audience know that he had fallen into bad company,
and had been drawn into betting transactions.
He had a betting-book in his hand, and
was wrestling with the Tempter. The Tempter
said to him, "Use the sum of money your
master has entrusted to you; you are sure to
win, and you can replace the money before it is
missed." At this moment Mr. Mark Robinson,
representing the merchant's chief clerk, came
upon the scene, and exclaims, "Ah! 'Arry 'ere!"
'Arry, unconscious of his presence, proceeded
with his soliloquy, and revealed his wicked
intentions. "Alas!" exclaimed the chief clerk, "he
was once a hinnocent country boy, but now he
is upon the i road to ruin. Fortunately for me,
I am acquainted with both i and low life, and
can act any part to suit my purpose." Exit the
chief clerk, with a design to save 'Arry. 'Arry
still struggled with the Tempter, and remembered
the advice of his mother. " 'Arry," she
said, "whatever you do, be honest." At this
moment a Jew pedlar came upon the scene, and
tempted 'Arry to buy a watch. 'Arry's eyes
glistened at the sight of the watch. He wanted
to make a present to his sweetheart. The price
was only five pounds. He could not resist the
bargain; bought the watch; and paid for it with
part of his master's money. The Jew pedlar here
took his leave, saying to 'Arry, with marked
emphasis and to slow music, "Good day, hon-est
gentleman." 'Arry now consoled himself with
the comforting proverb, "In for a penny, in for
a pound," and resolved to use the rest of his
master's money in betting upon General Peel.
(When he mentioned General Peel, a gentleman
in the stalls said to another gentleman, "That
was three years ago?" To which the other
gentleman responded affirmatively.) Hereupon
enter a man selling 'krect cards (the chief
clerk again, who evidently keeps all sorts of
disguises in his office ready for any emergency),
and advised 'Arry to buy a 'krect card and
back the favourite. 'Arry bought a 'krect
card, and in the course of a soliloquy took
another downward step; when there appeared
to him a sporting gent (chief clerk once
more, representing i life, in a white coat, a
white 'at, and a green veil), who induced
him to back General Peel for a heavy sum.
Sporting gent and 'Arry went off together,
to return next moment in dismay. The sporting
gent exclaimed, "The 'orse has lost!"
an announcement which immediately recalled to
'Arry the injunctions of his mother. He took
from his pocket a letter which he had already
written to his mother, and read it aloud to
slow music. It was to the effect that he wrote
to her in a low public-'ouse; that his misfortunes
were all owing to those accursed betting-offices;
and that when she got this her unhappy son
would be no more. The sporting gent pooh-
poohed this, and comforts 'Arry with another
proverb—"As well be 'ung for a sheep as a
lamb." All might yet be well, if he would only
forge his master's signature to a cheque. He
would have better luck next time. 'Arry was
persuaded; he took out a note-book with a
brass clasp (representing his master's cheque-
book), and drew a cheque, with a metallic
pencil, to slow music: the sporting gent standing
by in the approved attitude of  Mephistopheles,
showing his teeth. The sporting
gent went off, and remained off long enough to
allow 'Arry to deliver another soliloquy about
the days of his innocence and his poor, poor
mother. The sporting gentleman then returned
to say that the police were at the door. 'Arry
exclaimed, "Alas, I am lost!"

"Not so," said the sporting gent, taking off his
whiskers and his white hat. "You are saved!"

"Mr. Goodman!"

"The same; and let this, 'Arry, be a lesson to
you for the future."

"Mr. Goodman," rejoined 'Arry, "from this
moment I am a haltered boy."

And the chief clerk, advancing to the footlights
impressed this moral upon the audience:
"'Arry is not an imaginary character; he is to
be found every day in the low betting-'ouses of
London; let me, therefore, entreat all our
young 'earers not to forget 'Arry the betting-
boy's career."

There was great applause, and we heard Mr.
Whelks, in the front row of the body of the
hall, say to a companion that "it was a good-
meaning thing." And so it really was. If the
entertainment were somewhat vulgar, and
wanting in taste, it was, on the whole, well meaning;
the audience was sober and well behaved; and,
all things considered, it appeared to us that
Mr. Whelks had found a species of entertainment
which was already calculated to improve
his habits, and might easily be made the medium
of improving his tastes very greatly. We could
have no doubt whatever that the people
sembled in this little music-hall, where order was
strictly preserved, were much better employed
than those who found their only entertainment
in drinking and wrangling in the bars of public-
houses. The Lord Chamberlain makes a great
point of examining plays, in the interests of
public decency and public morality, why should
he not be invested with authority to examine
songs? If some supervision of this kind
exercised in purifying the entertainments
presented at music-halls, we see no reason why
these places, and especially those which appeal
to the lower classes, might not be fitted both to
refine the tastes and improve the morals of their
frequenters. On another occasion we shall see
what the theatres are doing for Mr. Whelks.

      Shortly will be published, in Three Volumes,
             THE SECOND MRS. TILLOTSON.
     BY THE AUTHOR OF "NEVER FORGOTTEN."
   Tinsley Brothers, 18, Catherine-street, London.