374

PREPARING FOR THE CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME.

throng the streets, and block up shop-windows, and Messrs. Tacks, Hammer and Bradawl are slaving away for the honor of the Theatres Royal, to which they are attached, to complete the preparations for the first representation of the Grand and original Christmas pantomime of Harlequin King Canute, or, The fourteen Princesses of Pearldom.' The good-natured father, taking dress-circle tickets at the box-office, thinks nothing of the hurrying to and fro, of the hammering, painting and polishing going on within the dingy brick walls; the languid gentleman who has agreed to be present in a private box at the first representation of the pantomime, does not trouble his head about the labor and talent employed in producing the grand scene of the Princess Peewit's Palace of Pearls; and the students of the many-colored posters stuck upon the boardings of the metropolis care nothing respecting the means by which the Demon Discord's dismal dungeon is to be transformed into the realms of dazzling light. Messrs. Tacks, Hammer and Bradawl slave, without ceasing, surrounded by glue, beer-cans, shavings and tools, while fairies in dingy skirts practice their poses under the direction of a blustering ballet-master. But what have the public to do with this, provided the curtain rises at the proper time on the opening scene of the grand new pantomime of Harlequin King Canute?' Ting-a-ring-a-ting sounds the prompter's bell, and the orchestra strikes up an overture of popular airs, to the great delight of the galory, who recognize their favorite tunes and keep time ith their feet, and to the still greater pleasure of the unior members of a numerous family of children, who rowd one another against the edge of a private box, Landing literally on the tiptoe of expectation, and peer nd peep and gaze in wonder, first on the brilliantly ighted, crowded house and then on the dull green baize hich shuts out fairyland. Hark! the prompter's bell a

THE SITTYMAN FAMILY.

375

second time, and the curtain rolls slowly up and discovers the abode of the Demon Discord. There is Mr. Sittyman, smiling good naturedly, and holding his youngest in his arms, quieting her fears of the Demon Discord with acidulated drops, and pointing out the beauties of the Bower of Everlasting Peas with a fat, stubby finger. Mr. Sittyman is a hard-working merchant, who goes home by the six o'clock omnibus to Peckham with the regularity of clockwork, and whose only dissipation in the year is this one visit to the theatre with his children on Boxing Night. What a day this twenty-sixth of December has been to Mrs. Sittyman at Peckham, preparing for the annual festivity! What ironing of muslin frocks, sewing on of buttons to tiny garments, and finally, what bustle and confusion, packing the entire family into a cab to set off to meet papa in St. Alphage Lane! It was a severe trial, doubtless, for Mr. Adolphus Sittyman, aged seventeen, to enter the theatre with a laughing sister of eight clinging to him, and asking absurd questions in a terribly loud voice, while a juvenile brother clutched his coat-tails-the tails of that sacred thing, a first dress-coat-and shrieked with laughter at some joke of papa's. A severe trial for Mr. Adolphus, who last pantomime season had only been Master Dolly in a jacket and lay-down collars, home from school for the Christmas holidays, but who is now a man of business, glib in City quotations, cognisant of Mincing Lane matters, and interested in the rise and fall of stock. Next to Mr. Adolphus in order of seniority is Miss Adelgitha, a blooming damsel of ten, who has, with Sittyman precocity, already attained the 'first sweetheart' stage of life, has interchanged sugarsticks with the object of her affections, and has danced with him an entire evening at Mrs. Mincing's ball. Alas, for the fickleness of the female heart! Miss Adelgitha, this twenty-sixth of December, is enslaved anew by the prince in the pantomime, and that

376

THE TRANSFORMATION SCENE.

her Arthur Henry, in tunic and knickerbockers, is already forgotten for the velvet-caped, silk-stockinged scion of a regal house, who puns, sings, and dances with mock hilarity before a sham castle on the boards of the Theatre Royal. Miss Rosalind Sittyman is there, too, with large dark wide-open eyes, drinking in eagerly the wonderful sight before her, and Master Horace lounges in front of her, dividing his attention between a cake and the antics of the Demon Discord. See, my good friend, the grand transformation scene is about to commence. The dismal dungeon of the demon parts in the centre, and the realms of dazzling light are disclosed, glittering and sparkling with the greatest attainable theatrical brilliancy. Every moment fresh beauties are disclosed to the open-eyed children, who clap their tiny hands together and vie with each other in exclamatory 'oh my's,' till the culminating point is reached and Clown, welcomed with a shout of delight, comes bounding on the stage followed by Pantaloon, while Harlequin and Columbine pose themselves in graceful attitudes in the full glare of the colored fire. * * * But throughthe chinks of this interesting scene, before which Harlequin and Columbine are dancing with so much animation, I can see the gleams of light for the finale, which tell me the grand Christmas pantomime of 'Harlequin King Canute' is drawing to an end. The final chord is played in the orchestra, the green baize has fallen on the last scene, the box-keepers are tying Holland pinafores over the ormolu, and the vast audience is pushing and rushing and ghting its way out into the cold, slushy streets, setti s an example which we, my patient comotter follow, unless you choose to remain the night, to picture to yourself the different se boxes into which we have been gazing since the first opening of the theatre."

FIRST VISIT TO A LONDON THEATRE.

377

CHAPTER XXIX.

American and Foreign Theatres Contrasted.-Scenic Superiority in this Country. Full Dress in London Theatres.-Curiosities of Accent.— The Pit and the Pea Nut.-The Dress of English and American Actresses.-Behind the Scenes.-Stage Banquets. The Vanishing Green-room. The New York Stage as seen by English Eyes.Decorous Audiences. - Persistent Play-goers. The Star System.Poor Encouragement to Dramatists.-The English and French Stage Compared." The Cross of my Mother."-Decline of the British Stage. The Dramatist's Power.-London Theatres.-The Most Celebrated Playhouses of Europe.-Theatres in Germany.

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Until late years, the stage decorations of American theatres have been of so poor a description that my first entrance into a prominent London theatre, about ten years ago, struck me with speechless astonishment at the beauty of the mise en scene, which was far above anything I had ever seen in America-of whose theatres I had been a habitue, both "in front" and "behind the scenes," since my earliest childhood.

The play, I remember, was one in which Miss Amy Sedgwick appeared, and the whole performance was so good that it was to me like a revelation in histrionic art.

Passing my time about equally between Paris and London for the six years following this event, I was able to form a pretty correct idea of theatrical matters in these two centres of civilization, and to compare their theatres with those of America when I returned to my native country in '62.

Then I found that American managers had discovered the great fact that comfortable seats in the auditorium, plenty of chandeliers, and the tabooing of babies in arms, were not all that was required to make a play attractive,

and had consequently begun to adopt the European plan of "mounting" every piece which they thought destined for a "run."

This needed reform soon bore its fruits; and now it is not too much to say that New York can safely compete in almost every respect with any London theatre, whatever its grade.

I dare not extend the boastful comparison to the theatres of Paris, for the trail of the Gymnase is over me still, and the halo of the Comedie Francaise is as bright a nimbus in memory's heaven as though half a dozen years, headed by a rebellion, punctured with a war, closed with a peace, had not passed since I sat in that classic temple and listened to "Britannicus."

Many pieces which have been brought out in London and considered well mounted there, have been transferred to New York and placed upon the stage in such a way as quite to throw their original decking into the shade. As an instance, I may cite the comedy of "Ours," which an English officer who had seen the piece in London and had taken a great interest in it on account of having served in the Crimean war, told me was placed on the stage at Wallack's Theatre so much better than in London as almost to be unrecognizable. This was not due, however, to the superiority of the scenic artists-for in this direction the Americans were not to be compared to the English -but to the extreme care bestowed upon other details by the management: the reckless extravagance in furniture, pianos, pangs, etc., of whose richness I can give no better idean by saying they looked as though transa Fifth avenue drawing-room.

to me during my different visits to London, e of conversation about theatres with English an idea prevailed that, in American theatres, bly presented entertainments of a low order,