The Sun. — 1866-09-15 (London, England)

GYMNASE.—They have acquired an excellent habit at the Gymnase of bringing out a batch of novelities at once. The other night they produced " Les Wagons des Dames," and " Les Sabots d'Aurore," and on Thursday they played two new pieces, both well. entitled to the plaudits they received. "Un Mariage h l'Enchere' will owe its success toßlaisot's laughable impersonation of a " tender parient" who is always prating about his disinterestedness and paternal affection, whilst he is ready to sell his child to the highest bidder. The young lady knows a great deal too much. She is a sort of " Pucelle de Belleville," one of those pleasant books which our dear readers used to poke under the sofa cushion when visitors were announced. But in these Benoiton days we wonder at times where young ladies of the best regulated families acquire all their surprising information upon subjects which were tabooed by the stricter propriety of our youth. Anna (Mdlle. Menty) enters into all her papa's enlightened views. She gives up her cousin for a betterparti, whom she abandons for a yet wealthier nephew of her notaire; but the steamer which was to have brought this Cmsar and his fortunes to Havre went down with all hands, and thus the lady loses all her lovers, and is forced to fall back upon her cousin at last. Blaiset is about as good a sketch of a Parisian papa as ever appeared upon the stage. No one should miss going to see him. If the first piece reminded us of Paul de Kock's tale the " Amour d'une Ingenue" bore a strong resemblance to Mrs. Inchbald's " Simple Story." An uncle, who hovers between 30 and 40, is left guardian of his sister's child. The uncle is very kind to his niece, but is yet kinder to Mdlle. Olympe and other ladies who have played in the Olympic games of the demi-monde. The niece falls in love—with whom do you suppose of all people in the world—" Oh! my prophetic soul, fly uncle." When she discovers that he is bent upon going out to shoot cocottes, or any other sport of . that kind, she sews up his coat sleeves, bides white chokers, and torments him exceelingly. Thebi teterrima causa of these wars is revealed season ; she contrives to keep him at homine duefor uhnercleowninarpraiertsichuislarnamieceu.sement, To our On the fly-leaf anrdasthtee amorous uncle something nasty in this neP°estis a long list of ladies of the old family bible figures along of matrimony. It who are placed withoult interdiction, " A man may begins with the grandmother,"aw.fu. and concludes with the not marry.. his same injunction against a niece. Ninon de l'Enclos is said to have incliulcd one of her grandsons amongst her admirers, and Tom Moore has sung the loves of a young gentleman who was detectedflagrante under the same circumstances. For us these circumstances would not be attenuantes, nor would they be any more admissible in the other case. An Englishman would no more think of making love to his grandmamma than to his sister's child. But these restrictions are not imposed in France. Uncles and nieces are constantly buckled together, and make excellent menages; therefore was the marriage of this Ingenue rapturously received. Mlle. Barataude, the debutante, is an Ingenue who might inveigle any one into matrimony. She is a great acquisition to the Gymnase. She has the bluest of eyes, blue as those which shone from under Athenes' brow upon the Greeks before Troy ; and she has learned the art of turning them to the best account, as she darts glances from them upon the poor inflammable wretches in the dais as murderous as from a Zwiduadelgewehr.