So they rose and having discharged their reckoning were about to set off, when suddenly they heard some one behind them say, "Allow me to congratulate you, Mr. Yü Tsun, I have come on purpose to bring you some good Yü Tsun turned round in haste, and the next chapter will inform you

as to who it was he saw.

CHINESE THEATRICALS.

"Good my lord, will you see the players well bestowed? Do you hear, let them be well used, for they are the abstract and brief chronicles of the time."

HAMLET.

HE drama recedes before advancing civilisation, perhaps because civilisation, or much that is called by that name, brings with it a distaste for simple pleasures and a continual craving for new excitement. What the detestable 'sensation' novels of the present day are to the works of Scott or Richardson, such are our theatrical performances to the drama legitimate and undefiled which delighted our ancestors. There is some truth perhaps in the theory that, as books become more common and reading more popular, the drama does and ought to decay; nor does the case of the Chinese disprove this, for though a reading people, they are too busy to read much or regularly for amusement. A man who can in his own room fly from the brood of cares to Shakespeare, perhaps hardly cares for the rant and mouthing of the stage, nathless it is sad and strange that those who now do go play-seeing will pay their half-crowns to see nothing but Colleen Bawns with real water, Perfect Cures with realer vulgarity, and the whole tribe of pestiferous 'sensations' with which the English boards have been infested. Even the opera will not do without its 'spectacle' and the questionable charms of the ballet. Music pure and simple has no chance. Compare this with the gathering of rustic peasants under Hellenic or Roman skies, who for three days listened to the simple dialogue which told what was done without shewing it, and the chorus prosed the while-or with the homely audience at a miracle play when Lucifer banged the friars, and (later on in our rough island story) the man with loam and rough-cast stood for the wall. Whence partly it is that I should be sorry to see too much Western Civilisation' all at once in this hitherto peaceful land. Chinese 'boards' are not always all they ought to be, but it will be an evil day when their worst faults are exchanged for Blondin and the dance of death, or even 'Pepper's Ghost.'

Permanent theatres of brick or stone like those of Hongkong are not common throughout the Chinese Empire, if indeed they are found at all. It is thought that a thriving establishment drawing 'full houses' would be too

great a temptation for the squeezing propensities of Mandarins, and therefore the Companies of players are from time to time accomodated in mat-sheds run up by some enterprising speculator, who engages a troupe, dresses, properties, and all, and makes what he can by it, and there being nobody to snarl to the papers about gongs and tum-tums until small hours of the morning, nor indeed any papers to snarl to, everybody is happy, and long may they remain so! In these mat-shed theatres the body of the pit is free, by old tradition, to all of the great unwashed and little unwhipt that like to go, and this, therefore, becomes a dense mass of humanity that can be (and has been) walked over upon a solid pavement of shaven, but not very recently shaven-heads. The great amusement of these gratis people is shoving about, whereby the closely packed mass surges like a sea, and if the floor, or part of the partition gives way, so that some fifty people are thrown into the shallow water over which, to avoid rent, these places are often built, why that is a part of the fun and nobody is concerned or any the worse. Mandarins and their multitudinous officers and servants are also admitted free, but sit in immense respectability in the higher parts of the house, behind which there is a gallery for women.

In Hongkong, however, private speculation has provided three substantial theatres where the mirror can be held up to nature, and these three are known to the European mind by the generic and comprehensive term 'The sing-song.' Singsong pidgin,' by the way, in Barbarian phrase, comprehends every kind and sort of vocal or instrumental festivity. If the Chinese ever wish to develope what the 'SATURDAY REVIEW' calls 'a sentimental grievance' à l'Irlandais, there is one ready to their hands in the utterly childish, not to say insulting, terms which are in the mouths of foreigners in describing all and every of their Lares and Penates, their articles of bigotry and virtue.' Was ever a national deity, even Mumbo-Jumbo himself, known by such a miserable name as "Joss," or worship further degraded than by being called "Chin-chin that Joss?" I strongly query whether there exist in the whole world, outside of nurseries, more childish and utterly degraded vocables than such as "Singsong-Chow-chow-Chop-chop" and the rest of them.

A theatre by daylight is notably as different from the same by night as poor Cinderella's carriage was after twelve from what it was qefore. We will, therefore, not expect too much in the bright morning light from "The garden of United Joy," whence our illustration is taken. We emerge upon the stage in a sudden manner quite wonderful after the labyrinths of the Western 'Garden of United Joy' yclept Covent. An undress rehearsal is going on. A dozen or so of lads and men, each in a pair of old cotton trousers and nothing more, are going through the 'terrific combat' of the period which is to form a scene to-day. I was going to say this evening,' but the players, who certainly work hard, will perform with only a slight rest from noon till nearly midnight. None of the actors proper have made their appearance, they are too well up in their parts to require rehearsals, but muscles require more exercising than even

the memory, and therefore the practicable soldiers rise early. They come one by one 'Left,' take a short run, go over on their hands and feet like street Arabs, make a somersault or two in the air, and finally come right end up at 'Right,' and then slowly walk back to regain breath and try again.

These people belong to the Company, which must be distinguished from the regular staff of the house. The latter sit about in that happy frame of mind which a fair salary and little to do induces in the Celestial, which inward peace is much developed by a proper exhibition of tobacco in infinitesimal doses constantly renewed. That pipe which "Bill of the play" has got (see Illustration) only holds enough tobacco for three whiffs, which are drawn through water, then the ashes are knocked out, and the pipe refilled and lighted! This makes the smoke very cool, but it is best to have a servant by you with a light whilst you enjoy it.

His more respectable and more stolid neighbour, who boasts a coat, and who was not pleased to find the inexorable Camera had so closely juxta-posed him and the plebeian "Bill," is the florist and decorative artist of the establishment. On great occasions he fabricates festoons and wreath of flowers to gladden the eye withal, and otherwise lends himself to producing those queer contrasts of real magnificence and utter tawdriness and dirt which so distinguish Chinese display.

By a flight of fancy, we have however christened our pleasing acquaintance "Bill of the Play." In England his prototype, with harsh and unpleasing, nay even raven-like voice, vends "Happles, horanges, gingerbeer and a bill o' the play." But he-simpler soul-confines himself to such creature comforts as plaintains, olives, sugared fruits, all uninviting to the Barbarian palate, 'clear mountain-water tea' at eight fan the cup, cigarettes which he buys at a few cents the thousand and sells you for a cash (that is, one fourteenth of a half-penny, at the ruling rate of exchange) each, light included. He goes about in that costume (ahem) amongst the benches, and is supposed to receive a high salary on account of the winning expression of his face, which is found to induce the most reckless expenditure in plaintains on the part of the youth of China.

The duties of our two friends seem just at present to be mostly performed by various small boys, who are going about leisurely enough distributing cushions, counting the plantains left from last night's sale, and so on. There is no scenery to shift or paint, no curtain to get out of order, no properties to speak of beyond a table and two chairs, and the only thing resembling an English theatre is an elaborate arrangement of gas, which however is unshaded from the eye of the audience and dazzles them most unmercifully. Can we go behind the scenes? Oh certainly, at least behind the stage, for there are no scenes. Here we are-a blank empty room, communicating with large dormitories where the player-folk sleep on boards. A few huge boxes of clothes stand about and that is all. Of these, and their wearers, and the plays that they play, we shall speak in a further paper.

SNOW SHOES.

(THE EXPERIENCES OF A GUARDSMAN.)

CHAPTER II.

HE sun was setting, herds of deer were running through the trees towards the water, birds were flying homeward, and yet our companions did not return.

"We had better drive on a little, they have probably gone to the Robber's Cave, it is Clara's favourite walk," said Mabel.

"Very well-anywhere you please, it seems they will never return unless we fetch them," I replied.

We aroused the sleeping mass of humanity on the box of the carriage and were soon on the way to the Robber's Cave.

The Cavern was shut from the high road by ample foliage, while the path leading to it was like the high road to the Bower at Woodstock, without the thread of silk to guide our steps.

We alighted, and scrambling through brambles and thorns, at the expense of many scratches, finally reached the sheltered spot, where we found Charlie flirting horribly with Mary Warrington, while Berton and Clara were amusing themselves by making a wreath of creepers and wild flowers. They all looked up as we appeared, and Berton laughed.

"You may laugh, Lord Berton," exclaimed Mabel somewhat indignantly, "but you have given us great anxiety."

"No one is more ready to regret his errors, or more willing to make amends than your humble servant," replied Berton good humouredly.

"We thought you had gone home, and left us, like the ill fated Babes

in the Wood," exclaimed Charlie with a wicked look in his eyes.

"You did us both an injustice then; but come away, for it will soon be dark, and I have heard that this part of the wood is safer by day than night," replied Mabel.

They all rose, and in a few moments the coachman was once more aroused, and vented his anger on the backs of his horses with the assistance of his whip.

At eight o'clock we pulled up at Mr. Warrington's door; we found dinner waiting, apologized for being late, and hurried upstairs to dress.

There is always a temptation to seek relief from inward irritation by venting one's feelings on some object, whether deserving of the attention or not. I would have given worlds, an hour later, not to have annoyed Mabel Warrington, but it was impossible to undo what I had done, and she was inexorable. Themistocles himself with his plaintive cry of 'strike but hear me' could not have moved this modern daughter of Eurybiades to mercy.

Like many better men therefore, I was doomed to 'bide my time' and I heard the Ball discussed with the most perfect outward composure at the

dinner table, in hopes that when the ladies left the room I should be enabled to prevail on my host to allow me to drop promiscuously into the envied position of chaperon. I was not disappointed; Mr. Warrington was no social nepotist, and would rather have had his right hand burnt off than have suffered himself to be led to a Ball-room.

"The girls can't go alone, Captain Morton-the idea is simply absurd—of course you must take them.”

I endeavoured to suppress a smile at my host's strange logic, but said nothing.

There was a dreamy look in those dark eyes that seemed to sorrow in secret when Mabel entered the Drawing Room in her 'costume de bal.' It was a simple white muslin, trimmed with blue, and in her hair she wore the beauteous auricula,-beautiful, because simple, the highest evidence of her magian art.

Mr. Warrington treated my attendance as a matter of course, and appealed to me in the name of the 'Rising Sun' to come home before dawn.

"Captain Morton is not going, Papa," exclaimed Mabel from behind a bouquet of flowers which she was inspecting most minutely.

"Not going! nonsense child-he has just told me that he is going; why, you couldn't go without him!"

Little more was said; we all bundled into different vehicles, and pulled up the windows,-in a few minutes we were on our way.

I laughed inwardly at the absurdity of my position-going to a ball unasked, as a chaperon to a young lady of a week's acquaintance. Mabel may have been thinking deeply behind her bouquet, but we neither of us spoke a word. Berton, Charlie, and the young ladies, followed in a rumbling vehicle of pondrous weight, rivalling a stage coach, and arrived a few minutes after we did; we waited for them in the Hall and greeted our hostess en masse.

6

It is but right to say something about the lady who tendered us such cordial greeting on our presentation. Mrs. Bashimede, whose name had for the last three weeks been uppermost everywhere, and whose glazed cards with emblazoned arms had stood among the memorabilia' in the corners of more than three hundred mirrors, was a short, ugly, repulsive looking old woman, and a widow! I trust not a 'malum in se,' in the general sense, but undoubtedly a 'malum in se' as far as her case stood; it having been devoutly declared that no man could be expected to live five years in succession, after leaving the shrine of Hymen by her side; in fulfilment of which, she had outlived her fourth husband, long enough at any rate, to act as lady bountiful on this particular occasion.

Our hostess was not beyond aspiring to another match, and ill-natured people paused betwixt their several dances to watch her snares as they were subtly laid. Her dress was an exageration of the fashions in vogue in the last century, but the grace with which she moved from the raised dais to the