xxni RIVERSIDE LETTERS 181 



from conventionality. The female parts are 

 taken by boys, skilfully made up. The mu- 

 sicians have quaint lyres and flutes. The 

 chorus of old men sing their strophes and 

 antistrophes to a droning air, moving in a 

 slow measure all the time around the altar. 

 All legs and arms are really bare, and the 

 sandals are no made up things from the cos- 

 tumier's, but genuine ones which make a 

 strange clattering when any quick movement 

 takes place. I wished much you could have 

 been there, as I feel sure you would have en- 

 joyed it. Tadema was there on Saturday 

 and was greatly delighted. This pretty re- 

 vival is almost entirely due to the energy of 

 the present Warden, who himself acted the 

 principal part of King Admetus. 



On Sunday night we were favoured by a 

 visit from a young brown owl. My daughter 

 noticed the bird first, as it was sitting on one 

 of the window ledges on the side of our 

 house which is next the road. We all went 

 out to look at it ; there was plenty of light 



