choly choice between
having no time to dine and no time to write.

Perhaps the _repetition generale_ system will come into vogue, but it
has disadvantages. For years it was worked at the Savoy during the days
of that theatre's vitality; but the public rehearsal was a real
rehearsal, with three rows of stalls left empty for the to-and-fro of
people directing the performance, and scenes were acted over again and
songs resung. A procession in _Utopia Limited_ was sent back
half-a-dozen times because it did not reach a particular position on
the stage at the right moment.

_Repetitions_ of this character--and, it may be, of any character--are
not wholly satisfactory to the critic. There is a sham-fight air about
them--a good many of the players cannot work themselves up to the full
fury of real combat; they are affected by the fact that the affair is
not exactly genuine. One can even imagine that some of them say to
themselves, "It will be all right on the night," and justice is by no
means restored even if the critic afterwards sees the first public
performance. The dress rehearsal has left him somewhat unfairly cold,
because the circumstances were hostile, and in most cases a second dose
of the affair within twenty-four hours makes him colder still, since,
unless the work is the rare masterpiece, he does not wish to see it
twice within a space of less than forty-eight hours, or years. No doubt
the public will get the benefit of the critic's views as to the nature
of the reception, since, having already written his notice, which he is
not likely to alter in the least degree so far as impressions of the
piece and acting are concerned, he will have plenty of time for a last
paragraph about the "boos" or cheers and the non-appearance of the
author or the speech.

There was even a third announcement, for the critic of the paper
lovingly called _The Tizer_ by the members of the industry whose
interests it protects with the utmost vehemence of laborious
alliteration stated that in the future his first-night notices would
only contain an account of the plot and reception, to which presumably
were to be added the words _Cur adv. vult_--let us hope there was no
misunderstanding as to the middle word--whilst a day later his
considered judgment was to be given.

Certainly this method is not quite a novelty, and has often been
recommended. Probably the reason why it has not hitherto been adopted
has been the repugnance to it of t