286 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
- 

such jirgling 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 pessible 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 done 
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 prolorue—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 endeay- 
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 house 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 
whole thing, from the stage point of view, as a play was a 
miserable failure, and we regret it. That ‘‘Fortune” will 
run a brief 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 fine 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- 
lack’s 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 an 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. 
—Tho Union Square has brought out a new piece, called 
“Ted Astray.” So fas as the scenery, the upholstery, 
dresses, and the actors are coucerned 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.” 
—At 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 Mlle. 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. 
Tf we are not mistaken, the little folks will take entire pos- 
gession of the matinees, 
—At the Fifth Avenue Theatre we have ‘‘Old Heads and | By anp By. An Historical Novel of the Future. 
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 very 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 Tucs- 
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 faine in this one piece seems 
to have been gained solely through the medium of the 
press. December 8th, Miss Charlotte Leclereq. 
WOOD'S THEATRE. 
The second week of the ‘‘claw-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. 
MacEyoy’s Hibernicon was here allthis week. It was 
a treat for the Irish population. December 8th, Sharpley’s 
Ministrels. W.. L. 

lew Publications. 
pa AAS ee 
[Publications sent to this ojfice, 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 resvect. Prices of books inserted when 
desired. 
e —_——_>_——- 
CHRISTMAS TIMES ANDGIFTS. 
Eee ee 
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 arfd pleasant 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 hour when the morn- 
ing stars “sang 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.”” Among the many appropiiate presents for the occasion wo 
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.’’ 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 buy the literary treasures that will gladden 
so many young hearts and make the eyes of so many little girls and boys 
sparkle with joy, ° 
Norare Hund & Houghton of Riverside to be forgotten. Here you will 
find those interesting ‘‘Wonder Stories,’”? by Hans Christian Anderson, 
and many others very desirable. 
eat hal ees 
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 mght 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, intowhose 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 loye 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 Brrtapay Girr: 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 biack 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 follows, and the stories are deeply interest- 
ing and vigorous: Thecold chicken; Harold’s dilemma; Jenny’s hopes: 
In 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 
storm; An escape; Who wins? 
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 conveution, 
This last remark will not come up fully to the standard of some of our 
orthodox christians. Here isa 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 often found in works of this 
kind. if 
The Sr. NircHouas for December. 
& 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. Itis 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 tome 
after listening very attentively to a story in the ‘St. Nicholas.” ‘‘Yes,”’ 
Lreplied, “that isall true; but why do youask? Do you notlike 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. Theyare 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 toread 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 sucha 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. 
Tue Story oF THE EartH AND Man. By J. W. 
Dawson, LL.D., F. R. §., 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 1tis here placed before them. 
The silly (we 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 séme big ape of thousands of years ago was his great ancestor. 
Read 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 comp'etely overthrows the doc- 
trines and theories of Darwin. We thank the Dr. for tie 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 THrovuGcH 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 1n his previous works of ‘History of English Literature,”’ 
“Travels in Italy,” ete., has conferred a lasting benefit upon ‘all who 
would place a fitting sowveni7 of the seasons in the hands of their friends 
onthe 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 1ts historic information, 
descriptions of scenery.and many natural and curious subjects, heretofore 
unknown to many of ourreaders. 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 Mainteum, Sully, Jeanne d’Albert, Voltaire, Froissart, Mlle. de 
Segui, and many others. We shall notice this work again hereafter. 
pa 
ANNOUNCEMENTS. 
See ST 
T. B. Ford & Co. will soon publish 
PLEASANT TALK AxBour Fruit, FLowERs 
1vol. 12mo. In press. 
Norwoop; or Village Life in New England. A Novel. 1 
vol. 12mo. Ilustrated. In press. Pe 
ENGLIsH AND AMERICAN SPEECHES, on Politics, War, and 
Literature and various miscellaneous topics. Lyvol 12mo. In prepa-. 
ration.*,*Other volumes of this series will follow in rapid succession. 
JASPER’S Brrpsor 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 pl ‘ i 
euetaaen plates.S ubscrip- 
*,*This work in point of beaut; i ird li i 
oe point of beauty and fidelity to bird life, will t 
high rank among the works upon ornithology. Robert Clarke rap 
Publishers, Cincinnati, Ohio. 'd 
Burr-a-Buzz; or Bees. Quaint rh 
A ’ mes from th 
Henry Holt & Co.: New York. . ° Petia: 
———_—_______ 
~— Happy now are the.children whose thoughif 
I nae Hace eine Birds.” They ihe a ee 3H 
i au Wing faces as it’s announced, ‘ | 
game of Avilude.”” A whels winter of enjoyment Pah ltic! jl iné 
struction, for seventy-five cents, i 
West and Lee, Worcester, Mass. ee Re eae roceipt ores oP 
Scribner, Armstrong 
AND FARMING, 
See Scale 
——— 
—The Massachusetts papers describe a ghost, which fre- 
quents a hotel in Suffolk. It is prob Pict 
inn-spectre,— Ez, probably only the liquor 

