THE REJOICINGS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 416, 29 October 1856, Page 2

THE REJOICINGS.

All's well that ends well The piece was ill chosen, but the performance has been es<sellent. Surely Mrs. Malaprop is right in saying that for a lasting liking* it is best to begin ivith a little aversion. Everybody -was dissatisfied before the event; everybody is satisfied now. For onr own parts we^ated the idea of thelights and fireworks. We asked, as fhe devil did, looking at the building of Lincoln eatheSral, " Why this waste ? " We predicted all calamities? Everybody was to be crushed in the crowd. The mob was to wreck all the houses, either for being illuminated in honour of the peace, or for not being illuminated. The thieves were to sack the whole town, or such part of it as did not chance to be burnt by the mismanagement or the lights. The gas was to fail at°an early hour, exhausted by such an enormous demand on it; and t the huge metropolis was to be left in darkness, to -the mercy of all the rogues and desperadoes. Or the immensely increased supply of gas for the occasion was to be trie cause of a frightful explosion, leaving London a heap of Tuins, Hor were we singular m our dismal apprehensions. Every one was against the celebration. Not a voice was raised oa itsbehalf, and Ministers were threatened with responsibility for their rash foolery. Tney were going to wmd up with a Crimea in .London. Well, what has been the result? The ialsification of all sinister expectations. Should we say that the day was or was not propitious ? Inere was a little unworthy jealousy. 'The sun did not show himself. He did not court a comparison—ike little jeslousy of two of .a trade JSut-tlie gloom served as a curtain before the grand scene. The vast town was a blaze of light, and.tne sky was illuminated with fires of ever/live : of surpassing richness of tint, and graceful tracery. Everything was well arranged and well executed. Especial fault had been found w^h the combination of the illumination aud fireworks on the same day. It was convincingly argued that there should have been a separate day for each. The event shows the judgment of the pre-condsmncl arrangement. It divided the crowd, the str.V;« not beino.'erihrqnged, while the fireworks v/cre owupvmg the chief attention, and by the time thr-y wore over the people who had preferred win" iae 'illuminations had had enough of it, and "one home. But there were few parts of the town

in which some view oi" the fireworks could not be had, for the sky was netted with them from the horizon north, east, and west, to the zenith. The order and-conduct of. the mob were beyond all pftiise. What military or naval review could surpass this grand civic review, the review of her Majesty's people ? What good-humour, what honest enjoyment, what a spectacle to see so many upturned happy faces ! But what struck us, perhaps, most of all was the cheerful patience of the company in waggons and vans, waiting for hours together for the coming treat, and looking so content and. respectable. No matter how humble their condition might be, their conduct was the conduct of well-bred people, and there was as much proper pride in those waggons and vans as in the finest equipages that liatt figured in the Drawing-room procession.

We have said all disparaging things of this celebration, that le Jen ne vaut pas la chandelle, that the occasion was not worth the trouble and expense; but then we had not counted upon such an exhibition of" the people, showing the wonderful improvement in conduct and manners. Ah esprit de corj)& r is an excellent thing everywhere. What is it, then, in a people?

There are points of the spectacle upon which we might be critical if we had not so disgraced ourselves by our cynicism in anticipation. We may yet, perhaps, "be permitted to say that the illuminations did not display much fancy or invention. The. repetitions of stars, V. A., Peace, and the Pax of folks who loved the saving of two letters, was somewhat wearisome. .Much might be done by a little concert. If the inhabitants of a square or street were to club for an illumination, a large'symmetrical plan might be adopted, which would be effective at a moderate cost to each subscriber. In Paris we have seen a very beautiful effect produced by simply canying a line of light along a street. Uniforrnitly on a considerable scale is always telling. A plea will be put in for diversity, but is it fine to see four tall flambeaux flaring and smoking black smote next the hackneyed star, or tallow candles stuck in bottles ranged at economic intervals next a Tslazing V, B. ? But let us stop, for we feel that we have no right to find fault.