Returning back to the Haymarket to notice a new farce
by Mr. Shirley Brooks, entitled The Guardian Angel, we are struck by a considerable power in the delineation of character, accompanied by very imperfect notions of construction. A modern servant addicted to fortune-telling by cards, and really up to all the details of the art, is a personage new to the stage, and by no means unreal, however we may talk of the enlightenment of the nine- teenth century. This part is well written by Mr. Brooks, and perfectly acted by Mrs. Keeley. The plot, however, in which she moves, is obscure and tiresome; and in this respect more tact has been shown in a piece produced at the Lyceum, under the title of The Practical Man. The author, Mr. Bernard, wishing only to develop the peculiarities of a fidgety gentleman who has always talent for everything but just what is wanted, has made as little plot as possible, and thus has not encumbered his de- sign. In a lengthened piece, plot is even more essential than character; but in a farce that lasts an hour, a humorous display of an individuality will furnish quite sufficient amusement, especially with an actor like Mr. C. Mathews.
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