7.30.--Music and Conversation. The latter may be varied by an
occasional allusion to the day of the month--a practical joke being
the "touch of nature" that makes everybody _touchy_.
8 o'clock.--Quadrille and Polka. After which, Mrs. Martha Brown
(from the Egyptian Hall) will describe her "Trip to Brighton and
back."
9 o'clock.--Quadrille and Waltz.
A few young gents in their teens, inspired by the Tercent-_e_-nary
(see Hepworth Dixon or any other dixon-ary), will recite a passage
from--and a very long way from--HAMLET.
9.30.--Quadrille. Polka. Spanish Dance.
10 o'clock.--THE JUVENILE SPREAD. Children under 20 not admitted.
10.30.--The author of "Underground London" will demon-strate his
well-known connection with the arch-enemy. (Beware of your pockets.)
11.--Dancing, Comic Singing, etc.
12 to 1.--Arrival of the Professionals from the Royal Adelphi,
Olympic, St. James's, and Princess's Theatres, retained at an
enormous cost for this night only--or rather morning.
BANQUET OF THE ELDERS IN THE CULINARY CAVERNS OF THE REGIONS BELOW.
Resumption of the fun. Paul's return a _great_ go. Curious analysis
of the Brothers Webb, to ascertain which is which. Mr. Toole will
oblige, etc.
Any attempt to define the order or duration of the proceedings from
this point being obviously absurd, it will suffice to state that the
Sun rises at 5.30.
------
The twenty minutes' burlesque on Hamlet was written expressly for us
by my father. It was received so well that we afterwards did it at
the residences of Mr. Toole and John Hollingshead to "grown-up"
parties, of which we were very proud. I played Hamlet, my brother
played Ophelia and the Gravedigger, and the remainder of the
characters were assumed by schoolfellows at the North London
Collegiate School, who were, singularly enough, distantly connected
with the stage. They were Pierre Leclercq, the brother of Carlotta
Leclercq; Claude Addison, brother of the Misses Fanny and Carlotta
Addison; B. Terry, brother of Ellen Terry, who, with her sister Kate
(Mrs. Arthur Lewis), visited Manor Lodge several times. The part of
the Queen was played by T. Bolton, who afterwards went on the stage
and became a prominent member of Mr. Wilson Barrett's provincial
companies. Many actors and literary men and women came in late at
this party.
I knew very little of Society (with a big S) in those days, but had
the honour, under the parental roof, of meeting and making friends,
while a young man, of such people as Henry Irving, Toole, J. Clarke
(Little Clarke, as he was called), H. J. Byron, John Oxenford, Kate
and Ellen Terry, Madame Celeste, Miss Woolgar, Andrew Halliday,
Artemus Ward, Chas. Wyndham, the brothers Brough, Luke Fildes, R.A.,
Joseph Hatton, Dillon Croker, J. Prowse, Fred Barnard, Mrs. Eiloart,
Eliza Winstanley, Emma Stanley (the entertainer), W. S. Woodin,
Arthur Sketchley, Tom Hood the younger, T. W. Robertson, Miss
Furtardo, Paul Bedford.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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