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young gentlemen； and Madame de Sainte… Crinoline's respects to the
young ladies； who encloses her account； and will sent on Saturday； please；
or we stretch our hand out to the educational branch of the Christmas tree；
and there find a lively and amusing article from the Rev。 Henry Holyshade；
containing our dear Tommy's exceedingly moderate account for the last
term's school expenses。
The tree yet sparkles； I say。 I am writing on the day before Twelfth
Day； if you must know； but already ever so many of the fruits have been
pulled； and the Christmas lights have gone out。 Bobby Miseltow； who has
been staying with us for a week （and who has been sleeping mysteriously
in the bath…room）； comes to say he is going away to spend the rest of the
holidays with his grandmother and I brush away the manly tear of regret
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as I part with the dear child。 〃Well； Bob； good…bye； since you will go。
Compliments to grandmamma。 Thank her for the turkey。 Here's 〃 （A
slight pecuniary transaction takes place at this juncture； and Bob nods and
winks； and puts his hand in his waistcoat pocket。） 〃You have had a
pleasant week？〃
Bob。 〃Haven't I！〃 （And exit； anxious to know the amount of the
coin which has just changed hands。）
He is gone； and as the dear boy vanishes through the door （behind
which I see him perfectly）； I too cast up a little account of our past
Christmas week。 When Bob's holidays are over； and the printer has sent
me back this manuscript； I know Christmas will be an old story。 All the
fruit will be off the Christmas tree then； the crackers will have cracked
off； the almonds will have been crunched； and the sweet…bitter riddles
will have been read； the lights will have perished off the dark green
boughs； the toys growing on them will have been distributed； fought for；
cherished； neglected； broken。 Ferdinand and Fidelia will each keep out
of it （be still； my gushing heart！） the remembrance of a riddle read
together； of a double almond munched together； and of the moiety of an
exploded cracker。。。。 The maids； I say； will have taken down all that holly
stuff and nonsense about the clocks； lamps； and looking…glasses； the dear
boys will be back at school； fondly thinking of the pantomime fairies
whom they have seen； whose gaudy gossamer wings are battered by this
time； and whose pink cotton （or silk is it？） lower extremities are all
dingy and dusty。 Yet but a few days； Bob； and flakes of paint will have
cracked off the fairy flower…bowers； and the revolving temples of
adamantine lustre will be as shabby as the city of Pekin。 When you read
this； will Clown still be going on lolling his tongue out of his mouth； and
saying； 〃How are you to…morrow？〃 To… morrow； indeed！ He must be
almost ashamed of himself （if that cheek is still capable of the blush of
shame） for asking the absurd question。 To…morrow； indeed！ To…morrow
the diffugient snows will give place to spring； the snowdrops will lift their
heads； Ladyday may be expected； and the pecuniary duties peculiar to
that feast； in place of bonbons； trees will have an eruption of light green
knobs； the whitebait season will bloom 。。。 as if one need go on describing
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these vernal phenomena； when Christmas is still here； though ending； and
the subject of my discourse！
We have all admired the illustrated papers； and noted how boisterously
jolly they become at Christmas time。 What wassail… bowls； robin…
redbreasts； waits； snow landscapes； bursts of Christmas song！ And then
to think that these festivities are prepared months before that these
Christmas pieces are prophetic！ How kind of artists and poets to devise
the festivities beforehand； and serve them pat at the proper time！ We ought
to be grateful to them； as to the cook who gets up at midnight and sets the
pudding a…boiling； which is to feast us at six o'clock。 I often think with
gratitude of the famous Mr Nelson Lee the author of I don't know how
many hundred glorious pantomimes walking by the summer wave at
Margate； or Brighton perhaps； revolving in his mind the idea of some new
gorgeous spectacle of faery； which the winter shall see complete。 He is
like cook at midnight （si parva licet）。 He watches and thinks。 He
pounds the sparkling sugar of benevolence； the plums of fancy； the
sweetmeats of fun； the figs of well； the figs of fairy fiction； let us say；
and pops the whole in the seething cauldron of imagination； and at due
season serves up the Pantomime。
Very few men in the course of nature can expect to see all the
pantomimes in one season； but I hope to the end of my life I shall never
forego reading about them in that delicious sheet of The Times which
appears on the morning after Boxing…day。 Perhaps reading is even better
than seeing。 The best way； I think； is to say you are ill； lie in bed； and
have the paper for two hours； reading all the way down from Drury Lane
to the Britannia at Hoxton。 Bob and I went to two pantomimes。 One
was at the Theatre of Fancy； and the other at the Fairy Opera； and I don't
know which we liked the best。
At the Fancy； we saw 〃Harlequin Hamlet； or Daddy's Ghost and
Nunky's Pison；〃 which is all very well but； gentlemen； if you don't
respect Shakspeare； to whom will you be civil？ The palace and ramparts
of Elsinore by moon and snowlight is one of Loutherbourg's finest efforts。
The banqueting hall of the palace is illuminated： the peaks and gables
glitter with the snow： the sentinels march blowing their fingers with the
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cold the freezing of the nose of one of them is very neatly and
dexterously arranged： the snow storm rises： the winds howl awfully
along the battlements： the waves come curling； leaping； foaming to
shore。 Hamlet's umbrella is whirled away in the storm。 He and his two
friends stamp on each other's toes to keep them warm。 The storm…spirits
rise in the air； and are whirled howling round the palace and the rocks。
My eyes！ what tiles and chimney…pots fly hurtling through the air！ As
the storm reaches its height （here the wind instruments come in with
prodigious effect； and I compliment Mr Brumby and the violoncellos） as
the snow storm rises （queek； queek； queek； go the fiddles； and then
thrumpty thrump comes a pizzicato movement in Bob Major； which sends
a shiver into your very boot…soles）； the thunder… clouds deepen （bong；
bong； bong； from the violoncellos）。 The fork