heatre!) the other night to see
"Rothomago," but was so mortally _gene_ with the poor nature of the
piece and of the acting, that I came out again when there was a week or
two (I mean an hour or two, but the hours seemed weeks) yet to get
through.

My dear Fechter, very faithfully yours always.

[Sidenote: Mr. Clarkson Stanfield, R.A.]

PARIS, RUE DU FAUBOURG ST. HONORE, 27,
_Friday, Dec. 5th, 1862._

MY DEAR STANNY,

We have been here for two months, and I shall probably come back here
after Christmas (we go home for Christmas week) and stay on into
February. But I shall write and propose a theatre before Christmas is
out, so this is to warn you to get yourself into working pantomime
order!

I hope Wills has duly sent you our new Christmas number. As you may like
to know what I myself wrote of it, understand the Dick contributions to
be, _his leaving it till called for_, and _his wonderful end_, _his
boots_, and _his brown paper parcel_.

Since you were at Gad's Hill I have been travelling a good deal, and
looking up many odd things for use. I want to know how you are in health
and spirits, and it would be the greatest of pleasures to me to have a
line under your hand.

God bless you and yours with all the blessings of the time of year, and
of all times!

Ever your affectionate and faithful
DICK.

[Sidenote: M. Charles Fechter.]

PARIS, _Saturday, Dec. 6th, 1862._

MY DEAR FECHTER,

I have read "The White Rose" attentively, and think it an extremely good
play. It is vigorously written with a great knowledge of the stage, and
presents many striking situations. I think the close particularly fine,
impressive, bold, and new.

But I greatly doubt the expediency of your doing _any_ historical play
early in your management. By the words "historical play," I mean a play
founded on any incident in English history. Our public are accustomed to
associate historical plays with Shakespeare. In any other hands, I
believe they care very little for crowns and dukedoms. What you want is
something with an interest of a more domestic and general nature--an
interest as romantic as you please, but having a more general and wider
response than a disputed succession to the throne can have for
E