Various

“ Only one fault can be found with the Pantomime, and that is, that there are too many brilliant Stars in it. They can't all of them, each and severally, get an opportunity of showing how he or she can shine in his or her own particular bright way; and so it happens that the earliest scenes, which are less crowded, are the best for fun, though in the latter, and specially in the one just preceding the transformation, there is some capital comic business, and "Little Tich" is at his best in his burlesque of the Skirt Dance. ”

“ A subject of deep domestic importance will be discussed in the columns devoted to correspondence in the daily papers during the Silly Season.
A new Author will be discovered, and spring into great popularity with the Publishers, if not with the Public.
Out of every hundred novels, ten per cent. will be absorbed by the London Libraries, and the remainder carted off to the "Circulating Book Emporiums" at the seaside.
Someone will write his experiences, and expect someone else to read them.
A new Magazine will be started, to supply a want hitherto unsuspected. ”

“ R. C. Carton, entitled Liberty Hall, an excellent and a catching name, that perhaps might have been better bestowed on a larger picture. To play with "reserved force" until the passionate moment arrives, is all that Mr. Alexander has to do; but this he does admirably, never under-acting, never over-acting, always as natural as a quiet gentleman, of a peculiarly romantic turn of mind, yet with a keen but chastened appreciation of a practical joke, kept all to himself for five months, should be. ”

“ Three months have passed. Publisher and Author are discovered discussing the situation.
Author (gloomily) . And so you say that An Oppressed Ophelia is a dead failure?
Publisher (more cheerfully) . Yes, my dear Sir, but do not be distressed. Thanks to my foresight, and your acquiescence in a business-like arrangement, my firm has lost nothing by the transaction.
Author (dryly) . That I can readily understand! Well, I suppose you have plenty of copies you can give back to me?
Publisher. Well, scarcely. You see the Londoners did not take up your book very warmly ”

“ We wonder that this clever diminutive person has never appeared as "the Claimant par excellence." But perhaps his name is not "Tich" at all, and so, on his first appearance on the world's stage, he was not a "Tich-born."
The Extravaganza portion of the Pantomime—formerly styled the "Opening"—gave us great pleasure, and the two "Comic Scenes"— (what are all the preceding ones? Are Campbell, Leno, Williams, and "Little Tich," all tragedians?) ”

“ If the possibilities, "per variation et mutation" of gorgeous modern Pantomime, are exhausted—"which," as Euclid observes, "is impossible"—except we may "add a rider" (as the Clown in the Circle might observe) that Pantomime is, in itself, a reductio ad absurdum—then, perchance, Sir Druriolanus Magnificus may give us next Christmas a Shorter Opening, say ten Scenes, to be followed by six Harlequinade Scenes, treating, by way of "Review," all the leading topics of Ninety-Three. Nous verrons—at least, such is our hope. ”

“ I do not see how An Oppressed Ophelia can be made a safe investment without your entire assistance. Possibly we may treat about your next novel, which I understand you to say is called An English Hamlet, on other terms. In the meanwhile, let us hope that An Oppressed Ophelia will be successful. ”

“ It is a situation which, no matter what might have been the author's conception of it, depends for its effect solely and only on the actress; and Miss Marion Terry, as she sits, rises to the occasion. It is long since Mr. Righton has had such a part as that of Todman, the quaint little old-fashioned bookshop-keeper, and to this quite Dickensian character, the actor does thorough justice; as also does Mr. H. Vincent to the somewhat highly coloured blusterous part of Briginshaw. Mr. Alexander commences the new year well.
"Prosit!" chirps The Critic off the Hearth. ”

“ Artistic knowledge falls not to our share;
We saw no novelties in hat or dress;
Therefore the Show is plainly, we declare,
"Not a success."
"LIGHT AND LEADING."
"Bang went Sax-pence!"—À propos of the New Coinage, the Pall Mall Gazette is our authority for saying, that "The design for the reverse of the half-crown has been prepared by Mr. Brock." Brock is a name hitherto associated in the popular mind with fireworks; and if the work be entrusted to this cunning artificer, he will make the New Coinage go off splendidly. He has, we believe, already submitted illuminated designs to the Queen. ”

“ We did have several books of that kind in the Season, Sir, but just now our stock is a little low.
Author (nettled) . Why, I don't believe you have a book in the shop. You seem to be out of everything!
Librarian. Oh, yes, we have, Sir. Here, for instance, is one of this year's novels. It's called An Oppressed Ophelia. ”

“ And then, from what he heard from others, they are a going to rob the nobel and Charytable Liwery Companys of all the money as they spends so nobly; and then, not contented with that, they are a going for to ask Parlyment to give them the command of all the sixteen thowsand Policemen as there is in the hole of London; and then, not content with that, they are a going for to erbolish all the eight Water Companys, and manage it all theirselves ”

“ The First Nights at the Lyceum will be amongst the features of the Season.
There will be several failures at the Theatres, and also a success or two.
There will be half a dozen full-dress debates in the House of Commons, and as many important divisions.
The "Popular Budget" is sure, with some people, to be exceedingly unpopular.
The London County Council and the School Board will be censured by the Press. ”

“ Little Snooks (who was Gazetted the week before last) . "Ah, you take the advice of a Man who knows all about it—and don't!"
VERY CIVIL LAW.
(With Mr. Punch's Compliments to the London County Council.)
Scene—The Interior of the Court under the Patronage of the London County Council. Judge, appointed according to the popular view, discovered in the act of passing sentence.
Judge. Prisoner in the dock, or I should say, my good friend—for are we not all liable to err?—I have no wish to increase the natural embarrassment of your position. I am here, as you know, to dispense judgment. ”

“ Instead of having to go all the way round Cape What's-his-name—what is that blessed Cape's name?
Second W. I. M. (tentatively) . Cape of Good Hope?
First W. I. M. No, no—they're building the Nicaragua Canal for that. Cape—Cape—why, dash it, I shall be forgetting my own name next!
Inquirer (brilliantly) . Capricorn.
First W. I. M. Yes, that's it! Well, instead of having to go all round Cape Ricorn, all we've got to do is to sail to Panama, and— (impotently concluding) —there we are! ”

“ If he works at his profession, he will show himself "a wise-Saker." Mr. Holles and Miss Ailsa Craig, in two very small but strongly-marked character-parts, add to the general efficiency of an exceptionally complete cast. Miss Maude Millett makes the indiscreet Amy Chilworth a very sweet person, but it is Miss Marion Terry who has in her hands the one strong dramatic situation at the end of the Third Act. ”

“ Jolly old Crismus being cum round agen, as ushal, we had our Crismus-Heve supper, as ushal, and henjoyed owrselves till a rayther latish hour, as ushal. Upon cumpareing notes, we didn't find as we had werry much to complane about, the grand and nobel old wirtue of horsepitality perwailing much as ushal. ”

“ Well, if you haven't got the popular novels I have already mentioned, I will have a book by Rider Haggard, Stevenson, Meredith, or Rudyard Kipling.
Librarian.. All out, Sir. Won't you have something else? ”

“ First Well-informed Man. Jolly old mess they seem to have got into in Paris over this Panama business. I see they arrested half-a-dozen more of them yesterday.
Second W. I. M. Yes—and they haven't done yet. I knew, months and months ago, the crash must come. That French chap, Lampion told me all about it. He says it'll bust up the Republic before they've done with it.
First W. I. M. And a good thing too. That kind of corruption only flourishes under a Republican form of government. They want a strong man in France, that's what they want.
Average Man. I don't believe much in your strong men. ”

“ N. G. isn't, far from it,—"is heard no more." Perhaps, during the Pantomime season, he might re-appear at the finish with a slight addition to his head-gear, as intimated in this little sketch of him, when he could observe confidentially to the audience, "Here we are again!" But this is only a hint, to the practical use of which, Mr. Gould, by the kind permission of Mr. Alexander, is heartily welcome.
The "Seasonable" Lawyer.
Capital is Miss Fanny Coleman as the housekeeper and maid-of-all-work; and, in the small part of Todman's shop-boy, Master Richard Saker shows that, as Mr. ”