Charles Dickens, and W. M. Thackeray were in their prime; he was afterwards assistant publisher of the Daily Telegraph for the first seven months of its existence. He made his first appearance on the London stage at the Lyceum, under the celebrated management of Madame Vestris and Charles Mathews. The piece was an extravaganza, entitled "Prince Prettypet," produced in December, 1854. Madame Vestris died, and Mr. Mathews retired from the management of the Lyceum. He In 1858, Mr. Brough was again at the Lyceum under Mr. E. Falconer's management. He then deserted the stage, and was for five years on the Morning Star. next gave entertainments - Cinderella," "Der Freischutz," &c.-at the Polytechnic, afterwards travelling in the provinces with a "Ghost" performance, which he produced "by command at Windsor. Mr. Brough played before the Queen and the late Prince Consort, with the members of the Savage Club, for the Lancashire Relief Fund, and also visited Liverpool and Manchester for the same object. He next joined Mr. Henderson at the Prince of Wales's Theatre, Liverpool, afterwards becoming a member of Mr. Copeland's company at the Amphitheatre there; and next was associated with Mr. Saker at the Alexandra Theatre there. Mr. Brough came to London in October, 1867, and has been playing at the Queen's and St. James's theatres, and now is engaged at the Holborn. In August next, Mr. Boucicault will open Covent Garden-at the close of the opera season-with Mr. Brough as his stage manager. At Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, and the chief provincial towns, Mr. Brough has often performed, and is a great favourite with his audiences. He has all the requisite qualities as an actor for the parts he plays; and to his great natural humour and fun he adds a conscientious and careful study of the characters he undertakes. [April 20, 1872. ligence and appreciation, and a display of Mr. Brough likewise enjoys considerable SA MIDNIGHT. AIL on, O silvern moon, through placid plains The white tombs glisten on the churchyard rise, Sail on, O stately, silvern moon, until A reckless world forgets the tranquil night; THE WHITEBAIT DINNERS. HE Ministerial fish dinner at Greenwich will, I am afraid, like many other good old-fashioned customs, pass out of date before long; but as the circumstances connected with these official "feeds" are not well known, a few notes on the subject may possess some passing interest for our readers. In the early part of the last century, an extraordinarily high tide in the Thames broke down a part of the sea wall that protected the Essex marshes, near the village of Dagenham. Many unsuccessful attempts were made to repair the inroad thus made by the troubled waters, but for years without success. About the year 1721, however, an engineer, Captain Perry by name, succeeded in mending the wall. This Captain Perry was well known in his own time for his great practical skill in difficult engineering works of this kind; and he had, in fact, been employed twenty years before by the great Tony Lumpkin, in "She Stoops to Con- Czar Peter in embanking various rivers in quer," he played for a long time, with the Russia, but principally in building the quays, greatest success, at the St. James's Theatre; arsenals, and dockyards of St. Petersburg. and he is the best Tony on the stage. Uncle The work of stopping "Dagenham Breach," Ben in "Dearer than Life," Spotty in "The as it was then called, was considered of such Lancashire Lass," Sampson Burr in "The importance that an act of Parliament was Porter's Knot," Mark Meddle in "London passed appointing a body of commissioners Assurance," Robin Wildbriar in "Extremes," to superintend the operations. These comare among the best of Mr. Brough's assump- missioners-most of whom, by the way, were He plays them with marked intel- | City gentlemen-were in the habit of holding their board meetings on the spot; and, in true English fashion, usually crowned their deliberations with a well-appointed dinner each board-day. As the inland water could not be altogether drained away, and the water remaining-afterwards dignified with the name of Dagenham Lake or Reach-was found to afford a plentiful supply of fresh-water fish, the "dinner" received an additional attraction; and at each meeting of the commissioners a dish of fresh fish was served up in the board-room-the latter being situated in a building, erected for the accommodation of the superintendents, close to the flood gates, and usually known on the river as the Breach House. This annual fish dinner afterwards came to be an institution. Luckily for its permanent establishment, under the old commissioners the dinner was held just about the time when Parliament broke up in the autumn. One year Mr. Pitt, who was always a great favourite with the City men, was invited by the commissioners to partake of their annual fish dinner. The dinner, under such odd circumstances, was a pleasing novelty to the great ministers; and, as it was annually repeated, Mr. Pitt brought his political colleagues and private friends with him. The commissioners several of whom, like Sir Robert Preston, Sir William Curtis, Sir Robert Wigram, Captain Cotton, and others, had their own country houses close at hand-used to contribute wines from their cellars, and fruit from their gardens to the dessert; and in time, as the occasion grew more luxurious, turtle and venison were added to the original service of fish. Thus, before long, this so-called fish dinner became a kind of ministerial banquet, whither a dozen or a dozen and a half of the officials of Downing-street and Whitehall were accustomed to proceed in the Royal and Admiralty barges. Another account, differing from that we have just given, connects the history of ministerial fish dinners more intimately with Sir Robert Preston, one of the commissioners before mentioned. The other story is this: Sir Robert, who was a merchant prince, a baronet of Scotland and Nova Scotia, and sometime member of Parliament for Dover, had a cottage on the banks of Dagenham Lake. He called it his fishing cottage; and often in the spring went thither with a pri vate friend or two, to escape for awhile, in this rural retreat, the cares of Parliamentary and mercantile duties. His most frequent guest was, as he was familiarly called, "Old George Rose," secretary to the Treasury, and an elder brother of the Trinity House. Sir Robert also was an active member of that fraternity. Many was the joyous day these two worthies passed at Dagenham Reach, undisturbed by the storms that then raged in the political atmosphere of Whitehall and St. Stephen's Chapel. Mr. Rose once intimated to Sir Robert that Mr. Pitt, of whose friendship they were both justly proud, would no doubt much delight in the comfort of such a retreat. Sir Robert cordially accepted the suggestion. A day was named, and the Premier was accordingly invited, and received with great cordiality at the "fishing cottage." He was so well pleased with his visit, and the hospitality of the baronet— they were all considered two if not three bottle men-that, on taking leave, Mr. Pitt readily accepted an invitation for the following year, Sir Robert engaging to remind him at the proper time. For a few years, Mr. Pitt, accompanied by "Old George Rose," were regular annual visitors at Dagenham Reach. But the distance was great for those days. Railways had not yet started into existence, and the going and coming was considered somewhat inconvenient. But Sir Robert-hearty Briton as he was -was equal to the occasion. Why not dine nearer London? Greenwich was suggested as the new meeting-place for the three ancients of the Trinity House-for Pitt was also a distinguished member of that august fraternity. The party was now changed from a trio to a quartette, Mr. Pitt having requested to be allowed to bring Lord Camden. The ice thus broken, a fifth guest was soon added to the number-namely, Mr. Long, afterwards Lord Farnborough. All still were the guests of Sir Robert Preston; but, one by one, other men of position--all the Tory school -were invited; until at last Lord Camden reasonably remarked that, as they were all dining at a tavern, it was only fair that Sir Robert should be released from the expense. It was then arranged that the dinner should be given as usual by Sir Robert Prestonthat is to say, at his invitation-and he insisted on still contributing a buck and champagne; but the rest of the charges of mine host were thenceforward defrayed by the several guests; and on this arrangement the dinners continued to be held annually till the death of Mr. Pitt. Sir Robert Preston was requested, in the following year, to summon the several guests, the list of whom by this time included most of the Cabinet Ministers.. The time for meeting was usually after Trinity Monday, a short period before the end of the session. By degrees, a meeting which was originally for private conviviality seems, owing to the long tenure of office by the Tories, to have partaken of a political— or at least, semi-political-character. Sir Robert Preston, the founder of the whole affair, died; but the "fish dinner," thoroughly established by long custom, survived. Mr. Long, now Lord Farnborough, undertook to supply Sir Robert's place, and to annually summon the several guests to the "Ministerial fish dinner;" the private secretary of the late Sir Robert Preston furnishing to the private secretary of Lord Farnborough the names of the noblemen and gentlemen who had been usually invited. Up to the decease of the baronet, the invitations had been sent privately; and the party was certainly limited, for some time after, to the members of the Cabinet. GUMMER'S FORTUNE. BY JOHN BAKER HOPKINS., CHAPTER XVII. LOVE. I WENT to the old office to consult Purrem. Mrs. Gummer was to have accompanied me; but at the last moment she said she was not well enough. She told me afterwards that she felt sure we should lose the fortune, and she was afraid to hear the bad news. Purrem assured me that Sparkes & Son were too rich and too highly connected to commit a fraud. We called on Sparkes, and saw the father and son.. They gave Purrem the papers, and he knew at a glance that Joseph's fortune was only £4,000. Sparkes senior behaved kindly. He said his son excused Mrs. Gummer's violent language, as the great disappointment was partly the fault of his Calcutta correspondent. When I returned to Corcyra Villa, I had no need to speak. My face told the tale. Mrs. Gummer and Nancy cried. Janet was thinking of her lover, and not of the loss of fortune. She had been dressed by nine, for she was sure Max would come early. It was past noon, and he came not. Janet admired his delicacy. He would not call till after the usual hour, for fear we should think he was anxious about the fortune. At three o'clock, Janet became uneasy. She was sure that he was ill, and feared to alarm her. James was sent with a note. The note was returned, with a message that Mr. Max De Crespin was out, and would not return to Grammont Lodge that day.. Brave Janet! She could almost hate us for having a bad thought of Max! He was obliged to go out with the Colonel, or the Colonel was keeping him a prisoner. She knew how her poor Max was suffering. Janet went to her room. We agreed that the Colonel would try and stop the marriage, and Nancy was certain it would kill Janet. "But, pa, we have money." "Yes, Nancy, but not £30,000. With what we have of our own, and what will come from Joseph's, property,, we may have £8,000." "Go to Colonel De Crespin, pa, and tell him Janet shall have all we possess. Tell him she loves Max; but don't let Janet know of it." There was a sob, and Janet came in. She had not gone to her room, but had been listening to our conversation. She kissed Nancy again and again. "Oh, dear Nancy, it's hard for you to give me all; but I shall die, and Max will die, if we are parted. But, no-I cannot take all from you." Mrs. Gummer beckoned me from the room, "Go, Tom, and quickly, and do what Nancy says. And bring Max back with you. Do it very quickly, for the sake of our child." The Colonel saw me in the library. He did not shake hands with me, or offer me a seat. I told him we would give all we had to Max, that Janet was a noble girl, and that she loved his son. "Not badly played, but it won't do, Mr. Gummer, The mistake about the pounds. and rupees was barely possible, though I am convinced you were aware that your cousin was not worth £40,000. We may waive that point, but we cannot waive the lie about the £100,000. Mr. Thomas Gummer, since you have the audacity to come here, I tell you, coolly and deliberately, you are a trickster." I could hardly bear with that; but I thought of Janet, and did not resent the insult. And I saw, too, that it would be impossible to convince any one that I was innocent. I was mad with myself for so easily crediting the story of the £100,000. "How you expected to succeed passes comprehension. Perhaps you thought the marriage might take place before the completion of the settlement. Possibly, you think your acting and the acting of your daughter, and the paltry £7,000 or £8,000, will bribe us. You are a fool as well as a rogue. And now go, and beware how you or any of your family dare again to address a De Crespin." it will be better for all of us. Our life here! has been like a dreadful dream after going to bed on a hot supper. This sort of gentility may be good, but not for us, Tom. If an eel had been taken out of the Thames, and laid on a bed of hothouse flowers in the Garden of Eden, that fish would have been unhappy and dying to be back in his native mud and water. It's the same with men as with fish, Tom, who never do so well as when they are breathing the air they were born to." CHAPTER XVIII. UNDER A CLOUD. As the Colonel concluded, he rang the SOLOMON had many wives, and most bell, and passed out of the side door. For a long, long hour I walked about. I dared not go home. What could I say to Janet? There was no hope, none whatever. If Janet died, it was the fault of her father. I had brought all this misery on my child by not contradicting the false report in the papers. Janet, as soon as she saw me, said— "You need not tell me, pa. I know the Read that." worst. It was a note from Max:- "After the discovery of the infamous attempt to trick me and my family, I need hardly tell you that our acquaintance will entirely cease. It is not likely that I shall meet you; but if so, you will be pleased to take notice that I shall regard you as a stranger." Janet kept up wonderfully that evening. No crying, no hysterics, no complaining. When bidding her good night, Mrs. Gummer said "My dear Janet, do not fret about the heartless villain." "Ma, never say that again. Whoever speaks ill of him. I must hate." Janet was about the next day, and for days. Still no crying, no hysterics, and no complaining; but she did not eat, and Nancy told us she did not sleep. We had to call in Dr. Bungay. The doctor was kind to us, and sorry for our misfortune. He urged an immediate change of scene. Tom," ," said Mrs. Gummer, "the doctor is right, and the sooner we take his prescription the better for the poor dear girl, who can never forget the wretch whilst she is in these hateful Green Lanes. Moreover, Tom, likely more than one clever woman amongst them. Depend upon it, some of the wisest proverbs were the inventions of his better halves. The pretty words about the virtuous wife, and the ugly words about possible rivals, are just what a wife would say. If Mrs. Gummer had lived in Solomon's days, and had been a Mrs. Solomon, she would have ruled in that establishment, and written a Book of Proverbs every day. When any annoyances-and there were plenty of them-made me snappish, Mrs. Gummer would preach about the folly of being vexed.. Some men, Gummer, never cut their When you wisdom teeth in this world. were up, you were lickspittled; and now you are down, the lickspitters spit at you. The. lickspittling does harm you, if you care for it; and the other won't harm you, if you don't care for it." Our disappointment was, the talk of the town, as if it had been placarded by a billsticker across the sky. The Green Lanes Herald, in large letters and lines wide apart, regretted "to have to confirm the painful and astounding report as to an imposition. respecting an amazing fortune, and to state that many persons would be heavy sufferers." Why, it was this Herald that set afloat the story of the £100,000; and yet it turned. round, and charged us with fraud! His The milkman opened the game. master had told him to ask for our little bill, as two of his cows had gone out of milk, and he had to buy fresh stock. The milkman was so astonished at the prompt payment of his account, that it was several minutes before he could screech "Yoh!" The butcher, who had insisted upon a quarterly account, wrote to me on one of his billheads with a split skewer-and, like all butchers, with blue ink-to say that meat was such a price in the market, that he was drove to look for money from where it was his due. The baker was urgent for a settlement by reason of an unexpected call from his millers. The person from whom I hired the horses was panic-stricken. He arrived at Corcyra Villa at ten o'clock at night. He had no wish to kick up a dust, but he wasn't shoed yesterday, and hire for a season must be in advance, and there must be some sort of a security for valuable cattle. After a volley of abuse, he said he did not want to be hard upon me, but he would take his cattle and a month's hiring. I closed with the bargain. Our coachman demanded three months' wages; and when he put the coin into his pocket remarked"It is the oddest five-wheel turn-out, and the most staggering pull-up on the haunches, I ever heerd on." James was fetched home by his mother. "Poor she might be, and poor she were; but no one could say of her, as said the truth, that she set up for being what she did not pretend to. Keeping her hands from picking and stealing was what she had done and would do so long as there was breath in her body. There was people who made a meal of shame, and drank after it; but thankful she was to be very different. A loss of wages, what was no more than the due of her boy James, was what they could not afford; but that was better than his being in a service that would be a blight upon his character." This excellent creature, who smelt strongly of Jamaica rum, paused to rub her eyes with the corner of her apron. I gave her the wages due, and a month's money in lieu of notice. Like the milkman, she was astonished, and it took her a full minute to tie up the cash in a pocket handkerchief. "Mr. Gummer," she said, putting her face unpleasantly near to mine, "if you want a help in need, you will find it in me. I've known what it is to have everything took, and if you are wise, Mr. Gummer, you will put away what is valuable and can be moved; and that can be done at nights, under my shawl, without a soul suspecting what is going on." I told her I did not understand what she meant. "Well, surely, Mr. Gummer, it isn't just towards your family for your creditors to be let put in upon every stick and stiver you have got. Your plate, and what can be moved by hand, ought to be pawned for trifles, and the tickets hid out of sight; and when you are through the Court, you will have something to fall back upon for next to nothing." This very honest person was disgusted when I ordered her to go about her business. Mr. Lazarus, who had pointedly refused to let me have a bill for some bracelets presented to the Misses De Crespin, sent a man with a broken nose and bullet head, with orders to wait for the money or the goods. The husband of Madame, our milliner, came for her account. "Sir, if it should be one Queen, Madame would say, 'Votre Majestie, vhat you our terms call is toujours argent content,' and from this maison me go not without des monies of Madame ma femme." Long afterwards, looking over the banker's book, I noticed that all the cheques I drew at this time were cashed immediately. The churchwarden, a tea-dealer, wrote to say that he was informed we were about to leave the neighbourhood, and as there were numerous applications for pews, he should be pleased to have ours at his disposal, and would remit the balance of rent paid in ad vance. Mrs. Gummer remarked "Miserable sinners who are not well off are not liked in the middle aisle pews of a genteel church; but, to my thinking, Gummer, many of your middle aisle pewers on earth will be glad of a back gallery free seat in Heaven, and won't get even standing room." "Matilda, if it were not for Janet, I would stick to Corcyra Villa, keep the pew, and defy the Green Lanes gentility." "And I wouldn't. For, Gummer, aggravating hornets don't hurt the hornets so much as the aggravator. Crush a hornet, or fight shy of him; and if you are in a nest, get away how you can, and as quick as you can." Is it worth while to mention that the single curate visited us no more? When he met Nancy, he was so busy studying the clouds that he did not see her. Poor fellow! He had his bread to get, and he would have lost his curacy if he had been civil to people under a cloud. That wretched, hateful purveyor-butcher, Busted, called on me, and bullied me. |