Related article: ft 231 in recent summers been so promi- nently associated with the Opera season at Covent Garden. The management- is this winter ham- pered to some extent for room, as alterations to the stage have limited to the front of the house the space available for the balls, whereas in former years the entire area of the building was open, and the space ordinarily devoted to the stage and ''behind the scenes'' during the opera season became for the occasion an extensive lounge for " sitting out " within reach of refreshments. The present accommodation, stopping short as it does at the proscenium, leaves the same amount of space as formerly for dancing, but upon crowded occa- sions, such as the ball upon last New Year's Eve, there is not too much elbow room. However, that is no hindrance to merriment, in fact, we doubt if there has ever been a more cheery gathering than the one which welcomed with enthusiasm the advent of the New Year. After a lapse during the sad- ness of the early weeks of the year, the series of dances was re- sumed again on February 8th, when blacks and whites pre- dominated amongst the dresses, and the two chief prizes were carried off by ladies whose inge- nious costumes referred to the accession of the King. Miss Roche, who has so often won the first prize at these meetings, had to be content upon this occasion with third Mesterolone Tablets prize for a suggested costume for the African Pohce. Madame Vernon appears to be the most successful designer of fancy dresses, whilst Mr. Clark- son is always well to the fore. The music provided by Dan Godfrey's celebrated band is one of the best features of an excel- lent entertainment, and we would recommend those critics who have asserted that the Bal Masqu6 could never be popular in England to go and see for themselves how cheery a crowd assembles at Covent Garden. '* The Awakening " at St« James' Theatre. — It would ap- pear that Mr. George Alexan- der has scored another distinct success at his fortunate little theatre in King Street. He cer- tainly approaches any fresh ven- ture with much in his favour. His own personal popularity with the play-going public counts for, much, and he has had the sound judgment to enlist the support and assistance of artistes of marked ability, so that if he can but select a play of interest, and if possible merit, he has little to fear in an ordinary way from a first night. Probably, from a managerial point of view, the best test of the success of a production is to be found in the box-office figures, and we are told that in the present case the booking for the early nights of ** The Awakening *' has surpassed all records in the history of St. James* Theatre since its re-build- ing. For ourselves we feel a certain diffidence in expressing our opinion that " The Awakening *' falls far short of being a good play, because we think it is probably a better play than we ourselves could write ; but Dr. Johnson has spoken words of encouragement to the conscientious critic when he explained that although he did not profess to be a car- penter he nevertheless felt himself fully qualified to express an opinion as to whether a table or chair were made well or ill. We cannot help feeling that in this production the author owes a larger debt of grati- tude to the Company than do the Company to the author. We were 232 BAILY S MAGAZINE. [March grateful to Mr. Haddon Chambers for "The Idler," and encouraged by the charm of " The Tyranny of Tears." We looked forward eagerly to " The Awakening," and we are disappointed. From time to Mesterolone Online time successful plays have been made the subject of successful burlesque, and should the success of " The Awakening " earn this compliment, there is ample material for burlesque in the story of Jim Trower, although none but the most ill-natured would suggest that little alteration in the book would be necessary. The character of Jim Trower, •* the Juggernaut in trousers so far as women are concerned," is a quaint conception. His occu- pation, we are given to under- stand, is the Foreign Office, but our relations with Foreign Powers apparently continue to be so friendly that this remarkable man is able to devote all his time and energies to his more than friendly relations with any lady who is un- fortunate enough to cross his path. A man of courage is this, for he seeks to shroud his intrigues be- neath no flimsy veil of attempted secrecy, and when a woman more decent than the rest " una de nmltis face niiptialidigna " rebukes him for his treatment of other women, his responsive philanderings with her palm give her "quite a creepy feeling," as she expresses it. The time-honoured sentence on such an offender is duly passed by Mr. Haddon Chambers upon Tames Trower. The punishment fits the crime, and the deceiver, bored with his successes with married women, and somewhat scared by the sud- Generic Mesterolone den death of a wronged husband, and the immediate demands of the widow for the tardy blessing of the Church upon their amours, is doomed to lose his heart to a charming "young lady, all senti- ment, innocence, and jealousy. From the moment that Trower comes into the life of poor Miss Olive Laurence, she can know no further peace, and the dis- appointed widow makes a call upon her unsophisticated rival, when in a few minutes she makes her unfortunate hostess years older in every way. Although Miss Olive is terribly shocked at the character of her lover, she relents at the end of Act IV. and agrees to marry Juggernaut. We hope that the author will one day gratify us with a sequel to " The Awakening " ; such a work should be full of possibilities and interest. For the ladies who support Mr. Alexander we have nothing but praise. It is difficult to say who is most deserving of notice: Miss Buy Mesterolone Fay Davis, the ingenue ; Miss Gertrude Kingston, the discarded; or Miss Granville