did not adhere to it, but pushed it up, and proved, by a concavity on its upper surface, that the first globule of mud had become a hard mass, while its lower extremity still retained its convex form." To illustrate great things by small ones "A coarse sieve reversed and placed over a mass of prepared material will, upon pressure, send up the mass of matter through its orifices, and this would assume the shapes which the contiguity of the next globules allowed." The principle is seen in the mud which oozes up from our pavements, in the water that bubbles from the rock, in the petroleum oil which rises through the strata above it." The ingeniousness of this hypothesis will be perceptible to every understanding. On the other hand Mr. Malet conceives the lava principle in its spasmodic and violent action to be an impossible agent for such results-"Volcanic eruptions, from their very nature, are incapable of measured effects, especially of such a measurement as we find at the Giant's Causeway for several consecutive occasions." Our author considers lime to have been the material which, constantly growing in weight, pressed down on the slime-pits below, and drove its matter up into the shapes and forms so curious but so expressive of this natural arrangement. We regret that we cannot give in detail the author's arguments in favour of the formation of both basalt and granite by water power rather than by volcanic agency; but our space is filled for the present, and we can only hope to do so in a future number. Those who read our notice of Mr. Malet's previous work-" New Pages of Natural History"-will be prepared for the expression of many ideas and conjectures wholly at variance with those of the present school of geology, but which tend to remove many of the difficulties with which its theories are surrounded. Evidently a man of science, of keen and reflective observation, he reasons from the processes still active in nature, her probable agents in the past, and opens in his interesting and suggestive volume new views, as it were, of the wondrous story of creation and the glorious works of God. THE THEATRES. THE PANTOMIMES, &c. The tricksy spirits of pantomime have this year as unwillingly remained to play their pranks in the realms they have made their own for well-nigh a century. At such a juncture a short retrospect of pantomimic history seems called for. Mr. E. L. Blanchard, who has written the pantomime openings for Drury Lane for nearly twenty successive years, records in his interesting Playgoer's Portfolio, forming part of the Era Almanack for 1869, that "Mother Goose," destined to acquire a degree of popularity unprecedented in the history of pantomine, was announced "in a very modest manner," to be performed for the first time at Covent Garden theatre, Monday, December 29th, 1806 (not on the usual Boxing Night); and as Grimaldi has recorded the management entertained no very sanguine hopes of success. Drury Lane had in opposition hurried on the production of their pantomime Harlequin Sultan," which was brought out three days before the one at Covent Garden, and to oppose Grimaldi, they engaged Montgomery, who had acquired some celebrity at the circus to play clown. The Drury Lane pantomime was a decided failure, although brought out with great splendour of decoration. On the other hand "Mother Goose" had neither splendid scenery nor gorgeous dresses, neither gaudy banners nor showy processions. No blanc-mange transformation scene such as latterly our eyes have been feasted with. There was not even a spangle used except for the harlequin's jacket, the latter hitherto unaccustomed to the luxury of tin-foil. Grimaldi considered the pantomime a bad one, said his own part was the worst he ever played, and that there was not a trick or situation in the piece to which he had not been well accustomed many years before. "Mother Goose" was, however, received with deafening shouts of applause and became immensely popular and profitable to the manager, who bore precisely the same name as the now manager of the Christmas entertainment at Covent Garden, Harris, who, we believe, is a descendant of the ancient lessee. Doubtless the success of "Mother Goose" was due to the highly original grotesque genius and humour of Grimaldi, but partly due also to the agile and vigorous dancing of the Harlequin Bologna. Some notion of the kind of transformation or last scene may be formed from the perusal of the fact that a new last scene was added to "Mother Goose" in her second season representing the ruins of Covent Garden theatre (which had been burnt down at the end of the first season), transformed by a touch of harlequin's wand into a new and splendid building. The career of Grimaldi was of course identified with an annual succession of | Mantle, who ought to send us their advertisepantomimes from the famous "Mother Goose" ments for mentioning it. year. But he was not always at Covent Garden, "Robinson Crusoe," the pantomime at having become a settled attraction as a COVENT GARDEN, is a burlesque and a grand great pantomimist at Sadlers Wells, Islington. spectacle combined. Mr. W. H. Payne, who He took his farewell benefit at Sadlers Wells played Robinson Crusoe as a mime about 20 in 1828. Finding the size of the theatre years ago at Covent Garden, is now fitted with insufficient to accommodate his many a new part to the same pattern, and his son is admirers, he took another benefit at Drury Lane Man Friday, being a very comical one indeed. theatre three months after his Wells benefit. On But it is the spectacle which costs all. The this occasion "Harlequin Hoax" was played, latter reminds us of the " Africaine:" but verGrimaldi acting clown in one scene and bum sap. The new "Robinson Crusoe" possdelivering an admirable address written for him esses a great number of attractions, including by Tom Hood. We have no space to dwell the feminine ones of Miss Maria Harris daughter upon the successes of Farley or the getter-up of of the manager, and Miss Nelly Power, the pantomimes at Covent Garden for many years, last-named promoted from the music halls to nor for setting forth chronologically the Drury introduce on the stage of the ROYAL ITALIAN Lane pantomimes; we therefore bring the reader OPERA her programme of popular songs. Miss on with us to the epoch of the popular Blanchard Power's style of costume as an Elfin Prince is à régime which began about the year 1850. The la Menken rather, but must be rather cold. first night of Mr. E. T. Smith's lesseeship of There is a very grand transformation scene, alDrury Lane was December 27th, 1852, when though we find it totally out of our power to deswas produced one of Mr. Blanchard's first cribe what it is like, unless we recur to our pantomimes," Harlequin Hudibras." It was a previously used comparison of blanc-mange, remarkably good pantomime, having the benefit and add that the blanc-mange design is many of very splendid scenery. Of nine other degrees magnified and brilliantly illuminated, "annuals" in succession following " Hudibras," so that you can see right through this transparent "Little Goody Two-Shoes; or, Harlequin and confection. We should mention that there is a Cock Robin," was last, not least," produced well-contrived scene in the new pantomime repreDecember 26th, 1862. The magnificent panto-senting "Lord's cricket ground," which everymime of succeeding years doubtless remain body seeing it, appears to recognise with fresh in the recollection of our younger readers. immense glee. The burlesque openings of Mr. E. L. Blanchard contain scenes and versification, the former fancifully conceived, the latter tastefully composed; they are not the mere stage carpentery and doggrel of pantomimes in general. Having sketched the history of modern pantomime down to a recent date, we proceed to discuss the merits of the productions of the hour. Mr. E. T. Smith's "children's pantomime" at the LYCEUM must be seen to be believed in, it is called "Harlequin Humpty Dumpty." The great scene (Mr. Smith advertises that it has cost £2,000) is rich in gas-lights, colour, gilding, and suspended ballet girls; the whole combining to produce a tableau of blinding splendour, representing a gleam of Fairy Land. We should note that Master Percy Roselle has removed from Drury Lane to the Lyceum, where this clever boy plays a personation part in the old farce of "The Four Mowbray's." Miss Caroline Parkes is the star of the pantomime opening, and Miss Vokes the columbine of the harlequinade. "Grimalkin the Great, or Puss in Boots," the DRURY LANE annual, has proved a good average production, and has become a favourite nothwithstanding that it has lost Dikwynkin the Hogarth of Mask designs, and that the little Prince of Burlesque juveniles, Master Percy Roselle, does not appear in it. A scene much talked about is the ballet of the "Girls of the Period," which possesses, by the way, a rival and With regard to the remaining pantomimic similar style of dance at Covent Garden. The very novelties for 1869, we can only report that the first scene representing a hive in which hundreds SURREY has devoted much attention and exof children are engaged to illustrate a throng of penditure on "Harlequin Jack and Jill;" tha bees busily occupied manufacturing honey is a the HOLBORN AMPHITHEATRE possesses a pretty fancy, besides expressing amoral sugges- of Electricity," and a wonderful cavalcade, comspectacular pantomime associated with "Marvels tion incentive of industry. Puss is played by Mr. Irving, a clever mime, who sings and dances prehending 250 soldiers horse and foot, and 50 well. The transformation scene is a costly and ponies. The CRYSTAL PALACE pantomime of magnificent congeries of glittering revolving" Little Boy Blue" is a pretty, although petite wheels, burnished and transparent pillars, float-production. A pantomimic entertainment of ing fairies, floral ornaments, and all the other the illusory order is popular at the POLYTECHattributes which go to make up such flamboyant and dazzling pictures. The harlequinade possesses two clowns (Boleno and Lauri), two harlequins, and two columbines, (Misses Marion and Grosvenor). The costumes in the "Girls of the Period" dance, are by Messrs. Stag and NIC INSTITUTION. The ROYAL ALFRED has we hear, an excellent pantomime in "Whittington and his Cat," written by Mr. Soutar. A new burlesque has been produced at the HAYMARKET for the holidays, being a traveste on Lord Lytton's new play, the extravaganza being nick-named "The Frightful Hair." But it will be more to the purpose to state that an excellent new play has also been produced here for Mr. Sothern, entitled "Home." The HOLBORN theatre has provided for the season a new burlesque entitled "Turco the EVENING PARTIES. "Evening parties are doubtless a great institu- | tion, and according to some people the structure of society would be rendered unstable were anything to happen to put an end to the due observance of such solemnities. But, like other institutions without which we cannot conceive ourselves existing, evening parties are apt to gather about them a species of venerableness which conduces more to their claims on our respect than on our liking. "There are, indeed, circumstances under which we can conceive evening parties to become truly charming. The number of people invited must not be too large; they must know or must desire to know something of each other; there must be some topic of interest common to at least the larger number of the guests; and, above all, there must be no strain upon any one to be or appear to be something which he or she is not. "We know, unfortunately, that in the majority of evening parties these conditions do not exist. People have a large circle of acquaintances to whom they owe something in the way of entertainment; and, heedless of everything but that consciousness, they rush into the giving of an evening party. So it happens frequently that a number of people are collected who know little or nothing of each other, and who do not care to know more, who have no interest in common, who very rapidly exhaust the weather, and, having done this, are at their wits' end for something to say to each other. It is possible that people may be thrown together who do not agree in any one single subject of liking. Books, public amusements, politics, are all matters which cannot be touched on, unless one of the parties be content to be considered pedantic and the other intensely ignorant. It is not everyone who has the tact to find out the subject on which his or her interlocutor is au fait, and to enter on that with a semblance of interest. We do read and hear of people who have such all-embracing sympathy; but it very seldom indeed falls to our lot to meet them. Besides, we are supposed to go to evening parties for enjoyment, and the exercise of a very large amount of self-denial is not compatible with the species of pleasure we expect to accrue to us from association with our fellow-creatures. We need not only to exercise our faculty of admirationof others; but we want to be admired a little ourselves. If we are so unfortunate as to be thrown among unappreciative people, how are we to display those qualities, the possession of which is so pleasant to ourselves, and we conteive, ought to be so delightful to other people? It is hard indeed to have to be a social martyr, without any reward of admiration accorded to our suffering. Miscellaneous evening parties appear to us to be a great mistake in so far as the giving of pleasure to the guests is concerned. When a number of people of varying ages, different pursuits, and uncongenial tastes are thrown together, nothing but weariness and a general sensation of the vanity of such meetings can be looked for. People who will give such parties are responsible for a greater amount of discomfort than is generally imagined. We grant that when there are a large number of young people, and dancing is possible, there may be much enjoyment. But that circumstance changes the character of the party entirely, and provides no amusement for the elders of it. "When conversation cannot be sustained, when music is a dreariness, when dancing is impossible or looked upon as wicked, what remains to be done? For there are still evening parties, in which, by the nature of circumstances, all these varieties of amusement fail, and yet, in which something must be done to prevent immoderate yawning from becoming too evident. We have had experience of such as these ourselves, and it may be written among the things that are to be that we shall have experience of them again. We have tried hard to be entertained by the smallest of small talk, the feeblest of jangling on the piano, the mildest of uninteresting games. "It seems to us that people have no right to invite others to meet unless they provide proper means of amusement for them. We cannot wonder that, in a large number of cases the advent of 'refreshments' constitutes the only real enjoyment to be extracted from the meeting. "The French fashion of being "at home" on a certain evening presents all the advantage of the evening party with none of its drawbacks. If one's friends care to come they come without so much ceremony; they stay as long as they choose, and they probably are amused because they come willingly. If, however, this plan does not suit, we would recommend to the consideration of givers of evening parties the undoubted fact that their assemblies would be invested with new charms if they were to exercise a judicious amount of the principles of selection with regard to affinities between their guests, and of adaptation of amusements to capacities in the entertainments provided for them." THE LADIES' PAGE. KNITTED PATTERN FOR COUNTERPANES. MATERIALS:-Boar's-head Kuitting Cotton, No. 10, of Messrs. Walter Evans and Co., Derby, 5 steel knitting needles of a corresponding size. According to the size of the cotton employed, this beautiful square is fit for different articles, such as counterpanes, couvrettes, &c. If worked with cotton No. 10, it will be about four inches square, and will be suitable for the first-mentioned purpose. Begin the square in the centre, cast on 8 stitches, 2 on each needle; join them into a circle, and knit plain the 1st round. 2nd round. *knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1; repeat 3 times more from *. 3rd. Plain knitting. This knitted round is repeated after every pattern-round. We shall not mention this again, nor the repetition from *. 4th. knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1. 6th. knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 3, throw the cotton forward, knit 1. 8th. * knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 5, throw the cotton forward, knit 1. The 9th or 18th rounds are knitted in the same manner, only in every other round the number of stitches between the two stitches formed by throwing the cotton forward increases by 2, so that in the 18th round 15 stitches are knitted between. 20th. * knit I, throw the cotton forward, knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 5, slip 1, knit 1, draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, knit 1, knit 2 together, knit 5, throw the cotton forward, knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1. 22nd. *knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1, throw the cotton forward, slip 1, knit 1, draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, throw the cotton forward, knit 4, slip 1, knit 1, draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, knit 1, knit 2 together, knit 4, throw the cotton forward, knit 2 together, throw the cotton forward, knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1. 24th. * knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1, throw the cotton forward, slip 1, knit 1, draw the slipped over the knitted stitch; throw the cotton forward, slip 1, knit 1, draw. the slipped over the knitted stitch, throw the cotton forward, knit 3, slip 1, knit 1, draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, throw the cotton forward, knit 3, slip 1, knit 1, draw the slipped over the knitted stich, knit 1, knit 2 together, knit 3, throw the cotton forward, knit 2 together, throw the cotton forward, knit 2 together, throw the cotton forward, knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1. 26th. * knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1, throw the cotton forward 3 times alter | nately, slip 1, knit 1, draw the first over the last, throw the cotton forward, knit 2, slip 1, knit 1, draw the first over the last, knit 1, knit 2 together, knit 2 three times alternately, throw the cotton forward, knit 2 together, throw the cotton forward, knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1. 28th. knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1 four times alternately, throw the cotton forward, slip 1, knit 1, draw the slipped over the knitted stitch; throw the cotton forward, knit 1, slip 1, knit 1, draw the slipped over the knitted stitch; knit 1, knit 2 together, knit 1 four times alternately, throw the cotton forward, knit 2 together, throw the cotton forward, knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1. 30th.*knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1 six times alternately, throw the cotton forward, slip 1, knit 1, draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, knit 1 six times alternately, knit 2 together, throw the cotton forward, knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1. 32nd. Knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1 six times alternately, throw the cotton forward, slip 1, knit 1, draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, throw the cotton forward, knit 3 stitches together six times alternately, throw the cotton forward, knit 2 together, throw the cotton forward, knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1. 34th. knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1 seven times alternately, throw the cotton forward, slip 1, knit I, draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, knit 1 seven times alternately, knit 2 together, throw the cotton forward, knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1. 36th. knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1 seven times alternately, throw the cotton forward, slip 1, knit 1, draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, throw the cotton forward, knit 3 stitches together seven times alternately, throw the cotton forward, knit 2 together, throw the cotton forward, knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1. 38th. knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1 eight times alternately, throw the cotton forward, slip 1, knit 1, draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, knit 1 eight times alternately, knit 2 together, throw the cotton forward, knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1. 40th. knit 1, throw the cotton forward, knit 1, eight times alternately, throw the cotton forward, slip 1, knit 1, draw the slipped over "Do you see the Grecian bend' yonder?" high. Every fashionable lady from fifteen to asked a friend of me, as we walked up the thirty, affected this manner of holding the paraHigh-street of our town together. An Irish- sol or umbrella. Finally, I noticed shop-girls man crossed our path at the moment, bowed and apprentices doing the same, and then the underneath a hod of bricks, and I, suspecting a ultras' dropped it." joke, and laughing, asked him if it was the man to whom he referred. "No," said he. "I mean the young lady opposite." 66 'What-that poor, deformed creature, a pitiable object, though dressed in regal finery? Now, really, my good fellow, I would not have thought you so heartless as to make the unfortunate girl a subject of raillery." "But she isn't deformed," said my friend, almost convulsed with laughter. "That's the latest style of carriage among belles; you don't know how much trouble and painstaking that young woman has been at, to accomplish that result in her figure." "You're not in earnest, surely ?" "Indeed I am. You show you were not at the watering-places this season by the ignorance you manifest. It was quite the rage there, I can assure you." "Impossible," said I, elevating my eye-glass to gaze at the spectacle again. "It's queer, ain't it," said my friend, after a moment, "how the women all go in flocks after a thing, even to a particular gait or manner. Now these little trivialities of street customs have always been an interesting study to me. They change with the seasons as regularly as the cut of a coat or style of a bonnet. Sometimes it's the way of bowing to an acquaintance; now, every lady will greet you with a low salute, and a great deal of 'empressement;' again, the style will be only a very conservative nod of the head; again, the mannerism will be in the walk. Some two or three years since, it was a certain way of carrying the parasol-a coquetish sticking out of the elbow and grasping the handle "But do you suppose," said I, "that such a custom as that (pointing to the shape opposite) can become general ?" Undoubtedly," was the reply. "Why the thing is reduced to a regular science. There's some sort of machinery about it, I don't know what, exactly; you consult the papers, and you'll find out all about it." So I bought a paper and went home, and sat down to read as follows: the "The Grecian Bend,' is an S-like curvature of the upper figure, caused by thrusting out the chest, bending forward the head, contracting the stomach, and elevating the hips, the latter effect heing aided by wearing very high-heeled shoes, and an arrangement upon hips called a panier. The Grecian Bend' is quite painful and wearisome, and some girls adopt artificial contrivances to aid them in preserving the posture for several consecutive hours. A belt is fastened about the waist, under the skirts. From this belt, down either side the hips, two straps, furnished with buckles, descend, and are attached to strong bands made fast around the lower thighs. As the buckles of the straps are tightened, the hips are drawn up and held in position.' This is a relief, of course, to only one part of the frame. The construction of the upper part has to be preserved with no other aids than the stays, and those often render it the more difficult and tiresome." I was trying to bring my scattered senses to believe the truth of what I had read, when my pretty niece, Nellie, danced into the room with a new dress on; and after tapping me lightly on |