120                 PLACES  AND   PEOPLE  ABROAD.
street performances which I have yet seen. The curtain
rose and displayed a beautiful theatre in miniature, and
most gorgeously painted. The organ which accompanied
it struck up a hornpipe, and a sailor, dressed in his blue
jacket, made his appearance, and commenced keeping
time with the utmost correctness. This figure was not
so long as Mr. Punch, but much better looking. At the
close of the hornpipe the little sailor made a bow, and
tripped off, apparently-conscious of having deserved the
undivided applause of the bystanders. The curtain
dropped ; but in two or three minutes it was again up, and
a rope was discovered extended on two cross pieces for
dancing upon. The tune was changed to an air in
which the time was marked ; a graceful figure appeared,
jumped upon the rope with its balance-pole, and dis-
played all the manoeuvres of an expert performer on the
tight-rope. Many who would turn away in disgust from
Mr. Punch will stand for hours and look at the perform-
ances of the Fantoccini. If people, like the Vicar of
Wakefield, will sometimes " allow themselves to be
happy," they can hardly fail to have a hearty laugh at
the drolleries of the Fantoccini. There may be degrees
of absurdity in the manner of wasting our time, but there
is an evident affectation in decrying these humble and
innocent exhibitions, by those who will sit till two or
three in the morning to witness a pantomime at a theatre
royal.
******
An autumn sun shone brightly through a remarkably