High Twelve

Shine . Mr . Bcveridge , and to Miss Mill ward , Miss Nethersole , and Miss Jccks . The drama has been magnificently put upon the stage , and it has attracted audiences of such enormous numbers as to be exceptional , even at Christmas time , at this well-favoured house . The Drury Lane nantomimo , which Mr . Harris promised would

exceed in elaborateness and beauty those preceding it , has realised expectations . The Toy ballet , and the Bird ditto , have fairly enraptured all beholders , and the doings of Messrs . Nicholls , Campbell . Stevens . Leno . Lauri , Andrews , and Griffiths have caused

spectators to hold their sides with laughter , while the Misses A ernon , Dyt-art . Duggan , Grey , and many other fascinating and lovely female members of the Company have sent many an impressionable youth away with a heartache . The scenery has aroused boundless admiration .

The Lyceum revival of Macbeth has proved a bit of a poser to the critics : they cannot cordially praise Irving ' s representation of the murderous Thane at the present day any more than they did when he originally played the part at this theatre thirteen years as'o ; and of Miss Terry , though she always commands admiration

for all she docs , the judges do not pronounce altogether in her favour . The second " leads " and the minor parts are fairly played taken all round , and Mr . Alexander , as Macduff , scored heavily . As may be readily imagined , the mise-en-sceue is characteristic of

the Irving regime in its marvellous correctness , attention to detail , and picturesquencss . Sir Arthur Sullivan ' s music , too , is made a great , feature * and doubtless will add to the attractions of this splendid revival .

At the Court Theatre in the afternoon , m the evening ' 3 lam ma " still occupies the bill and is likely so to continue for a long time to come , Mrs . John AA ood has produced a fairy story for children , acted by children , and a pretty and interesting production this is . The whole entertainment reflects the greatest credit upon

the able manageress , who is responsible for the general arrangements , and to all those concerned therein . There is not a single item that can reasonably be objected to . and one can indulge in the pleasure of recording the most cordial admiration of the whole . It is simply marvellous to see the perfection which has been attained ;

and some of the juvenile actors and actresses wholly exceed expectation . Masters Groves , Tucker , Phillips , and Solomon , and the Misses Dot Hetherington . Tucker , Martin , Carter , and Ashton , are a few of the performers who deserve singling out as little people of great promise ; whose work , in some instances , was so

clever as to denote natural talent , ably directed . The music by Mr . Levey , and the book by Miss Filippi , are alike excellent . Ballets are introduced , and are capitally executed by all concerned ; altogether this juvenile play ought to become one of the features of the season .

Another juvenile play ought to be mentioned here—the revival of Alice in Wonderland . This musical dream play , originally produced two years ago at the Prince of A \ ales' Theatre , is now to be seen at the Globe . Mr . AValter Slaughter ' s music is simply charmimr . and the characters are admirablv portraved .

The new American play , entitled Bob , at the Jodrell Theatre , introduces to the London public Miss Patti Rosa , a clever actress , vocalist , dancer , and instrumentalist . This comely looking lady deserves to do well , as she is a good actress , whoso talents ought to be given some better means of display than are afforded by the late Mr . Fred Marsden ' s play .

The St . James' Iheatre has closed suddenly . A new play by Messrs . B . C . Sterjhenson and Outram is announced for production shortly . This must be rather a blow to Mr . Gilbert , whose Brantinghanic Hall has collapsed so completely . Somehow there seems to be a sort of fatality which has attended some of Mr . Gilbert ' s serious plays .

The revivals of Trieoche et Caeolet at the Royalty Theatre , Lady of J . gens at the Shaftesbury , East Lynne at the Olympic , and Prince Karl at the Globe , are all in full swing , and I trust will do well . Of the circus at Covent Garden , the Moore and Burgess and the

Mohawks' new programme , and of the pantomimes at the Surrey , Grand , Pavilion , Britannia , Sanger ' s , Sadler ' s AA ' ells , Elephant and Castle , Marylebone , Greenwich , Stratford , and the Crystal Palace , I hope to speak later on ; those that I have sampled up to date are all

good , some exceptionally so , and I do not think that anyone who will go to the Pavilion , the Grand , the Crystal Palace or the Surrey , will consider the time or the cost has been spent in any way other than profitably .

At the Lyric Hall , Ealing , there has been produced a dramatic version of Mr . Fergus Hume ' s story , Madame Midas . The dramatisation has been done by Mr . Philip Beech in a manner which does not commend itself to me . The play , as a play , is weak ; it should be strong , indeed , for there is plenty of suggestion in the

book from which it has been taken . The only noticeable features of the play were the acting of Mr . D'Esterre Guinness in the part of A andeloupe , and the Kitty of Miss Cresswell ; both these parts were excellently played—the gentleman ' s was a fine performance .

Miss Ivinton , who played Madame Midas , was evidently unwell , so that criticism is disarmed as regards this performance . The parts of Dr . Noel Yorke and Randolph Villiors were tolerably well given . The remaining characters were not at all satisfactory . At the Masonic Theatre , Lincoln , Mr . Henry Walsham ' s Opera Company have been giving their repertoire to good houses . LAUNCELOT GOBBO .

Our City Article.

Our City Article .

CAPEL COURT , JANUARY 2 ND , 1889 . Owing to the ordinary demand for money to settle outstanding obligations to make a . show of a good balance at one ' s bankers , money was in request on Monday , and (! per cent , for short loans was freely given . The settlement , the last of the year , passed off quietly , without any appearance of pressure nor were there recorded

any instances of difficulties . Had it not been for the warnings of a month ago , disaster might have been as widespread as in the year 188 ( 1 , when prices fell so sharply . This price of money is not , however , likely to last , although I am not at all disposed to think that we shall have any reduction in the Bank rate yet . Tnere is still a considerable amount of gold required for shipment to South

America , and the vacuum m our reserve has not yet been filled up . Everyone is now looking forward and anticipating improved business and higher prices in the year , but it appears to me that to a great extent this has been anticipated ; at all events prices have been put up even before many dealings have taken place . It is unfortunately too true that the dealers in the . Stock Exchange

invariably strangle business by moving markets in anticipation of demand , and in the present instance they appear to have done as usual . There is scarcely any stock that has not advanced in price , and in some cases this is warranted , but not in all . Foreign stocks generally are better , and will , I think , further improve . There is a talk of a fresh Greek loan , and this of itself

is sufficient to give a lift to the stocks of that country , which can hardly be called a bad investment at present prices . Egyptian Dairas are also cheap , and will probably rise yet , as well as the grouped Turkish stocks . These last afford at the current prices as good a i \ turn as can be obtained from any foreign stock , to say nothing of contingencies . South Americans are doubtful , but I

consider that an investment in Argentine Hard Dollars would not turn out badly . The present high rate on gold will not continue for ever , and with any fall a rise in securities may be surely anticipated . Home railways are decidedly better , and it appears to be admitted that there was room for an advance . The heavv lines , as

I have before pointed out , are the ones that afford the best opportunity for a rise , seeing that even now , with considerably improved prospects as to dividends , the prices have advanced but little . While the actual investment value of money has increased , owing to various causes , and which increase was evidenced by the success of the Goschen Conversion Scheme , if we look back for a few years

wo shall find that , with dividends such as the heavy lines will probably get , not only for the half-year just passed , but in the newyear at all events , we shall find that there is room for a considerable rise , equal in fact to the best prices touched in recent time . The southern lines , however , seem to have run ahead too fast , and to have already reached as good a price as is warranted by facts . North

British is also in this category , the present price being actually equal to ISO as compared with last year . Caledonian , on the other hand , have not improved so much in price , while traffic returns are fully equal to the improvement in North British . The air is still full of rumours of division of stocks , but there is nothing in it , and anyone who has bought stock upon no better reason than this had

better take advantage of a run and get out . I have before said that I would rather buy American railway stocks than sell them , and this is now further confirmed by advices I have recently seen from New York , and I think we shall have a recovery of three or four dollars in mest of the active shares , New York Centrals . Louisvilles , Northern Pacifies , and Denver

Prcfs . There has been a recovery in Canadian Pacifies owing partly to the last monthly statement showing a reduction in the working expenses . This , I am afraid , is more apparent than real , and was really only made use of by those interested to put the price up so as to turn out a little or as much as they could ; that this is so

would seem to be the case , seeing that the dealers very soon let them down again when none but sellers came into the market . Trunks are somewhat better ; well , let them remain so , they are not bad enough to buy nor good enough to sell , so they must be left alone . The reported insurrection in Mexico turned out to be a hoax , but

the reputation of the report did not put Vera Cruz rails up . I know that there is a big bull account open , but if that is depending upon any good report to lift prices , I fancy there will be some disappointment . AVhether or not the second preference gets a full dividend depends upon the government paying something on account of arrears , for certainly they will not get it out of traffics so far as

they have been published . Miscellaneous shares are not very active . We have just now two new big Trust Companies on the scene , and as there is more truth in the remark ordinarily attributed to Carlyle , but which with more truth be attributed to Solomon , I suppose they will find supporters . But as far as a Trust Company is concerned , unless I happened to be

one of the managers or directcrs , I would much prefer to arrange my own little investments , or gambles , at first hand , without the intervention of a middle man , who , without the help of myself and fellow fools , can do no better than I can myself . It is strange that a British public , which every day howls aloud about the middle coal-man , or the middle butcher-man , eagerly grasps the hand of

the middle stock-man . Perhaps it is that the latter comes to us in such a respectable garb , and does not smell of the commodity he " middles" in . These "trusts" are not conducive to any good at all , and the expense of maintenance has to be paid for by poor little Tommy Tomfool . Let the wary investor look out for the new ventures coming from Witwatersrandt . Some of the South African shares are perhaps