Bath
Friday Dec. 26 1873
My dear Constance
The dressing of our turkey was very successful, and Ela 1 bestowed great commendations on the kitchen maid.
Wick farm 2 had the honour of producing it. The mincepies were also good and it was a great pity the family were absent.
The weather on Xmas day mild and foggy but not thick fog.
A great deal might be made of the Phantascope 3 process – it has great capabilities – it could not have been shown in former days since it depends on having a very large sheet of very pure plateglass, and an oxyhydrogen light, or else a magnesium light, neither of which were known in former days –
The illusion would be most complete in a small theatre in a private house with a very small stage – The audience should be in total darkness. The actors of course should speak their parts; Here it was all dumb gesticulation, the parts being read by the prompter, in a very monotonous tone of voice the same for everybody, as if he was greatly bored by having to read it.
A very good subject for it would be the Temptations of Saint Anthony, 4 the saint seated in his cell and assailed by owls bats and all sorts of evil spirits – till at length he bethinks himself
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