looking certainly ten years younger than he did before he left England. We wasted very little time in settling details: no agreements were drawn up, no letters asked for or given; a mere verbal contract was taken on both sides. I made a memorandum in a diary, and we both started off in different directions -Charles Mathews to Baden-Baden, and I to Vienna-the same night. We never saw, and heard very little from each other, till the beginning of October, and on the 7th of that month Charles Mathews made his re-appearance in England, after his long absence, at the Gaiety Theatre, in 'A Curious Case' and 'The Critic.' His reception was the most enthusiastic burst of feeling I ever witnessed or can imagine, and the one who seemed the least moved by it was the chief actor. He played for ten weeks, going through many of his favourite parts, 'Used Up,' 'Married for Money,' 'Cool asa Cucumber,' 'Game of Speculation,' etc., and though the bulk of the company were sent to the country, as he required very few to support him, the receipts were larger

than any previously taken in the theatreamounting to nearly £1,000 per week. His second engagement, after a long country tour, for he hated to be idle, was for five weeks in the summer of 1873, followed by five weeks in the autumn of the same year, when he played 'The Liar,' 'Patter v. Clatter,' 'Used Up,' 'Mr. Gatherwool,' 'Married for Money,' '£1,000 a Year,' 'Cool as a Cucumber,' 'Aggravating Sam,' and 'Little Toddlekins.' This engagement was nearly as

successful as the first one.

In the December of 1873, wishing to end my first lease of the Gaiety Theatre with becoming splendour, I prevailed upon Charles Mathews to play the Hon. Tom Shuffleton in 'John Bull' in combination with Mr. Phelps, Mr. Toole, Mr. Vezin, and others. He reluctantly consented, but considered that he had done himself irreparable injury as a 'star' in forming an item in such a cast, though only for three nights. In the summer of 1874, after his country tour, he appeared again at the Gaiety for seven weeks, playing

old material, Married for Money,' 'The Critic,'' Mr. Gatherwool,' 'Used Up,' 'The Nice Firm' (in conjunction with Mr. Arthur Cecil), 'Game of Speculation,' 'Cool as a Cucumber,' and 'Patter v. Clatter.' This was a good engagement, but not so good as the previous ones. Charles Mathews now went to the country for more than a year, and prepared himself for his next engagement by writing a new piece, 'My Awful Dad.' He made his first appearance in this piece at the Gaiety on Monday, Sept. 13, 1875, and played it, supplemented by 'Mr. Gatherwool,' with immense success for eight weeks. During this engagement he was prevailed upon to overcome a strong prejudice against morning performances, and he appeared at two matinées during the eight weeks, and at one special matinée before his departure for India. This Indian engagement was a great social if not a financial triumph, and on his return, he re-opened at the Gaiety in My Awful Dad' and 'Cool as a Cucumber' on Monday, April 17th, 1876, playing for fourteen weeks.

The close of that year and the early part of 1877 he spent, as usual, working in the country, and on his return to town, finding that I could not take him in at the Gaiety owing to a season of French plays, he went to the Opéra Comique, then under my management, and played for nine weeks in 'My Awful Dad,' The Liar,' 'The Cosy Couple,' etc. This was his last engagement in London. On Saturday night, June 2nd, he made his last appearance on the boards of a London theatre. The results of these eight engagements spread over six years were eminently satisfactory to both of us. The gross receipts

were nearly £40,000,

out of which he

received more than 10,000 for playing about 354 times. Our business, what little we had, was transacted in the most pleasant manner possible. There was no fuss, no squabbling, and no agreements; he took my word and I took his, and no engagement during my ten years of management, apart from the question of profit or loss, has given me more personal gratification.

HOW THE ELECTRIC LIGHT

CAME TO LONDON.

ROWARDS the close of 1877 a couple of huge lamps, burning a

very brilliant white light, made their appearance in front of the Grand Opera in Paris. Even in a city so well illuminated as Paris these lamps attracted general attention, and inquirers were told that the system employed was a Russian patent, with the invention of which a gentleman named Joblochskoff was credited. By degrees the new luminary spread in Paris, as was natural amongst an intelligent and energetic people not fettered with too much local self-govern

ment.

The Joblochskoff lamps were soon