Page:Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.djvu/265

The 'Pandoramer' crowned heads of Europe, England, Ireland and Scotland, including North America and Wales.'

Loud cheers greeted the conclusion of Bert's speech. The box was placed on the table, which was then moved to the end of the room, and the chairs were ranged in two rows in front.

The 'Pandoramer' consisted of a stage front made of painted cardboard and fixed on the front of a wooden box about three feet long by two feet six inches high, and about one foot deep. The 'show' consisted of a lot of pictures cut out of illustrated weekly papers and pasted together, end to end, so as to form a long strip or ribbon. Bert had painted all the pictures with water colours.

Just behind the wings of the stage front, at each end of the box, was an upright roller, on which the long strip of pictures was rolled. The upper ends of the rollers came through the top of the box and had handles attached to them. When these handles were turned the pictures passed across the stage, unrolling from one roller and rolling on to the other, and were illuminated by the light of three candles placed behind.

The idea of constructing this machine had been suggested to Bert by a panorama entertainment he had been to see some time before.

'The style of the decorations,' he remarked, alluding to the painted stage-front and inspired by memories of the drawing-room of 'The Cave', 'is Moorish.'

He lit the candles at the back and, having borrowed a tea-tray from Nora, desired the audience to take their seats. When they all had done so, he requested Owen to put out the lamp and the candles on the Christmas tree, and then he made another speech, imitating the manner of the lecturer at the panorama entertainment before mentioned:

'Ladies and Gentlemen: with your kind permission I am about to hinterduce to your notice some pitchers of events in different parts of the world. As each pitcher appears on the stage I will give a short explanation of the subject; and afterwards the band will play a suitable collection of appropriated music, consisting of hymns and all the latest and most popular songs of the day, and the audience is kindly requested to join in the chorus'.

'Our first scene,' continued Bert, as he turned the handles and brought the picture into view, 'represents the docks at 253