
H.. hat small part Of tho festivities Of boDjou,
y Iopdou alter all, represents almost opcfourth Of
II ,rtre population of England. But hero is one
Frlon which distinguishes the London HOLIDAYS from
IL Of any American city. institution which has
'rsied 10 spite Of the modern tendency 10 abolish
|rthing vbch savors of the past tho tradi
|nL Tbs Institution is thc Christmas puntomimc OF
y Ihmter RoyaI, Dury Lane.
N al Inc chief old English Christmas customs this
n sIcuc remains To-Day, Just they Jid 200 years
L, holiday crowds flock down Drury Lane TO tho
i,Y Of Russell street and cram the doors OF the
Il Ttsaer ROYAL. The pautomimc is lust Is attrac-
clDy rs it in The eighteenth century. II StrlI
Il nf somc hpl upou the interest of the public Sc
"Blae Bcar1 or llmpty Dunpty' the Drury
~ snionimc is an indispensable part Of the Christ
H. iriiyiiirs And adults attend tho performances
,. cagerly rs the children. Christmas would not
y.rsimas without pantonimc at Drury Lane.
" heater is not au attractivc. one from on! mod
Il riDi of view II is oil AMI dingy, Although il is
n. 10, such ancient building IT at first ap
"a II seems 10 bave absorbed some of the medieval
|cpTsere Of the quarter roun,l about it \ thcatcr
t0eupicd that spot since the middle .ges AMI
Fcen' house appears TO have inherited the look
Rrnnrr of lis predecessors. 1t was ia ono Of these
|r7p,e: thar Noll Gwyn sold oranges TO the crowds
IL Watching the Christmas pautommcs. but
2 VS. before she became AN actress and attracted
L Hisniiou of Charles II. by her beauty.
|flERE arc associations with old Drury Lane
= BIT The most distinctive Of them all is the papto
~ which still persists AMI these pautomn,es arc
Il aec today IN general way az they were i'm tho
w Of pretty Nell Gwyn They are almost all alike
5Ehsc any other form of amusement they haye
|rAnsl interest
atftiiy sory-a nursery tale--drapatical1v told
Il vi!sh 'thc course of true lovo never did
|eu iormci the opening; the characters being
'so sll'ors ono poor yonng fellow " hom she
'fe. The other wealthy fop, whose prctonslons
IA H roursc favored by the father. There WAS also
Gy servant of some sort In the old man estab
Ne moment whom the young lady was about
A lefcbly married to The fop she despised,
l9p' OF ecpng with the Young man of her choice,
I go iairi made her appearance, and changing the
I-'s'Y palr into Harlequin anil Columhlnc the old
-GeSge'O INTO Pantaloon AMI the body servant
'oVn' Inc two latter with tho rejected clover, -
vas rallied, commenced tho pursuit Of the happy
~, te ec'erly constructed scenes. i'll which all the
ti ana rhauges had meaning and We're nitro
~ q a. contrNnnccs To favor the escape of llarle
~ ga 'onmbRc hen too closely followed by their
.ssf Nas as regular a ulot as might be founl IN
.aaaana An interest in the chase which increased
safaon of the ingenuity and the enjoyment OF
- oi nc tricks by which tho runaways escape
r,S until the inevitable ''darl sccnc' came,
~" forest in which they were overtakon,