286 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



such jingling rhyme at a moment's notice, and a play in 

 their day without such an introduction would have been an 

 anomaly. ' The idea of reviving the quaint custom was 

 respectful to tradition, but what a failure Mr. Holmes 

 made of it. His home being in Boston, he has never had 

 much to do with theatres; the inoclastic blood of his an- 

 cestors chills his muse when he touches upon the stage. 

 Finding no natural inspiration in the subject he sings only 

 of the bricks and mortar, and their hangings and their white 

 wash. Of the object of the building he seems oblivious. 

 The fact that it was erected for the purpose of dramatic 

 representations is never alluded to, and the only theatrical 

 characters that flash across "his fine fancy rolling" are the 

 dramatic abortions of "Dundreary," "Jack Sheppard," 

 "Dick Turpin," and "Robert Macaire." We hardly think 

 it possible that the Autocrat of the Breakfast Table has not 

 heard of "Hamlet" and "Macbeth," yet very clever men 

 live in New York who have not heard of Milk street and 

 the old South Church. Ignorance of celebrities is not, 

 therefore, unpardonable. 



That the prologue was pronounced heavy in advance Mr. 

 Daly admitted by dividing it up between Miss Morant and 

 Mr. Frank Hardenburg. It was given to the audience 

 piecemeal — when Fanny Morant got fatigued with it she 

 retired, and subsequently Mr. Hardenburg, of good phys- 

 ical strength, completed the task. One criticism serious is, 

 that Mr. Daly might have found in the united literary abil- 

 ity of the empire city — a city in which the drama is at 

 home — some one who could have worthily written the pro- 

 logue. We think William Cullen Bryant would have clone 

 tolerably well, and we are sure that "Robert Macaire" and 

 "Dick Turpin" would not have been by him mentioned to 

 ears polite, that habitually wait upon the Fifth Avenue 

 Theatre. 



After the prologue — opening with a startling misquota- 

 tion from Shakspeare— reading thus, 



Hang out our banners on the stately town, 

 then followed the play, which, we were so carefully in- 

 formed, "was written in London especially for this theatre," 

 and certainly before the first act was ended it was apparent 

 that the foul atmosphere of the modern Babylon had befog- 

 ged the author's brain so that he could see nothing clearly, 

 while, what must be a natural defect of his mind, he had 

 no idea of a possibly perfect play. "Fortune" appears to 

 be without any story; an objective point, if anything is 

 apparent more than another, is that the author was endeav- 

 oring to copy some conceived models, and by this servility 

 has produced nothing of his own that is meritorious, and 

 nothing of his ideal that is not weak and unsatisfactory. 

 The consequence was that the most critical of the audience 

 left the bouse at the end of the third act, which ended just 

 sixty minutes before church yards are said to yawn. 



Mistakes are often made by managers — they are unavoid- 

 able; but we have never known one so glaring as the ac- 

 ceptance of "Fortune." Put upon the stage with all the 

 care and good taste that have always distinguished Mr. 

 Daly's efforts in that direction— the scenery perfect, the 

 furniture rich and costly, the dresses all that lavish expen- 

 diture and the best judgment could accomplish, and carried 

 on under the blinding excitement of a first opening, the 

 wv>le thing, from the stage point of view, as a play was a 

 miserable failure, and we regret it. That "Fortune" will 

 run a brie£ career we have no doubt. The novelty of a 

 visit to the house will for a time command an audience. 



Now comes this question from earnest friends of the legit- 

 imate drama (the friends of the "illegitimate" are not in this 

 question worth noticing), Cannot Mr. Daly get some really 

 good plays, or must he fall back upon the proposition that 

 with all of his splendid material resources and line stock 

 company he can present with success only plays that are 

 founded upon suggestive adultery and the excitements of 

 divorce? 



Monday night was memorable for what might be 



termed a grand theatrical attack along the whole line. Wal- 

 laces Theatre, as usual, presented a specimen of the best 

 line of comedies, the new selection being Robertson's 

 "Home." The name is charming, and suggests quiet hap- 

 piness, yet enough to enlist the feelings for au evening's 

 refined entertainment. The presentation on the stage is 

 tasteful and complete, yet not overpowering. We never 

 lose sight of the actors by the glare of the surroundings. 



The Union Square has brought out a new piece, called 



"Led Astray." So fas as the scenery, the upholstery, 

 dresses, and the actors are concerned it reflects the highest 

 credit upon the management, and it is quite useless to say 

 that a full and enthusiastic house greeted the first presenta- 

 tion as has at every subsequent performance. We con- 

 fess our regret, most often repeated, that subjects for dra- 

 matic interest are not found other than "social immorality" 

 for the basis of interest, as the name of this play ominously 

 suggests. All unhappy women must be "led astray" before 

 they become new or old Magdalens. We respect the deli- 

 cate manner with which Mr. Boucicault approaches the 

 natural denouement of something "more objectionable" in 

 his next "legitimate play." 



^ Niblo's a crowded house greeted the Christmas ex- 

 travaganza of "Babes in the Wood," which play afforded 

 the public the pleasure of seeing the incomparable Vokes 

 family somewhat different from their usual role. In addi- 

 tion was the appearance of Mile. Bonfanti, after an ab- 

 sence from Niblo's of nearly four years. The "Babes in 

 the Wood" will undoubtedly be popular^ and it should be. 

 The scenery is remarkable, of course, for its splendid effect, 

 and the ballet is toned down until it is unexceptionable. 

 If we are not mistaken, the little folks will take entire pos- 

 MMion of the matin«««, 



S 



— At the Fifth Avenue Theatre we have "Old Heads and 

 Young Hearts." 



— Our permanent citizens and the world of visitors which 

 make up our winter population can find no fault in the va- 

 riety and perfection of our amusements. 



Cincinnati, December 6, 1873. 



The heavy rains during the first part of the week were an 

 effectual damper on large audiences, but in the last three 

 days the houses were veiy full. 



robinson's opera house. 



Sothern's second week here has been quite as successful 

 as his first week. "Sam" was given on Monday and Tues- 

 day. Although "Sam" is not the counterpart of his brother 

 "Dundreary," Mr. Sothern makes the two so much alike 

 that "Sam" is only a sequel to'it. Wednesday, Thursday, 

 Friday, and Saturday he gave "David Garrick." It was 

 not appreciated by either the public or press as it was thought 

 it would be. Mr. Sothern's fame in this one piece seems 

 to have been gained solely through the medium of the 

 press. December 8th, Miss Charlotte Leclercq. 

 wood's theatre. 



The second week of the " caw-hammer adultery 

 drama," as an old actor calls them, has been attended by 

 large audiences throughout their stay. Monday, Tuesday, 

 Wednesday, and Saturday "Article 47" was given. The 

 piece was superbly mounted throughout, as was all the other 

 plays that were produced. The remainder of the week 

 "Alixe," the pretty little French "society" drama, was 

 given. We think this piece, with the exception of 

 " Fernande," to be the most interesting of the kind that it 

 has been our pleasure to witness. December .8, Mrs. 

 Chanfrau. 



pike's opera house. 



Monday, Mr. Charles Bradlaugh delivered a lecture on 

 "An Englishman's View of the Irish Question." It was 

 attended with an audience composed of the elite of literature 

 of this city. 



MOZART HALL. 



MacEvoy's Hibernicon was here all this week. It was 

 a treat for the Irish 'population. December 8th, Sharpley's 

 Ministrels. W. L. 



♦ ' 



[Publications sent to this office, treating upon subjects that come within 

 the scope of the paper, will receive special attention. The receipt of all 

 books delivered at our Editorial Rooms will be promptly acknowledged 

 in the next issue. Publishers will confer a favor by promptly advising 

 us of any omission in this resnect. Prices of hooks inserted when 



desired.] 



* 



CHRISTMAS TIMES AND GIFTS . 



The Holyday season, the days of good wishes and cheerful congratula- 

 tions sre drawing near. The natal day of our Saviour, with all its blessed 

 memories will soon be here. Christmas has its sweet andpleasant wishes, 

 its days of presents, of gifts and good wishes. At the approach of this 

 anniversary of the day when a Saviour was born, it is quite appropriate 

 to celebrate it in a fitting manner, a day replete with all the old time- 

 honored associations and thrilling memories of that horn when the morn- 

 ing stars "saug together for joy," and that great announcement of 

 "peace and good will to men'' was proclaimed. Aside from a commemo- 

 rative festival, the 25th of December has long been cousidered as a day 

 for the "giving of gifts, " and exchange of "good wishes of many happy 

 returns.' 1 Among the many approp.uate presents for the occasion w,> 

 place books, as fitting and always acceptable remembrancers of the pleas- 

 ant season. And our friends have before them a very ample stock of 

 books for the season from which to choose "a gift for a friend. 1 ' In all 

 their rich and elegant variety, our Boston publishing houses place, in 

 blue and gold, upon their counters, the histories of many climes; Osgood 

 & Co. present to us their numerous treasures of the land of the Tropics, 

 with their wonderful adventures. The student and the clergyman, the 

 man of leisure, and the man of letters, of course will give them an hour's 

 call. Paterfamilias will here huy the literary treasures that will gladden 

 so many young hearts and make the eyes of so many little girls and boys 

 sparkle with joy, 



Nor are Hund & Houghton of Riverside to be forgotten. Here you will 

 find those interesting "Wonder Stories," by Hans Christian Anderson, 

 and many others very desirable. 



4 



BOOKS. 



Against the Stream. By the author of the "Schonberg- 



Cotta Family.''' New York: Dodd & Mead. 589 pages. 



This is a most charming story of the heroic age in England. Every one 

 knows who has read the "Schonberg-Cotta Family," that the author is 

 not only a pleasant but an amusing and instructive writer. After wading 

 through the debris of many yellow covers, and tossing others of no great 

 merit out of the way, we can truly say it is refreshing to take up a work 

 like this one entitled "Against the Stream." We find ourself in another 

 and a better atmosphere. We love to dwell upon those developing traits 

 that portray the outbursts of a noble nature, chastened and refined by 

 fixed conscientious principles of right and wrong. The progress of 

 such a nature, the noble strife of such a life is here unfolded before us, 

 and the reading of such a work cannot be other than beneficial to all, 

 young and old, intowdiose hands it may fall. We can most frankly say 

 that although it does not claim to be a religious novel, there is more of 

 the spirit of the truly grand elements of the living gospel of love than we 

 find in many labored memoirs and doctrinal books of the day. Librari- 

 ans in search of true, good, reformative books for the circulating or 

 sabbath-school library, should not pass this by, but place it on the shelf 

 of the schol-room as one of the best books of the day. A thorough and 

 careful perusal of this book can do no harm either to pastor or people. 

 No mere criticism we might give of this will be so good as a careful study 

 of it. 

 Fanny's Birthday Gift: By Joanna H. Matthews, author 



of the "Bessie Books." New York: Robert Carter & Bros. 



This is a neat holiday book, and one that may with safety be placed in 

 any library for our young folks. Fanny's birthday is introduced to us 

 in this quaint form: Fanny "is standing at the foot of the back stairs in 

 her father's house, looking up at the ponderous figure which was slowly 

 making its way downwards. A pleasant voice it was that spoke, a bright 

 young face that was raised: and dearly old black Becky loved both one and 

 the other. " Our readers will find this equal to the best of "Bessie's Books." 

 It well sustains the character of a pleasant miscellany of stories for the 

 young. Its contents are as foil ows, and the stories are deeply interest- 

 ing and vigorous : The cold chicken ; Harold's dilemma; Jenny's hopes; 

 Di the nursery; Fanny's sacrifice; Jenny's home; Granpapa's offer: 

 Peanuts and a sermon; The birthday; When she won't, she won't; The 

 ■term; Anesc*p«; Who win* ? 



By and By. An Historical Novel of the Future. By Ed- 

 ward Maitland. 12mo. 460 pages. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. 

 All readers of a work published not long since under the title of the 

 "The Pilgrims and the Shrine," will at once see that "By and By" is one 

 of that same school of philosophical novels, handling the plain the knot- 

 ty, abstruse and profound questions of the day. The author's preface 

 sets forth the idea in these words: 



It is an attempt to depict the condition of the world at a time when our 

 own country (England) at least shall have made such advance in the solu- 

 tion of the problems which harrass the present, and shall be so far re- 

 lieved of all disabling artifices, social, political and religious, that indi- 

 viduals will be able without penalty or reproach to fashion their own 

 preferences, the sole external limitation being that imposed by the law 

 of equal liberty for all. "By and By*' presents a state of society in which 

 the institutions are promoted to their proper supremacy over tradition 

 and convention. 



This last remark will not come up fully to the standard of some of our 

 orthodox christians. Here is a fault we are sorry to see mar so good a 

 work as the one before us. Ignoring entirely "tradition" and "conven- 

 tion," the work possesses an interest not of ten found in works of this 

 kind. 



The St. Nicholas for December. Scribner, Armstrong 



& Co.'s new Magazine. 



To give faint praise to this deservedly valuable addition to periodical 

 literature of this peculiar class (reading for the young), would be to do 

 an injustice to St. Nicholas, which we by no means intend, We were 

 pleased with the first number. It is quite difficult, we know, to make a 

 magazine for children acceptable in all its departments, from the fact 

 that the articles prepared for the same are designed, not for youth alone, 

 but for many younger readers. So far as we have examined this last 

 candidate for public favor, we can say it meets the wants of our "little 

 folks" as well as our "young folks." Children always like the real bet- 

 ter than the ideal. "Now, is that true?" said quite a little girl to me 

 after listening very attentively to a story in the "St. Nicholas." "Yes," 

 I replied, "that is all true; but why do you ask? Do you not like sto- 

 ries?" "Yes, I like true stories, not make believe ones. If the stories 

 in the "St. Nicholas" are true, papa will take it for me; he said he 

 would." 



Our observations upon the success or non-success of juvenile maga 

 zines only strengthens our opinion that we sometimes do an injustice to 

 our readers, by placing before them too much of the unreal and fictitious. 

 Children do not like to be treated always as children, even in their mag- 

 azines. They are at quite an early age capable of forming an opinion 

 for themselves. Said a bright little girl of eleven years: "I want to 

 take -Olivia Optic's Magazine,' not^'Little Tales for Little Girls.' " And 

 this young miss also liked to read neat stories. To edit such a maga- 

 zine as may be the magazine par excellence, for our young miss of eleven 

 and our young lady of sixteen, requires ability, tact and talent. The 

 best of reading for such a magazine is not too good. We hail the "St. 

 Nicholas, as an omen that the days of effeminate baby talks are ended, 

 and our yonng folks are to be treated to a literature that is instructing, 

 corrective, elevating, and such as they can understand. 



The Story of the Earth and Man. By J. W. 



Dawson, LL.D., F. R. S., F. G. S. Author of , "Archaia." New 



York: Harper & Bros. 



In this new work by Dawson we have a book that treats of geology in 

 a most thorough and comprehensive manner. Every reader who would 

 be instructed in the facts of the science of geology, as relating to our 

 planet, as well as some of the theories that have for some considerable 

 time agitated the scientific and general student, will read this work. 

 The manner in which the story is told, the trite and concise statement 

 of scientific and other facts, will enable almost every careful reader to 

 fully comprehend this whole subject, as it is here placed before them. 

 The silly v\ve had almost said) theories of Darwin and his very peculiar 

 views, find little favor with Dr. Dawson. Anyone who may be inclined 

 to a belief in the Darwin Theory of the "descent of man from the ape," 

 who will bring an unprejudiced mind to the consideration of this wild 

 theory, as discussed in this work, will have no cause, we think, to con- 

 clude that some big ape of thousands of years ago was his great ancestor. 

 Bead this work carefully, if you desire to know just what geology does 

 and does not teach. Mr. Dawson says, very truly, what will be accepted 

 by a large portion of American readers, "that all things have been pro- 

 duced by the Supreme will, acting either directly or through the agency 

 of the forces and materials of his own productions." And it is a relief, 

 in these days of doubtful theories and false speculations, to take up a 

 collection of compacted argument that ccnip etely overthrows the doc- 

 trines and theories of Darwin. We thank ths Dr. for t e sturdy, con- 

 stant blows he has struck, not only against a false and ridiculous theory, 

 but also the prevailing tendency of the times to a disbelief in the har- 

 mony of the written word with scientific and geological development. 

 A Tour Through the Pyrennes. A splendid Holiday 



present. 



This splendid square, 8vo., in cloth gilt, price $10, and in 

 full morocco $20, elegantly illustrated by Gustave Dore, has just been 

 presented to the reading world by the well known publishing house 

 of Henry Holt & Co., New York. The author, Mr. Traine, so well 

 known in his previous works of "History of English Literature,' • 

 "Travels in Italy," etc., has conferred a lasting benefit upon all who 

 would place a fitting souvenir of the seasons in the hands of their friends 

 on the coming Christmas and New Year's festive seasons. No pains 

 have been spared to make this book every way worthy of the giver and 

 the recipient. It is a very large, elegantly illustrated work, not to be 

 surpassed by any of our holiday books. This work contains 600 pages, 

 together with 200 or more illustrative cuts by Dore. The work will be 

 found extremely valuable for the correctness of its historic information, 

 descriptions of scenery.and many natural and curious subjerts,heretofore 

 unknown to many of our readers. Besides the above, the reader will 

 find a real pleasure in reading an account of many persons who acted 

 prominent parts in the history of France and Spain, as Henry IV., Mad- 

 ame de Maiuteum, Sully, Jeanne d'Albert, Voltaire, Froissart, Mile, de 

 Segui, and many others. We shall notice this work again hereafter. 



ANNOUNCEMENTS. 



♦ 



T. B. Ford & Co. will soon publish 

 Pleasant Talk About Fruit, Flowers and Farming, 



1 vol. 12mo. In press. 

 Norwood; or Village Life in New England. A Novel. 1 



vol. 12mo. Illustrated. In press. 



English and American Speeches, on Politics, War, and 



Literature and various miscellaneous topics, (vol 12mo In prepa- 

 ration.***Other volumes of this series will follow in rapid succession. 



Jasper's Birds of North America. Popular and scien- 

 tific. To be completed in 36 monthly parts. Royal, 4to; each part 

 containing eight pages letter press and four colored plates. S ubscrip- 

 tion $1 apart. ^ 



***This work in point of beauty and fidelity to bird life, will take a 

 h]gh rank among the works upon ornithology. Robert Clarke & Co., 

 Publishers, Cincinnati, Ohio. 



Burr-a-Buzz: or Bees. Quaint rhymes from the German. 

 Henry Holt & Ca : New York. 



fo7rh, a ^P°-7 ^ re toe children whose thoughtful parents have bouzht 



—The Massachusetts papers describe' a ghost, which fre- 

 quents a hotel in Suffolk. It is probably only the liqupr 

 inn-spectre.— -Ex. 



