Punch: Punch (76.1879)

96

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [Maech l, 1879.

SOME PASSAGES FROM THE HISTORY OF THE NEXT

EASTERN LOAN.

(From a Special Correspondent in futuro, somewhere in the East, somewhere about the

Middle of Next Year.)

Monday.
tie Minister of Finance has
arranged with the Minis-
ter of War for the ad-
vance of a week's salary

sand men. By a judicious
employment of this force
in financial operations,
backed by .warm, if not
open, support of the Sove-
reign, it is hoped that the
Treasury Bonds will be
brought up to par.

Tuesday.
The Minister of Finance
and his army are threaten-
ing the National Bank.
It is believed that should
the movement be crowned
with success, the State
Mortgages will be fore-
closed on exceptionally
favourable terms.

Wednesday.

The Minister of Finance, surrounded by his armv. to-day received a flag of truce from the
International Commissioners of Inland Revenue. Under the arrangement which will thus,
it is hoped, be facilitated, the revenue is likely to be materially increased.

Thursday.

The Minister of Finance, by a flank move-
ment of admirable promptitude and pre-
cision, has cut off all communication between
the Admiralty Offices and the Treasury.
Thanks to this successful manoeuvre, the
Navy Estimates will probably be found to
admit of considerable reduction.

Friday.

The Minister of Finance and his Armv
to a force of twenty thou- ! are advancing on the Palace. Speculators

are buying for the rise.

Saturday.

The Minister of Finance has just won a
brilliant victory over all the rest of the
Government, after six hours' hard fighting.
The new Loan will, it is expected, in con-
sequence, be issued on Monday at par.

Superfluous Petticoat Government.

" At the annual meeting of the North Stafford-
shire Railway, yesterday, one of the shareholders
said that one-fifth of the proprietors were Ladies,
and he should canvass them to appoint two
female Directors to look after their interests."—
Standard, Feb. 15, 1879.

There can surely be no necessity for
the proposed arrangement, while the in-
terests of Lady Shareholders are already
so well represented by the large propor-
tion of Old Women on existing Boards of
Directors.

OUR REPRESENTATIVE MAN.

Englhh Composer in Paris—3Iusical World—Hay market—Crystal

Palace—Advice gratis.

Dr. Arthur Sullivan's Ouverture elegiaque, "In Memoriafn"
has .met with a most cordial reception in Pans. " Cest une oeuvre
de valeur bien ecrite," says M. Henri de Lapommteraye, " qui revile
un esprit clair, melodique, et une imagination fort poetique."

Bravo, Dr. Arthur !

" II y a," says the same critic, speaking of a point in the Over-
ture, " un effet produit par les violons qui est d'un caractere saisis-
sant." What I especially like about this is the word "saisissant."

I wish Mr. Lapommeraye could hear my trio for two violins and
another musical instrument (of the flageolet order) from the Lowther
Arcade. Ah! that's saisissant, if you like ! For those who have
not yet heard this, a rich treat is in store. Tickets half-a-
guinea each, all umbrellas and sticks to be left at the door,
everyone to be searched before entering the hall, to make sure that
they have not about them, in any pocket, boots, or hat, anything
whatever that can be thrown at any of the performers on the above-
named instruments, or at the Composer of the above-named trio.

Extra Police will be stationed in Piccadilly and Regent Street,
and men will be in readiness at all the gas-taps to turn them out on
the least signs of " Disaffection," i.e., not liking the musical enter-
tainment in question.

A propos of Dr. Arthur's Parisian success, our well-informed
friend The Musical World observes : '' After tbis auspicious
event, shoidd the Rue Bergere be re-christened ' Rue Sullivan,' we
should nevertheless put in a formal protest.'' Protest ? Against what ?
Against its being "re-christened"? There are some good people
Avho strongly object not only to the term " christening a ship," but
also to the ceremonies used. But why shouldn't Rue Bergere be
Rue Sullivan ? Why—to adapt Ophelia's words—why shouldn't the
Parisians " Wear their Rue with a difference? " But no matter—■

Rue Bergere
"Will stop as it were.

And so Dr. Septimus Wind, of The Musical World, needn't be
frightened, and be blowed to him.

By the way, Mr. Beverley, scenic artist of Drury Lane, points
out in a letter to this same paper how he is a much greater loser by
his connection with this disastrous pantomime than the Yokes's
have been; but that he and the others were quite prepared to do
their best for the old ship under Captain Chatterton, without
whose previous enterprise the talented Vokes family would not have
had the chances of which they have made so much in past years. I
am sorry about this. The Yokes family are clever at steps, but this
is the one false step they've made. Retrace it.

After many roving weeks, coming up to Town, I went to see The
Crisis at the Haymarket. It is remarkable for the clever acting of

Miss Louise Moodie, as Mrs. Goring, and Mr. Kelly as her son—
allowing for an over-sombreness which occasionally weights an
excellent conception rather heavily. Another capital perform-
ance is that of Mr. David Fisher, Junior, as lord William White-
head,—a very weak name by the way. Mrs. John Wood is certainly
very funny ; Miss Eastlake very graceful and intelligent, full of
promise which is rapidly ripening into performance. In her absence,
the part was charmingly played by Miss B. Henri. Indeed, taken
all round, the representation of the piece leaves scarcely anything to
be desired. In fact, were it not for the good acting, the play would
never have taken any hold of the public at all. But solely on this
account it is worth seeing. There are four or five sharp-pointed
lines in it, but there is a perpetual shooting at the epigram target,
and once, or twice, a bull's-eye is scored.

What must have been a very strong scene in M. Augier's original
French piece is of itself, and apart from the acting, a very indifferent
affair here. In les Fourchambaidts (Heavens! what a name! !)
one brother hits the other on the cheek, whereupon when they have
made it up, the injured party, in reply to the striker's question, how
he can atone for such a deed, points to the mark which the blow has
still left on the cheek, and says "effaceit! "—whereupon the re-
pentant striker dashes at his brother and kisses him, literally, on the
spot. Burst of enthusiasm from French audience, which has waited
through three or four Acts for this situation.

But we Englishmen don't " kiss and make friends," and so the point
goes for absolutely nothing, except what an ordinary shake of the
hand can make of it.

Then the motive for Haidee's quitting the Denhams' house is too
slight, and coming in when it does, it seems to me to belong, somehow
or another, to another play altogether. The Crisis_ is scarcely
a happy title for it. Considering the subject, wouldn't it have been
better, when it was once removed from France, and Les Fourcham-
baidts dropped, to have called it, It's a Wise Child that Knows Its
Own Father ; or, Don't Flirt with the Governess.

The Crisis is well worth the playgoer's visit, for the sake of the
really excellent acting of all the dramatis persona, especially Miss
Moodie, Miss Eastlake, or her unusually sufficient and satisfactory
substitute Miss Henri, and Mr. Kelly.

A propos of places of amusement, when is there going to be some
attractive novelty at the Crystal Palace ? Fireworks can't be let off
all the year round, and out of the summer season there doesn't seem
to be much going on. I should recommend the Chairman and
Directors to consider the words on the fragile packages by rail,
" Glass—with Care," and apply it to our old friend, the Sydenham
Palace. Seers are accustomed to look into the Crystal for the future,
and I sincerely hope that numbers of sight-seers will look into the
Crystal for the future ; only they won't do it unless they are sure of
seeing something new and really entertaining. Wake up, Mr. Chair-
man of the C. P. Co., and oblige

Your Representative.

EST To CoBEBSPOifDENis.—The Editor does not hold himself bound to acknowledge, return, or pay for Contributions. In no case can these be returned unless accompanied by a

stamped and directed envelope. Copies should be kept.