Algernon, Duke Of Northumberland, K.G., In Connection With Art.

A full-length portrait of the Duke , in his robes , has been painted by Grant . A choice medallion Avas executed of his Grace , as Avell as one of the Duchess , during his stay in Rome . And Northumberland House possesses a portrait of him Avhen in the hey-dey of youth .

The burial-place of the Percy family is in the Chapel of St . Nicholas , Westminster Abbey . Thither will be conveyed the remains of the late representative of the most noble race of Percy , Earls and Dukes of Northumberland , whose shield displays the qoartering-s of eight hundred and ninety-two alliances . —The Builder .

A First Rehearsal.

A FIRST REHEARSAL .

The Criterion was the dimmest and gloomiest among the dim and gloomy playhouses of the metropolis , and when Horace found himself all alone ou the big dark stage , he almost imagined himself a solitary pantomime demon in the dismal opening scene of the Cells of Remorse . Nobody had arrived . Horace was not aware that there is ten minutes '

grace at rehearsal , and he had been punctual ; indeed , it wanted five minutes to twelve even now . There is something rather awful in finding oneself quite alone in a theatre in the morning . The great circular front , Avith the private boxes in shrouds , and the big chandelier making a vain struggle at being brilliant , but ¦ succumbing miserablto the prevailing gloom . All

y the scenery pushed away off the stage , which reaches up to bare walls at the back , the bricks and mortar of the work-a-day world seeming dreadfully out of place in the region of romance and unreality around . Horace walked up and down the stage nervously , aud hailed the appearance of a grimy female with a broom

and dust-pan at the back of the pit with real pleasure . The first arrival , the prompter , Mr . Minns , who , beyond taking more snuff than Avas good for him and continually losing the place , possessed no special qualification for his post . He was , however , a fixture ; and though the Manager made a point of giving him notice on the first night of every new piece , Minns never went away , for , as Slagg , the stage-manager ,

represented to Girdlestone , Minns Avas the only man who understood his ( Slagg ' s ) way , by Avhich that despot meant that poor Minns was the only prompter in London who would stand being abused like a pickpocket without knocking the aforesaid despot doAvn . Minns , when muddled , would certainly make more

mistakes , and do more dreadful things with gongs and " crashes" at the wrong time than any of his brother prompters . There was no knowing what he might have done had Slagg left him to himself , but Slagg knew his man , and stuck to Minns , and swore at Minus , and pushed Minus about in such a way that

the prompter would retire to his family after the first night of a piece in a tearful and tremulous condition ; but being revived with gin and water would ease his mind by copious denunciations on the degraded state of the drama when such trash as the production of that evening went downand such

, barn-storming as Mr . Browzer ' s was considered acting . Poor old Minns was an honest , steady , worthy man , with all his incapacity , and Girdleston ' s knowledge

of the many mouths the prompter ' s weekly pittance went to fill had as much to do with Minn ' s retention at the Criterion as the arguments of the potent Slagg . Mr . Minns entered into conversation with Horace in a meek and deferential manner , and made so bold as to beg the author to say a word for little Lizzie Minns , AVIIO miht stand a chance of being cast for the girl

g who brought on the umbrella and goloshes for Giggley , and Avho would speak the two or three lines of the part very nicely if Mr . Bentley would only ask Mr . Slagg to give it her . Horace said he Avould do what he could , and the old gentleman took three enormous pinches of snuff on the strength of it . Gradually

the remainder of the " cast" arrived , Miss Pimlico , having a carriage with a fast horse in it , being last , as a matter of course . Miss Millington looked lovely . As Horace heard her ringing laugh and bright cheery voice , he felt his heart heat quickly , and the pressure of her prettily-gloved hand sent a thrill through him . She Avore the Avickedest little bonnet ,

trimmed with the most charming taste , and her dress Avas neatness itself . She carried a tiny umbrella , which she whirled about in a saucy way as she spoke , and with which she playfully poked Giggley in the ribs the instant that popular comedian made his appearance . Giggley was not in a good humour ; he

seldom was . It was generally believed that he had made a vow in early life never to be agreeable at a rehearsal . Having missed his omnibus , and been forced to take a cab , the parsimonious comedian was in a worse temper than usual , and saluted those present with a general scowl . Montrose , very radiant

in a pink tie and a white hat , was making himself most agreeable to Miss Pimlico , who Avas laughing tremendously at his imitation of his landlady . Montrose was the funniest fellow in the world in private ; in his professional capacity he Avas not so entertaining . A rickety table and two or three chairs having been placed at one side of the stage , Slagg gave the word and the rehearsal commenced . It was a curious fact

that with the very first word of the piece there commenced a tremendous hammering from a carpenter Avho had hitherto been perfectly quiet . It appeared to the sensitive Horace as if the hammer had only Avaited for the first word to begin . Slagg , however , after a short and fierce verbal contest Avith the carpentersucceed in stopping the noise and Giggley was

, permitted to go on . Giggley was rather short sighted , and his part was not copied as clearly as it might have been , there being a profusion of erasures , a recklessness as regarded blots , and an eccentricity of punctuation , which , together Avith Giggley's natural or assumed obtusenessconsiderably marred the effect

, of Horace ' s opening speech . The young author sat uneasily upon his chair , nervously biting at his finger nails , and wondered if Giggley gave every other dramatic Avriter as much annoyance . If Giggley possessed the power , as he undoubtedly did , of investing pointless lines with fun which their author had not

found for him , he could certainly rob a droll speech of its humour at rehearsal in the most remarkable manner . He even seemed , as Horace thought , to take a delight in doing it . ¦ The brilliant Montrose had left his part at home , which did not add to the general clearness , and Miss Pimlico giggled so much over her few speeches that Slagg was insolent to her , and Miss Pimlico burst into tears -, and Horace wished in his heart that the stage-manager would be rude to Miss