Our London Flaneur.

LITERARY, SOdAL & THEATRICAL GOSSIP.

PLUTHORA OF CONQDERINO HEROES — TERRIBLE EXPEHIE-XCHS AT THE BIG lUview— Two good New .fLAYS-- A JNew and Popular sort of YiI IAIN — Charles Keade's "Love AND MOKEY" AT THE A DELPHI.

London, December 1. Thank keavea the dinners and ffites and reviews and deputations in connection with the return of our troops from Egypt are at ength nearly over. I am utterly sick of readingthereams of slobber and "jingoism1' which appear daily in the newspapers on the subject; and as for that revolting air, "See the conquering hero comes," I sin cerely trust I may not hear it again for a twelvemonth. Tha Duke of Connaugln never exposed so much as a square inch of his precious person to danger when cam. paining (I) .in comfortable quaiters at ls maila, yet on arrival at Windsor he too waa greeted as a "conquering hero," Judged from the proceedings of the last few weeks " conquering heroes" form a very large portion of the population of thuso islands, ft will ever be a military distinction not to be a C.H.; indeed I agree with my funny friend "Dagonet" (of the " Referee ") that at a time like thi«, when most folks have gone "military mad,"a real gennine con qiicrcd hero would baa most refreshing contrast. The big review in St. Janiei's Park last ■week was a fine eight, at leaat it would have been if oae could have seen anything. Armed with a ticket from the Board cf Works lequcsting the functionary in charge at the Horse Guards to admit me to the Jfarado Ground platform, I set out on the eventful morning about eleven and endea voured to elbow along through the densely packed mass crowdinglinto Parliament street. Just as well might a fellow have attempted to scale Mont Blanc or the Clock Tower at Westminster. It is a cant phrase amongst Londoners that Cockney crowds are "in variably good-tempered and playful." Well, 1 can testify to their playfulness, and if practical joking of the most objectionable kind be a sign of " good temper, then they are " damnably " good tempered. At the same time a man who has done a bran new hat for the purpose of appearing well dressed before his Sovereign is scarcely likely to enjoy the fun of being twice or thrice "bonneted." Neither will he very kindly appreciate the laughter excited by a well-aimed paper bag ot flour bursting on the nape of his neck, and converting him 9 for tlio nonce into a sort of baker's assis tant. My suffeiiags in that awful atternoon aro too dreadful to dwell upon, sullies it to say tint after drifting helplessly in various directions I found myself about three p.m. in the Strand (about 1| miles from where I ought to have been), and by boiling into a side street managed to gain a sanctuary at the Green Room Club, where many others were waiting till the mob began to abate, The past fortnight has been a busy one at our chief theatres, and I am pleased to bo able to chronicle that at least two plays have been produced which will become famous throughout the entire world. '1 he first of these, "The silver King," is the work of two comparatively unknown authors—Henry a, Jones and Herman Merivale. Both h-ivo previously done good work in a small way, but now that they should produce between them what is un questionably the best melodrama staged in London for many a long year was hardly to be expected. I can, howerer, testify personally that "The Silver King" well deserves all the kind things said about it I went rather hoping to be disappointed; I came away delighted. It isjan enthralling piece, full of human interest, and yet suffi ciently sensational to satisfy even the most blood-thirsty playgoer. The story of " 'i he Silver Kiug " is told in the ups and downs in the life of Wilfred Denver, a good fellow at heart, buc a sad scapegrace. Good fellows throughout the •world are not always paragons of virtue, and this kind-hearted weak creature least of any. Wilfred has a fair yonng wife at home and two small children, but that doesn't prevent him gambling away his fortune and his inheritance in dissipation on the turf. Worse than all, he i 3 a drunkard beyond redemption. When the curtain rises we make his acquaintance at Wheafsheaf Skittle Alley in Clerkenwell, London, where he comes tipsy from the Derby, having lost everything, and degradingly intoxicated. He is in no mood for irritation of any kind, for ho knows that he has behaved badly, and, so when an aggravating young fellow named Geoffrey Ware, who is in love with his (Denver) wife, enters and begins to chaff him, there is a quarrel. It passes off temporally, bur, by-and-bye, Denvers has overheard Ware sneering at his wife for choosing him; he is seized with a very whirlwind cf fury, and, pulling a revolver out of bi3 pocket, rushes off to Ware's lodgings, with the • avowed intention of shooting him. As ill luck will have it, a burglary has been planned for that very night by a gang of scoundrels, headed by one, Capt. Herbert Skinner, an apparently well-dressed dandy, 'but in reality the very Napoleon of cracks men. The gang desire Ware's rooms in nation Garden for the purpose of a great diamond robbery, and Wilfred Denvers, in pursuit of his enemy, surprises the yillains at their plotß. He is too tipsy to to be dangerous, and, so having chloro formed him, they fliDg the man drunken and atupified on the ground. Again they set to work cracking their crib ?for diamonds, the captain working in evening dress, and with his sleeves up as if he were an expert conjuror. Once more the burglars are snrprised, this time by Geoffrey Ware, who, being plucky and showing fight, is shot out of hand and murdered in cold blood (with the drunken Denver's revolvor) by Captain Skianer. The gang escape and leave alone in the loom the murdered Ware and the semi drunken Denver, who, recovering from his stupor, eces to his horror the dead body of the man he had come to kill. How comes an extremely fine dramatic position. The drunken man doesn't know whether he is a murderer or not, he only knowa that he came to kill, and here is the dead body. He can remember nothing, absolutely nothing. On ' a vigorous out burst of patriotic doubt and despair, Wil fred covers the face of the ghastly dead, and. the curtain falls on as good a pro logue to a drama as anyone would wish to see. The second act commences in Denver home, whither haunted by ghostly horrors, he flies half foside him self. His wife, however, to whom he con ■ fessed all, teei danger ahead at a glance. Denver must either risk hanging or fly the country. leaving his heartbroken wife and innocsnt children in charge of an old and attached man servant named Jaikes (whose hard earned savings he is persuaded to break into for the means of travel), the supposed murderer staggers from the house, apd forthwith begins the dodging of detec <£ves, so delightful to a modern audience. Ewekily the detection is invariably a moment too late, or the play wonld come to premature grief. Wilfred walks to the Eastern Square terminus, and is just in -time to catch the North mail. Between londonand Rugby, however, the pangs of conscience drive him almost frenzied, and, unable to sit quiet in the railway carriage any longer, he jumps from the train. This rash act proves his salvation. Ten minutes later some petroleum in the front van is set alight, and the carriage wherein he travelled entirely destroyed. It is, of course, supposed Denver, "the Hatton Garden murderer," perished in the fire, and this fact the unfortunate man realises, as he overhears some country bumpkins at a road side inn reading the all important news from an evening paper. So Wilfred, though alive, must be dead to the world, separated from wife and children for ever, with death awaiting him if he declares himself, safety only if he bo silent. EeparctioD, however, is possible. The past can never be undone, but the future may be made available, and as the youug man remembers Tennyson's lines— " I held it truth wjth one who sings To one clear harp in divers tones, That men may rise on stepping stones Of their dead selves to higher things." The curtain falls on the second act. The third act introduces us te the country house of that most debonnaire burglar, Captain Herbert Skinner. Three year*, have elapsed since Denver's supposed death, and Nellie (his wife) and her children, driven to the direst necessity, are living with the faithlul old Jajkes in a tumble down old shanty on Skinner's estate. The captain, finding his tenants can't pay their rent, determines to evict them, but his resolve is temporal ily Shaken by Nellie coming and pleading on her knees for time. AS the poor lady_ leaves the house, how ever, she is recognised by a low bred "pal" of the captain's, and Tihen the fellow tells .Jrkinncr who bis lady tenant is, tha cold

blooded rascal determines to turn the family out at all hazards instanter. The scouo now changes to a front-bound land scape, with X cilia Denver's cottage as a foreground, and the village school in the distance. Hither conies a stately gentle man, with noble cariiapc and prematurely grey hair, whom the audience soon recog nise as Wilfred Denver. The erstwhile scapegrace is now the much respected American millionaire and "Silver King," John Franklin, with a mine in Nevada, and a name known for goodness and charity throughout the States. Denver has sent large sums home to his wife at, various times, but they never appeav to have reached her, and now, when (unable to re sist the temptations of trying to sec his family again) he re'urns home, the man finds his little ones starving. But Silver King or not, millionaire or no, Denver can not declare himself—the guilt of murdor still hanj;s over his head, and the sole thing he can do, is to put money in his child's hand, and toll her to ',' eive it mother." This tho little girl docs, and ou the battled we of the villain, who most unexpectedly finds his rent paid, the drop tceno again falls. The two remaining acts are, ot course, devoted to cle.uiog the character uf the Silver Kiug. Though unable to declare himself to his family, Denver, through the instrumentality of tho faithful old servant, Juikcs (who announces that his uncle has left him a, fortune) restores his wife to com fort and prosperity once more. Ho buys the estate where Nellio was born, and puts her back in her old home with her children, wanting only one thing—ncr husband. All seems smiling now but tho one dark shadow of loss is abiding. Meanwhile the Silver Kiug ha 3 got on the track of Skinner and his gang, and is possessed with the idea that they can in some way explain the terrible mystery of the murdor, Disguised as a deaf and daft old Kotherhitho labourer, he follows them to a river side wharf, where they are dividing the spoils of many a burglary. The thieves fall out, as thieves aro wont to do, and at last one of them lets out tbe precious secret that it was dandy .'kinner (alias "Tho Spider") shot Gilbert Ware. Up rises the Mlver King like a ghost from his grave He is old daft Dicliy no more, ho is John Franklin no more; ho is still tho Silver King, but he bears his own still honoured name ( Wilfred Denver. Wife, children, friends can claim him as their own, never to be parted from them, and in tho happily quoted words of " In Memoriam" this hero and father, the Sliver King, has "risen on stepping stones of his dead self to highor things." The ploy ends as all good plays should in the detection of vice, and ope of the best scenes is wboie tha inimitable "cracksman," Skinner, "throws up tho game." The above skotch is not nearly as full as I should have liked to havo made it, but may terve to show " Tho Silvtr King" is something out of tho common. '1 ho plot in itself would not, of courso, make the play, but when a strong and human story is associated with tho natmal dramatis persona:, realistic scenery, a smart dialogue, it invariably makes a bit. One of tho charac ters in " The Silver King" is a Ccckney clerk who "borrowis" his master's cash to bet with, and gets entangled with Skinner's gang in consequence, There is also an out and out old rascal of a marine store doaler and a detective, who acts raoro naturally than the majority of thoatrioal Bow street runners. The part of the hero will always have to bo entrusted to an actor capable ot pourtrayingmen who " Jive and suffer much." It is, a« you can imagine, a very powerful character, as might easily be spoilt. Given, however, fair represen tations and honest scenery, and I acn certain "The Silver King" will be a suc cess wherever it is played. " . Another very tolerably melo ■ drama (though scarcely to bo montioned in the same breadth as the forcguing) is Chai les Keade's and Henry Petitt's "Love or Money." The story, however, does not seem worth detailing at length; in fact its real strength lios iv two coal mine scenes, in one of which an explosion takes place, and the heroine, the villian and the hero, are blocked in with the prospect of death by starvation, The climax is reached when the picks of a rescue party are heard cut tiog through an apparently impenetrable wall, and the villain fearing death less than disgrace, seizes an axo and succeeds in cutting through another fide and letting wntor in the mine. The flood risc 3 aloDg to the waists of the prisoners, and they are just preparing to die cauragcou-ly, when the rescue patty break through and drag them quietly to safety. £'o doubt stage management has much to do with the con spicuous Biiccess of this realistic eft'ecr, but it is quite the kipd of fensition to draw all London, even if a passable play were not attached to it.

" Froliquf," the now Vaudeville at the re habilitated Strand Thoitre, is a poor affair, founded on an old farce of Blanche's, called " Ike Follies of a Night." It deals with the worn out idea of complications at a masked ball, and was rouudly hissed at the initial representation.

THE "HENRY V." KISS.

An American Actress's Disserta-

tion to a Reporter.

A REPORT having spread that Miss Uarlyon, the actress, had left tho John A. Stevcni Companyj on account of her jealous hus band objec'ing to the stage kissing ot the lady by Mr Stevens, a representative from the " St, Louis Post Dispatch " haying iu terviewed Miss Carljon, the following con versation ensued :—

" Of course I havo left Mr Stevens," said she " but it was because I did not like bim nor that (in leply to the reporter) exceed ingly flat melodrama, 'Passion's Slave." "And then it was not a question of kissing J" "I must admit that I did not like the way he kissed me. You see Mr Stevens always used the' Henty V,1 kiss, and ii was decidedly unpleasant, as he was neither a husband, a relation, no: a lover." .... "I;

"That is a kiss that has not reached us yet f " Oh, it the kiss that Riguold uses In ' Henry V.' As he does it it is not so bad; but Mr Stevens is not an actor that Kignold is, and the consequence is that every time he uses the kiss the whole house titters, and there is a suggestion of indelicacy about it that is very annoying. Now, don't imagine that I am a prude, for 1 am not. I delight in love scenes on the. stage, but there is art and there is awkwardness,"

" What is the 'Henry V.1 kiss?" "Well," she blushed and laughed, " What we call the ' Henry V.' kiss in England is this: Tho gentleman comes behind where tbe lady is standing, and puts both his hands over her shou'ders on her cheeks, so that the fingers of both meet just beneath her chio. Then he pulls her head back to his shoulder, and kisses her fully on the lip?, keeping his mouth to hers for fully ten minutes. After be kissod me that way once, 1 always afterwards moved my moutb, ss that ho kiss d me on the chin, and not on the lips, but it was unpleasant in the extreme, As I say, lam not all prudish, but I am an arlht, and I do not want to use stage basincs that has descended to the low va-iety theatres. It is stage etiquette that no gentleman should kiss a lady on the lips. Mr Stevens has violated this rule over and over again." "Did your husband tell Stevens that he must kiss you on the car ?' "On my honor, no. My husband never spoke to him about it, and it would be absurd to nsk him to kiss me behind the ear. My husband never spoke to Stevens on the matter at all. Of course, he didn't like it, and I didn't like it, but 1 had made up my mind to got away from Mr Stevens, company as soon as I could, and so we re solved to say nothing about the Kis?. It would only put me in a most ridiculous at tiiude, All the other members of the com pany spoke !to me about it, but I made up my mind to let it go and get away as soon as I could,"

"And what will you do now?" "We intend to rest here a lew days, and then shall put a company of my own on the road—in which, by the way, tho Henry V. kis3 will not do. I intend to produce English comedy- We have all the funds we need, and I have no doubt we will succeed fvery well. I don't know what to do about this absurb report about the kiss -of course you must deny it for me. The reason that I left Mr Stevens was that his play was veiy poor, awfully poor—he insisted on nine and ten performances in the week, and there were other reasons. That's enough for you to say," i-n't it?" and the dainty gaiter tapped imploringly on the flaor. " Of course," said she " I wouldn't mind about the lues if it didn't put me in such an absurd light. The idea of waiting to be kissed on the ear is positively dreadful. I don't know how people can imagine such things." •_

A man never yet caught a fish as big as the one that got away frorti the hook just ,»s it was being Ijinded.

Gilbert and Sullivan's New Opera.

lolanthe, or the Peer and the Peri.

(SPECIAL NOTICB BY OUR OWN OORRESPOIf

DENT IN LOND N.)

The callaborated works of Meßsra Gilbert and Sullivan have achieved a well-deserved populaiity throughout the civilized world wherever English is spoken; but in Aus tralia nnd New Zealaud they are, if 1 may say so, more than ordinarily renowned, This being the caso, the-addition of another whimsical and melodious comic opera to the alicady famous and familiar quartette which waa initiated by " Tiie Sorcerer," and culminated in ".Patience," should be a matter of very special iuterost to your readers, and no excuse is necessary for referring to the play at more than ordinary length. " Patience " died rather suddenly at last. A month or six weeks ago tho .-esthetic satire (though approaching its GOOth night) was drawing tolerably lull hopes, and the management intended retaining it in the bill till Christmas at least. The phe nomenal success of Planquetti's " Kip Van Winkle" at the Comedy Theatre, however, produced unhealthy symptoms at tho Savoy and so—all in a hurry—" lolantho, or the Feet and the Peri," had to be put in rehearsal. The rush to obtain seats on tho first night proved prodigious even fur Lon don. Written applications only wore re ceived, and when the initial batch came to be opened tho house (unreserved seats and all) was found full twice over. The natural sequences to this discovery were a loDg series of disappointing refusals, and I can assuro you, Mr Editor, I exporienced an exultaut joy, quite disproportioned to the occasion, when, after what looked like !a rather ominous delay, Mr D'Oyley Carte's polito note, enclosing voucher 121 for the dress ci clo reached me.

The scene at the Savoy about half-past eight on the evening of Saturday, Novem ber 25th, was a notable ono, and will long live iv the recollection of those lucky enough to be present. Tho house (one of the moat boautiful in the world, and peerlessly illuminated by bwann's soft, yellow electric light, was packed with a brilliant throng ot men and women, embracing nearly all the celebrities of literary and artistic London. Scarcely a face one saw but scorned familiar from its association with tho photograph vendor's show windows, and scarcely a name ono heard but was well known.

After a lively overture —whioh did uot, however, suggest many of the tit-bits to como - the curtain rose on the first act of "lolanthe," and revealed a very charming "Arcadian Landicape," with wonderful perspective and real lloworj growing every where. Hero,

Tripping hither, tripping thither, Nobodyknows why or whither, como a number of ideal fays to dance in their fairy ring. These dainty damsels are not tho lcaat llko the "gauze-a-spangle clad" ballet-girls of modern pantomime. Their raiment is of somo soft white shim mering stuff, which clings lovingly around the figure. In taeir hair glisten electric stars of surpassing brilliancy, and tboir fairy wands are of puro silver. From tho conversation of three sort of " officer-fays," named Colia, Leila, and Flota, wo learn that fairy-land has not seemed the same since i olanlhe was banished for committing the heinous offence (as a rule puui.liable with death) of m&rrying a mortal. " Why," asks Celio, "didn't lolonthe die?" and Is answered by tho advent of the Queen of the Fairies—a part enacted by tho same portly and majestic lady who played Lady Jane in "Patience.'1 Her Majesty explain* sho saved lolanthe and commuted her sentence to ten years penal servitude be causo she loved her so. Sho alio expresses her annoyance nnd surprise* that lolanthe should have determined to work out her sentence "on her head at the bottom of an adjacont stream." Tha fairies pray their Queen to forgive the recalcitrant one, and, affeded by touching lecollections of how she (lolanthe) taught her (the six-feet-high and broad-in-proportion Queen) to "curl herself inside a buttorcup, swing upon a cobweb, dive into a dewdrop, nestle in a nutshell, and gambol on a gossamer," Her Majesty at length consent". On this, lolanthe invoked to appear rises from the bottom of the stream, bhe is covered with weeds, but pardon being declared they fall off and roveil a specially young and beauti ful fairy. After a joyful ehoiu*, lolanthe (whose mortal husband has deserted her and disappeared), introduces to the Queen her semi-mortal son Strephon. This youth is costumed a ta Wattean and dances about the stage playing on a flageolet and look ing for all tho world like a rather fat Dresden China figure. Strephon being only semi-mortal Bcoms considerably older than his immortal young mother, and be sides i 3 peculiarly constructed. Down the waist ho is a fairy, but hii legs are strictly human. This paradox the young follow finds awkward, "My body," he explains, " can creep through a keyhole, but what's tho good of that when my legs are left kicking behind. I can make myself invis ible down to the waist, but my legs remain exposed to view. My brain is a fairy brain, but my legs are gibbering idiots," and so on in Gilbert's familiar style.

The fairies retire, and Phyllis, an Arca dian shepherdess, and a ward in Chancery entors. »he too is dresied a la Walteau, and plays on a flageolet. Needless to say Phyllis loves Strephon though the Lord Chancellor will not hear of the match, and desires her to wed a member of the House of Lords, all of whom are devottdly attached to her. A love duett between the Arcadian pair has hardly concluded when loud trumpet fanfares scare them away, and the House of Lords—some 50 strong, and headed by the band of the Grenadier Guards enter. The Peers are all dressed in their robes as Knights of the Garter, Knights of the Thistle, K.C.B.'s, etc., and wear their coronets on their heads. The processional march is a jovial and inspirit ing production, and the effect, as the peers, all most majestic personages got up in imitation of well-known noblemen, sang— Bow, bow, ye lowor middle classes, Bow ye traaesmon, bow ye masses, Blow tho trumpets, bang tho brasses. ' 13 almost unDearable. The rear is brought up by the Lord Chancellor himself in fall bag wig and robe», and followed by his bearer, etc. The success of the opera will always greatly depend on who takes this (tho moit important) part. Tho London representa tive, Geo. Grossmith, ia almost a replica of Lord Cairns, and the quiet, dry humour with which be acts would tickle an under taker. The Lord Chancellor's opening song (like the First Lord's in "Pinatore") is capital:

" Tho Constitutional Guardian Of pretty young girls in Chancery- All very agrooabTo girls, and nono Aro under iho ago of twenty-ono. A pleasant occupation for A rather susceptiblo Chancollor. He goes on to explain that the work is not altogether pleasant:

" For I'm not so old and not so plain, And I'm quite prepared to marry again; But thero'd bo tho deuco to pay in tho Lords If I fell in lovo with ono of my Wards— Which rather tries my temper, for I'm such a suscoptiblo Chancollor, " And overyono who'd marry a Ward Must como to mo for my accord, And in my Court I sit all day, Giving agreeablo girls away— Which is oxogporating for A highly suscoptiblo Chancellor.

Like the rest of his brother peers tho lord Chancellor, too, loves Phyllis, but cannot, of course, marry her. "The feel ings of a Lord Chancellor," he remarks, " who is in love with a Ward of Court are not to bo envied, What is his position? Can he «ive his own consent to lvs own marriage with his own Ward? Can he marry his own Ward without his own con sent? And if he marries his own Ward without his own consent, can he commit himself for contempt of his own Court? And if he commit himself for contempt of his own Court, can he appear by counsel before himscl to move for tho arrest of hia own judgment? Ah, my lords, it is Indeed painful to have to sit upon a woolsack which is stuffed with such thorns as these 1

Tne nob'.o earls of Tolloller and Mount Ararat are, however, more happily placed. They love f hyllis and the Lord Chancellor has decided she shall select one or the other. Phyllis,summoned before the Houae.istbus apostrophized by Mount Ararat and their lordships :

" Though the views of the House have diverged On every conceivable motion AM quostions of party aro merged In a frenzy of lovo and devotion. Ifjrou ask us distinctly to say What party we claim' to belong to Wo reply without doubt or delay The young Party I'm singing this Bong to.

Phyllis, however, refuse» to bo tempted. " Nay, tompt mo not. to rank I'll not be hound In lowly cot alono Is virtue found." Their lordships are much offended at this chorui, melodiously— " Nay, do not shrink from na wo will not hurt you Tho Peerage is not destitute of virtue." Then Lord Trolloller sings the following ballad, set to charming music : Spurn not the nobly born With love aflected, Nor treat with virtuous scorn The woll connected. High rank involves no shame— Wo boast an equal claim With him of humble name To bo respoctod I Bluo blood 1 blno blood ! When virtuous lovo is sought Thy power is naught, Though dating from tho flood, Blue Wood! Spare us tho blttor pain Of stern denials, Nor with lowborn disdain Augment our trials. Hearts iust as puro and fail- May bent in liclgyavo Square, As in tho lowly air Of Sovon Dials 1 Blue blood ! blue blood! Of what avail art thou To servo us now ? Though dating from tho flood, Blue blood!

Phyllis, however, auuounco3 to the horri fied peers her lovo for Strephon and that worthy (still playing on his pipe and dane ing) ii brought before the Chancellor. Phyllis and tbo peers retire and Striphon and the Lord Chancollor arc left together, The former asks what excuie the youth lias for disregarding tho injunction of the Court of Chancery. Strephon says " tho bees, the breeze, tho seat, the rooks, the brooks, tho gales, the vales, tho fountains, and the mountains" bade him love this maiden. "You, sir," he concludes, "you are Eng land's Lord High Chancellor, but are you Chancellor of birds and trees, King of the winds, and Piinco of thuuder-clouds?" Lord Ch.: "No. It's a nice point. I don't know that I over met it bofore. But my difficulty is that at preient thero's no evidence before tho Court that chorused Natuie has intereitcd herself in tho matter," ,

Strepb,: "No evidence! You have my word for it. I tell you that sho bade mo take my love." Lord Ch.: "Ahl but, my good sir, you musn't tell us what ehe told you—it's not evidence. Now, an affidavit from a thun der-storm, or a few words on oath from a heavy shower, would meet with all the attention they doserve." After a song, in which the Lord Chan cellor details his experiences at tbo liar, with the refrain,

•' Said I to mysolf, said I." tho latter retires, and Btrephou, in trouble about the refusal of the Court to entertain his marriage with Phyllis, summon! bii mother, lolantho, to comfort him. Tood occurs ft scene similar to ono in the " Piratos "—Strephon, holding lolanthe in his arms, is at one side of tho stage, whilst the Houso of Lords and Phyllis are busy listening at tho back. Phyllis, of course, scoj hor lover embracing a young and lovely girl, and thinks him falso. More over, a capital effect is got out of the manner in which Lordi Mount Ararat, and Tollollor rop«ut the remarks to Phyllis ia a distorted form. This quartotte created an immense offect on the first night: Strepb. (to lolantlu): When darkly looms the day, And all is dull and grey, To chase tho gloom away On tboo I'll call! Phyl, (speaking asido to Mount): " What wa« thatr Mount (aside to Phyllis): I think I heard him say, That on a rainy day, To while tho time away, On her hod call! 101. (to Strephon): AVhcu tempests wreck thy bark, And all is drear and dark, If thon shouldat need an Ark, I'll Kivothee ono! Phyl, (speaking aside to Tollollor): "What was that?1' Tol. (asiao to Phyllis): I beard tho minx remark. She'd meet him after dark, Insido St. James's Hank, Andgivo uiiuonol Sfrophoa at length discovers tho Homo of Lords aud Phyllis aro present, and assures them lolanthe is his mother. At this they all laugh heartily, " This gentlemen is seen with a girl of sovontoen A-taking of big dolcefar nienlc, And wondora did aoliiove, for ho asks us to he-

lievo Shs's his mother, and he's nearly ono and twenty.

Strephon, however, persist? in the story and reduoes the Lord Chancellor and Peers to tears by describing how, as a baby, lolanthe gave him pap.

" Had that refreshment fccon denied Indeed your Strephon might have died.

Unfortunately their lordships suddenly remember Strephon is a favoured rival, and chango the tune : " Oh t rather let us pipo our oyo Bccauso our Strophon didn't dio."

In despair Strephon summons the fairies to swear to the fact ot lolantho being his mother. They did so, but tho peers still sceptical ting : " Tarradiddlo! tarradlddle I tol I 10l 1 lay I" Moreover, tbo Lord Chancellor adds in sult to injury by mistaking tho Queen and her fairiss far a, ladios' school. Lord Ciian~obi.lor— Of hasty tono with dames unknown I ought to bo more ohnry; It seems that she's a fairy From Anderson's Libralry,' And I took her for tho proprietor Of a ladios' somlntihy.

Tho Queen, in a rage, announces a terri ble revenge—Strephon shall go into Parlia ment and carry out fearful reforms, Queen—Henceforth, Strophon. cast away Crooks and pipes and ribbons so gay— Flocks and herds that bleat and low; Into -Parliament you shall go! FAiniES-Into Purliamont he shall go t Backed by our supremo authority, He'll command a large majority; Into Parliamont ho shall go! Peers.—Ah, spare us I Qukkn (speaking through muste). Every bill and every measure That may gratify his pleasure. Though your fury it arouses, Shall be passed by both your Houses I You shall sit, it ho seos reason, Through the grouso and salmon season: He shall end tho oherished rights You onjoy on Wednesday nights: Ho shall prick that annual blister, Marriago with doccased wifo's sister: Tltlos Bhall ennbblo, then, All tho Common Oouncilmen; Peers shall toara in Ohristondom, And a Duko's exalted station Bo attainable by Com petitive Examination! In this Equation the curtain falls. The finale is a magnificent number, changing from " grave to gay," from "live ly to severe" and endiag with a most spirited march, twice rapturously encored. Tho scono of tbo second act in ons of the most elaborate sets ever attempted on any stage. It represents Westminster Palace Yard, with the Houses of Parliament and the Clock Tower built up in the foreground. How this will be done in the Colonies I can't think, especially as tho mechanical parts of the sccno alono are said to have cost a small fortune. It is midnight and moonlight, and there ia a sentry on duty who warbles a lively ditty (twice encored at tho first performance), of which the following is a verse :—

"When in that houso M.P.'s divido, If they've a brain and corohellum, too, They've got to leavo that brain outside, And vote just ns thoir loaders toll 'cm to. But then tbo prospect of a lot Of dull M.P.'s in c'oso proximity, All thinking for themselves, is what No man can faco with equanimity. Thon lot's rejoice with loud Fal lal—Fal lalla! That Naturo wisoly does contrivo—Fal lalla! That overy boy and ovory gal That's born into the world alive, Is eithor a littlo Liberal, Or elso a littlo Conservative! Fallal la!"

The lairies arrive, .and we learn that Strophon in Parliament is "running a muck "at all sorts of abuses. The House of Lords (still in their robes) also turn up, and, sad to say, a flirtation commences between peers and fays. The Queen catches her subjects in the act, and is much scandalised. She has fallen in love with the sentry herself, but determines to subdue the passion, and in a wondrous ballad, which is one of the most beautiful things Sullivan ever composed, invokes the aid of Captain Shaw,, the head of the London Fire Brigade, to put out the fire in her heart. The refrain runs: Oil 1 Captain Shaw. Oh! Captain Shaw, Typo of true lovo kept under, Could thy brigade, with cold cascade, Quench my great love, I wonder. Ultimately, after more songs and some slighty superfluous dialogue, the piece ends up with Strephon marrying Phyllis, in the presence oE the Queen, the fays, and peers, whilst tbe Chancellor proves to be lolanthe's mortal husband. He has just perauudea himself to give his own permis sion to his marrying Phyllis, when the un toward discovery takes plape. Here is thp soliloquy: — Ld. Ch.—Victory 1 Victory! Success has crowned my efforts.and I may consider my self engaged to Phyllis! At first I wouldn't hear of it—it was out of the quoation. But

I took heart. I pointed out to myself that I was bo stranger to myself that in point of fact, Iliad been porsoually acquainted with myself for some years. This had its effect. I admitted that I had watched my profes sional advancement with considerable in terst, and I handsomely added tUat J yielded to no one in admiration for my private and professional virtues. This was a great point gained. I then endeavoured to work upon my feelings. Conceive my joy when I distinctly perceived a tear in my own eye ! Eventually, after a severe struggle witn myself, I reluctantly—most reluctantly—consented !" The piece ends up in an entirely Gilber tain manner by tlio House of Peers becom ing a Houic ot Peris. Queen. —" You have all incurred death ; but I can't slaughter the whole company;! And yot (unfolding a scroll) the law is clear—eveiy fairy nnut die who marries a mortal 1"

Ld. Ch.—Allow me, as an old equity draughtsman, to make a ausgostioa, The subtleties of the legal mind aro equal to the emergency. The thing w really quite sim ple—the insertion of a siuglo word would do it. Let it stand that every fairy shall die who don't marry a mortal, and there you arc, out of your dilliculty at once I" Queen.—" We like your humour. Very well! (Altering the MS. iv pencil). Pri vate Willis 1 n Sentry (coming forward).—" Ma'am I Queen.—To save my life, it is necessary for mo to marry at once. How Bhould you liko to be a fairy guardaraan ? Sentry.-Well, ma'am, I don't think much of a British soldier who wouldn't ill convenionco himself to savo a female in distress.

Queen. —You are a brave follow, You're a fairy from this moment (wing* spring from Sentry's shouldets). .and you, my Lords, how say you. Will you join our ranks ?— (Fairies kaoel to Peer* and implore them to do so.) Lord Mount (to Lord Tollolier).—Well, now that tue Peers aro to bo rocruitod entirely from perjons of intelligence,l really don't see what us we aro, down here.

Lord Tollolier.— None whatever.

Queen. — Good 1 (Wings spring from shoulders of Peers). Thon away we go to Fairyland. I have already described "lolanthe" at far greater length than is customary in a letter, or somo further rare-bits might advantageously bo quoted. II lolanthe " Is a much dressier and more elaborate play than its predecessors, and will cost a protty penny to mouat decently wherever produced, Sullivan's musio did not impress mo extravagantly favourably. There aro somo really lovely ballads, two Btirring marches, and tho usual rum-turn tiddy-lddy song whioh was initiated in "Trial by Jury" (I refer of course to the judge's iolo), and has boen introduced into ouch ot the composers' works evor sinoe. As a success "Iclantho" is likoly to be clasjed with "Tho Pirates" and ' The Sorcerer" rather than with "Pinafore" or "Patience." Its chief fault is a lack ot now ideas, Gilbert's whimsicalities wore intensely amusiig whoa fr«sb, and they wear better than certain sorts of rare old crusted ftmnyisms we wot of. At the same time there are two or three bits it " lolanthe " (especially iv the second act) that might fiavo boen taken bodily from "Patience," and the effoot they haro on one's mind is irritating. The piece will, howovsr, no doubt, be compresied in several ways. It played an hour to) long on the first night.

Fish in the Red Sea.

" TnE only placo where one cannot got fi>b is at sea," bai no moaning for tho vojagsr betwoen Aden »nd Suez, The Red Sea is tho exception that makes the rula, for thare is not a day, or cvuu an hour, Unit fist) o1 one kind or another arc not to bo stcn from tho deck ot a steamer homeward or outward bound, and, provided thovessolis not going too fast, caught and brought on board, too. Polnhio, albacoro, bonita, barracouta, fly iug-lish, and porpoises abound, and at cer tain sensous fleets of Arab fishing-boats make immenco citchos of fish, which arc salted nnd cariied inland ; but a distinc tive fish of tho lied Sea, and inoro especi ally of tho uppor part of it, in tho Gulf of Suez, is tho Ked Sea salniou. Tho god father—or god-mother porLnps—of tbi* handsomo fish is unknown, but any one who has seen tho fish dead, or, bettor still, In the act of rising at n spinning bait, will say that it looks woll deserviog of the royal name bestowed upon it. It is only at tublo that the Ked Sea salmon discredits its illustrious sponsor, the king ef fishes ; for, if tbo truth must be told, its flesh is very little superior to that of the English bass. When 1 was returning homo iron) India last November I saw such a boatload of these splendid fish brought on board at Smz as would make any angler's mouth water. Theio were twenty or thirty of them, ranging, I should say, trom forty-five or fifty pounds down to twenty, and cloaner, handsomer, or moro gameliko fish I never anywhere saw, not even in the Shannon, to'nfortuuately, the vessel wat in strict quarantine, so that it was impossi ble to find out much about the fish—where they wore caught, in what way, and by whom. All I could loam about them was that they had been cent from shore tor the steward's use, and that the fishermen about Suez caught lots of them.probably in nets, Whether these aro the fish which pro duce a phenomenon observable In the Ked Sea or not, I cannot sty, but think it likely enough that tho Ked Sea salmon is often responsible for it, What I allude to is the oxtraoidinary "swarms" of large fishes one meets every cow and then in a voyage up tho Red Sea, A swarm of this kind—it can scarcely bo called a shoal—may be known from afar by tho flocks of pare white sea-gulls hovering over the spot. By and by, and as the ship draws near, the place presents the appearance of breakers, or broken whito water, in the midst of the deep blue. Later on, if the spot happons to be ia the vessel's course, a htising noise like that of boiling water Is heard, and as we pass quite close it will bo observed that the turmoil is product by a vast number of largo fishes darting round and round In a circle, porbapa fifty yards in diameter. What thoy are doing it would be hard to say. They aro probably after food; by the [number of sea-fowls screaming and excited overhead; but it is not flyiDg fish that they are in pursuit of, as an old "salt" averred, nor do I think the pursuers in question are bonita, though I see in Mrs Brassey's book, "Sunshine," that somo thing similar was seen from tbo sunbeam iv tho Mediterranean. 'I he fishes, ao far ns they can bo made out in the swirl they create by their rapid movement!, do not look as large as the bonita I have caught in the same sea, but whatever they are, tho idea of drspping a well baited hook into the waltz of tho fishes is too entracing, if only one could follow the dance about in, small boat at one's own sweet will and pleasure. The native fishermen along the African Coast must make treraenduous hauls when they get into ono of these re markable "swims," for the fish go round and round, but do not seem to progress on ward at a groator rate than three or four miles an hour.—London "Field."

The Woman Who Owed.

Lady Blsssington was called tho most extravagant woman of her time. For years she wrote as a galloy slave tugs his oar, and neyor made money enough to live on, as living was with her. At nearly CO she was in constant terror of having an execution put into her houso. Tho most careful pre cautions as to the admission of persons, bath at her outer gate and hall door entrance, were ttken, While sho was entertaining her brilliant company, her servants were watching her gates. Yet wo read of her ladyship's unpaid bill ot £4000 for Indian shawls, silks, and lace?. At length the in evitable crash came. A Sheriff's officer, io a ludicrous disguise, gained admittance. A fortnight afterward, on thn 14th of April, 1849, Lady Blcfsiugton and nieces departed for Pars.leaving ill to her creditors. Early in May her beautiful mansion was thrown open to the public, and all her hoarded treasures were sold at auction. The sale realized upward of £13,000, and, after pay ing her ladyship's debts, £11 were lodged with hor baukor. At this period Louis Napoleon was President of the French Ke public. In the days of his exile ia London, Lady Blessington's hove had been a home to which he was at liberty to resort at any lime, the expected much from him, but a single dinner iuvitation was the only token of remembrauce vouchsafed. Noth ing daunted,however, she took a fine house, got ready to recommence her career of ex travagance on credit, when death overtook her, a beggar, with nothing left but the £30,000 a-year she had married, aud her piincely earnings, but her debts. Sho had at one time mado £2000 a-year by her novels,tbe ' Daily News' had paid her £400 annually for her contributions of gossip, and she owed oven the wages of hor scullery girls.

ASSASSINATION IN IRE LAND.

A Detective Shot and his Assailant Wounded.

Within twenty-four hours of each other two awful assassinations, evidently the work of a moat powerful secret organiza tion, have taken place in Dublin-in the public streets, and whilst people were about. The first ci tbetn was described in the "Telegraph" of (ho 29th as fallows :- Cur Dublin correspondent telegraphs : The wholo city has been thrown into a state of the greatest excitement and alarm by the news which has been in wide circulation since an early hour this (Sunday) morn ing that another terrible tragedy had been enacted in the Btreets last night. It had been hoped that the evil influence of the secret societies had in Dublin, at least, declined, but the fear is now being revived with greater intensity than perhaps at any previous period in the his tory of recent Irish agitation that the com mittee of assassination still has sufficient authority to terrorise and instigate to acts of desperate crime. The police have for some time past boen perfectly well aware of the existence of a dark and murderous conspiracy, but although their vigilance has been unremitting and skilful they have failed to touch the root of the mischief. It will bo remembered that about a year ago a considerable store of Fenian arms aud ammunition was found in a house in Kevin street, Dublin, a distant and suspicious part of the city, and it was-believed that that seizure was but tho prelude to further discoveries of consequence. Although, however, there has been a very general understanding that a diitinct connection has existed among tha many tecent crinug committed in this city, it has been found almost impossible to trace it through all its ramifications. The gang which in spired the deeds of last night has been kuown to the police for same time, and it is believed by the public that the man Joe Poole, who wm under heavy suspicion Eome time ago, is one of tbo members, if not a leading member, of this body. The deepest anxiety prevailed to-day amongst all classos to learn every detail of the crime,and papers were published containing accounts of it, more or le«s at variance, htwever, with the truth. It was found impossible from ordinary sources to obtain a clear state ment of wlut had oocurred. Tho oxcite ment of tha moment coloured every report, and even ths chief aotors in the scono gave different accounts of what had occurred. It appeari. upon a oarafal sifting of all the Information, that this gang of conspirators has been tor aomo days past under tho oloaist supervision by the detective police, and one of thsm, Oflioer Eastwood, has been specially active in tracking their steps and following their movements. Yesterday tho men wore nil day under supervision, and as night approached three detectives—East wood, Kauflhton, and Cox—took up their position at tbo head of Middl« Abbey street, near lomo paints at which tin con spirators wire uncustomed to gather. The detective*, about ten o'olook, noticad aeviral man couiiust down Sackville-street from the Post office. Tne men met others at tbe corner of Abley-itreot. It v as signed as a reaitu for the special vigilance of the police depuxtmsnt that a high police official had tn Saturday morning recefvsd a letterwarningbiranot to goout on thatnight leat ha should be shot. When .Eastwood noticed the suspicious movements of the men he sent to lßform a fellow officer Darned Stratford, who was stationed not far off, who cam* Immediately, with two others named Bcatty and Williams, thus bringing the number of detectives up to six. Of ihis foroe three, Stratford, Cox and Baat wood, were armed with revolvers, the othera bad sticks only. It was a bri^st moonlieht night, and crowds of persons were passing along Saokville-street and tho adjacent thoroughfares. The «ix detectives watchod tho baud of men from half-past Un until somo minutes after eleven, at which time, upon the closing of the public-homes, tho sceno was onacted with an oponno?s aud daringwlrichhaveastomdedeventhosemo-t familiar with the audacity of crimo in Ire land. During tho space of abmt half nu hour before the closing of tho public houses the gang held a consultation under a dark arch way somo short distance down the street, at a point nearly opposite to tho " .Nation" newspaper oflica and closo to tho offices of the League, to which that body hasra moved since the dissolution of tho establish ment in Upper Sackville-atreer. The first qu«rter after olevoa had struck when the gang, now fivo in number, commenced to move »lowly down Middlo Abbey-street, in the directbn of Liffey-atreor, keeping upon tho dark fida. Tho detectivos no'.ed this move, and advanced in tho full moon> light along the other fide—in two parties of three each, tho foremost comisting of Eastwood, Cox, and Naughtou, and Stratford, Beatty, and Williams behind. Tha pjlioa and con spirators had not proceeded many paces when three shrill blasts ot a pea-whistle were heard following in rapid eueseasion, and a voice was heard, " Shoot him 1 shoot him I Now's your time." Ifastwood tnen saw a revolvor in the hands §f one of the men, afterwards discovered to ba Dowling, a principal actor In the crime. Turning on the moment to Cos, Eastward exclaim'd "Arwst that man with the revolver.1 The deteotivee formed in a compact body, whlUt Cox, without the hesitation of an instant, rushed across the street to oxeouto the order. H>rdly had he left the footpath when Dowling fired at him, and the fir* was on the moment re tnrned by Eastwood. What follows was compressed into a few seconds. JV early a dozen shots as nearly as can be learned wera discharged almost Instantaneously, so rapidly in fact that passers-by doocribod tho flashes as a eoniioiunn light. The firing wm heard at a great dlstaico, and caused the utmost co««ternstl«a. Fcdos trlansin Stokville-street fled in all directions away from the point from which tbo sounds came, t&i «ve»ywhere that (li "' .Winnd rumours of a murder, perknp^ sevo.«l aim dera.wero carried,thoro was afresh outburst of excitement. After the lirit discharge Cox and the man Dowling fell to the ground, the detective mortally wounded,ami Dowling, w afterwards discoverod, shot through the shoulder and wounded severely in tho wrist and head, tho latter wound, it is conjectured, being from a ball. At the moment that Cox received his death wound Eastwood was struck a violent blow upon tho arm, which hurled his revolver out of his band, and he was pinioned from behind by a powerful man, ono of the gang, named Devine. Eastwosd, In struggling to free himself, turned half round and said, "I know you, Dovine, don't shoot." At this crisis a soldier, who was proceeding op the road towards Sackville-street, was attracted by the shots, and rushed into the fray. Eastwood perceived him, and called apon him in the Queen's name to render assistance. The soldier, Sergeant Thomas Danvers, Ist Battalion King's Royal Rifles, at once drew his sword, seized Bovine by the collar, and putting his sword under his chin, cried out that it ho dared to move he would cut his head off. Stratford then grasped Devine on tho other side, and Eastwood, now free, clasped him round hi 9 body to prevent him using his revolvers, two of which ho felt under Devino's coat. One of those ha 3 beon discovered to be a a British bull dog and the other a heavier weapon. The moment that the firing ceased an immense crowd poured from every side into the street, and thereupon the detectives called upon the people to form a ring ten pacos wide, stating that they would shoot any person who advanced a step beyond that limit. The crowd fell back, but a drunkon woman ran. forward and laid hold of the soldier, calling upon some person in tho crowd at the same time to shoot him. Tbe soldier raised his sword, when the woman was dragged back, The spirit of a section of the crowd was exhibited by cries of "Shoot the police aud the soldier," several timoi repeated. A car had been sent for, and when it arrived Cox, who by this time was quite dead, was lifted upon it by Naughton and Bcatty. Stratford then called a cab, and Dowling was placed in it, when both vehicles drove rapidly to Jervis • street Hospital. On the way to the Hospital a man, well known to the pilice as a sympathiser with the gang, hung to the cab until Inspector Stratford produced his revolver, and threatened to sboot him if he did not immediately fall back. No other incident occurred on the road. A passer by along Abbey-street before the affray began states that he heard one of the five exclaim just before the first shot, " Here ho is; now's your time." Devine was brought to the Store-street Station by Sergeant Danvers and two others, the soldier all the time having his sword drawn The pea-whistla employed to give the signal was found in Devine's pocket. Dowling had hit revolver tightly clasped when he was picked up from the ground. A startling explanation of the tragedy, has been suegenteii. It is that the objects 1 of the attack were a number of her Majesty's judges, who, it was known, were

dining at Judgo Harrison,?, in Mountjoy Square, and must return through Sackville atreet. Their lordships passed the corner of Abbey-street at a quarter past eleven o - clock, a few minutca after the assassination was committed, and it is believed that the presence of the half-dozen detectives at the corner of Abbey-street had the eflect of frustrating the plot, and that, maddened by the close surveillance of toe police, they directed their attack against those omcers. The judges included the Lord Chancellor and Mr Justice O'iJrien.the judge who will preside at the next Special Commission, at which Patrick Delaney will be put upon his trial for the attempted murder of Mr Justice Lawson.

Assassination of a Juror.

Another desperate outrage was commit ted in Dublin this evening, which has stirred public feeling most deeply, and caused an intense and widespread feeling of dismay. The crime was in many respecta similar to the Phccnix Faiktra"c^y,iindhassuggested to mark the idea that this orsaniiers ot it may have been the same. The facts are few and Birnple. Mr D. J. Field, stationer, of Westmoreland-street, left hi* establish ment this evening about six o'clock, and proceeded to his residence, 14, JXorth Frederick-street, When be appproached the Bteps of his house an outside car drove up upon which were seatod two men be sides tho driver, One of them jumped oil' hastily and struck Mr Field to the ground, stabbing him as he lay at least a dozen times with a weapon which is supposed to have been a short sword. Mr Fitli cried out loudly, but the assnssius did not make off until they evidently believed they had accomplished their purpose. They then got upon the car, which drove rapidly off in the direction of Drumcondre. 'Ihe street was almost deaorted at this time. The assassins, it is conjectured, followed Mr Field from his place of business. No clue, so far as is known, oxiats that would lead to the detec tion of the criminals, but the police are to-night upon tho alert in all quarters of the city. Mr Field win taken into hi^ own house, Avhere he now lies, and it i« considered unlikely that lie can recover.

Tuesday, 1.20 a.m. \

Mr Field has just died from the effects of his injuries. He has made a statement to the effect that when within a few yards of his residence he was startled by receiving a wound from a sharp instrument in the back, and ho fell to the ground, Whil« od the ground he taw three men, who stood around him, and one of them slabbed him with a sword cane, inflicting two wound, on tho left cheek, one on tbe side of the neok, and one on th« right,arm. He sue oesded, after straggling a couple of minutest, in gaining possession of the weapon, and broke it in two. The three men then immodistaly rushed away to a car whioh wns in waiting, and he heard one of them iay to tha driver, "Drive quick, for heaven's sako I" The vehicle was then driven furiously away.

Tho spot chosen by the assassins was at tho corner of a lonely street a few yards from whiro Mr Field resided, and where Head-Constable Talbot was atsassuuted by Fenians some years ago. Mr Field was attacked by two men wiib swoidaticks, and received tiro wounds on the cbe-t, two wounds on the tbroat, one on the back and two on tho faoj, He cried ou " Polio* 1" '• Murder 1" and was heara by a lady residing now; but his cries gradually grew fainter, flo totteied to his own door, and knocked violently When tho door wis opaned. he staggered into the hall and swooned away. Imme diately after ivarda tha assassins dr <v< away on a common hackney car, the Dumber of which was covered by a rug. No arrests have bean made up to th protent, and indeed the polica have no cUi to ihe assaiUms. 'Inure is no doubt that the reason of the outraee was because Mr Field bad ineuired odium by serving as « juror on one of tho capital cases bronghi up from tho couotiy.

An Animated Liver-Pad.

The bad boy was comiux along, on tho way homo from Sunday-School, with a clem shirt on ami v Testament and some dime novels under his arm.

" What has got into you, aud what has enmo over your pa?" a.kcd tho groaory man. " I soo ho has braced up, and look palo and solemn. You havn't converted himhavo you?''

" So, pa has not got religion enough to hurt yet, but he has got tbe symptoms. He baa joined tho church oa probation.aud ma said pa had got to ba on. trial for six a,ontb> before be could get ia the church, and if hi could get along without swearing and doing anything bud ho was all right. She eaid sho thought a person, when they was on o probation, ought to be a martyr, and try to overcome all temptations to do evil, and il pa could go througi six months of our home life, and not cuss tbe hinges oil the door, ho was sure of a glorious immortality beyond the giave. She paid it wouldn't be wrong for me to continue to play innocent jokes on pa, and if he took ie all right he Was a Christian, but if he got a hot box, and flew around mad, he was better out of church than in it.

"You ought to have seen pa in church this morning. You know he wears a liver pad. Well, on Saturday my chum and me was out on the lake shore and we found a nest of little red ants, and I got a pop bottle half full of the ants and took them home. I didn't know I would do with the ants, but ants are always handy to have in the honss. Tbis morning, when pa was dressing for church I saw his lirer-pad on a chair, and noticed a hole ia it, and I thought what a good place it would be for the ante. I don't know what posfiessod me, but I took the liver-pad into my room, and opened the bottle, and put tho hole over tbe mouth of the bottle, and I. guess the «nh thought thew^was something to eat in the liver-pad, 'cause they all went into it, and they crawled around in the br*n and condition powders inside of it, and I took it back to pa, and he put it on under hia shirt, and dros'od himself, and wo wont to church. Pa squirmed a little when the minister was praying, and I guess som« of the ants had come out to vieMr the landscape o'er. When we got up to sing the hymn pa kept kicking as though he was nervous, and he felt down Ilia nock and looked sort of wild, tho way he did when he had the jim-jams. When we sat down pa couldn't keep still and I like to died when I saw some of tht ants oonie out of his shirt bosom and go racing around his white vest. Pa tried to look pious and resigned, but he couldn't keep his legs still. " When the ministor preached about " the worm that never die'h,' pa reached into his vest scratched his ribs, and he looked as] though he would give ten dollars if tho minister would get through. Ma she looked at pa as though she would bite bis head off; but pa, he just squirmed and acted ss though his soul was on fire. Well, when the minister said, amen, and prayed tbe second round, and then said, ab rother who was a missionary to the heathen would like to make a few remarks about the work of the missionaries in Bengal, and take up a collection, pa told mi they would have to exesse him, aud hs lit out fcr Lome slap piug himself on the legs and on the arm* and on the back, aud he acted crazy. Ma and me went home after the hcithen got through, and found pa in his badroom, with part of his clothes oil, and tho liver pad on the floor, and pa stamping on it with his boots and talking ofl'ul.

"What is the matter?" saya ma. 'Don't your religion agree with you ?"

" Religion be dashed I" says pa, as he kicked the liver pad, "I would five ten dollars to know how a pint of red ants got into my liver pad,' and pa scowled at ma as though he would kill her.

" Don't swear, dear,' says ma, as she threw down her hymn-book and took off her bonnet. 'You should be patient. Remember Job was patieut, and he was a ffiicted with sore boils.

" I don't care,' says pa, a? he chased the antsout ot his drawers, 'Job sever had ants in his liver pad. If ho had he would have sworn the shingles off aba n. Here, you,' Bays pa, speaking to mtf, ' yim head off theoi au!s running und r the bureau. If the truth was known, i believe jou are responsible for this outrage.' And pj looked at me kind ot had.

" ' 0, pa,' says I, with tears in my eyes. ' Do you think your litt!e Sunday scboil boy would catch ants in a pop b >ttle on tbe lake shore, and bring them aimio and pat them ia the hole of: your liver pad, just, before you put it on to go lo church ? you are too bad,' And I shed some tears. But it didn't do any good this time. Pa knew it was me, and while be was looking for the shawl strap I went to Sunday scho 1, and now I guess he is after me. and I will go and take a walk." The boy moved off as Ma pa turned a comer, and the groceryman said, " Well, that boy beats a,ll I ever saw. If he was mine I would give him away,"

Thought Reading versus Spiritualism.

An Expose in Nay York.

A recrnt number of the " New York Herald " gives the following account of a spiritualistic expose" which took place in that city: -

Mr S'uart Cumberland, a young. Eng lishman who has jmt arrived in this country, gave at the Kyereit House last evening a priva'e exhibition of his powers iv whit ho calls thought-reading. The ex periments were very much like-those with which the public has been made familiar through the experiments of Brown and bishop, who cad their experiments mind reading, In addition to his exhibition of this peculiar power Mr Curnbeilaud aho undeilafcea to expose and make explana tions vi 0..L me phenomena he has ever seen performed by th j most famous of the so called spirit medium*, Foster, Slade, and the Fox sister*. The tests last evening wore given i" ills presence of a numbsr ot gentlemen who have made the study of this subject a specialty. Ammg them were I)ocfors George M. Heard, McLane, Ham'lton, Meredith, Clymer, Brinkley, *. R. Ball, Swain, Ge>rge D. Smith and C. L. Dana, and the Rev. Dr.v George H. Hepworth and D. Buckley, edi tor of th<s "Chri-tian Advocate; J. P. Newman and Henry Ward Beecher; Prof Sizer, Mcs<rs Steele Mucka>e Andrew C. Whoeler, J. Jay Brady, T. P. Shaw, Lorin Palmer, Charles Ressigiie, and Mr Cum berland. managers in this country, Major J. P. Pond and Maze Edwards. Before beginning his expo:iraents, Mr Oumberland said that hi* instigations of so-called spitualiatio phenomena had convinced him that, mental or physical, they were either theou come of what he calls thought-read ing or tiickery. Spiritual influencea, if such existed, had nothing at all to do with the stemiug phenomena, which are mental in their eharact r, they being simply Ihe re sult of the powers of the mind to control or direct the action of the body, or of a»y other body with which the first may be io contact Stopping suddenly in hu short in troduction, Mr Cumberland illustrated hit point by laying to the Key. Mr Bwcher, "Think ii.tently upon some object in the room," Hun he put a bandage about hi« eyes and :.t once led Mr Beeeher ov«r to Ur. Mcrsdith Ciymsr and touched the eye-gUesej upon that gentleman's no c "That'n right," said Mr Beecher, con siderably astonished at the iuataateous success of the experiment. Tae »oc»nd experiment was still n.ore difficult, inas much as Mr Cumberland was out of tin rojm whtn the preparations for it war* being made. Mr Beecher was again the medium through which he worked. On entering the room, two minute specks on the wall, which had be«n agreed upon, wera quickly pointed o«t, and then Dr1. A. B. Ball was selected as a person whom Mr Boecher had thought of. Tha expsriaunt was completed by Dr Bill bacumiog the medium, and Mr Cumberland quickly fouid, aa the last object solected for him to find, a coin which the doctor had hidden in his shoe. During the entiH experiraiut Mr Cumberland waa blind-f Me*, and the »«ly contact ho had with the persons with whom he »us experimenting was aclanpinu of one of tho bands, which was ocoisionally raised to tin forcnead at though to get the medium used into closer contact with tho mind of the operator. Common playing cards, representing the teu figures from 0 to 9, woe laid on the table in the centre of the room.. The meJium, this time h reporter, charged his memory with lh« series number of a bank aota, which hap pened to bo 79,391. One arttr tbe other, cards whose spot* represented the figures on the Will were selected until all five had been indicated.

"Is there any gentloraan in the bouse nho his a pain about his person?' In a-kci. The Rev. Dr. Hcpworth announced that lv bad, and in an instant after contact with thu reverend gentleman ha located the pain in the ankle " It's right there,' responded the doctor ; "and no v can't you removo it for me ?' " I wish I could " an swered Mr Cumberland, "but my power ends wiih 10-a'ing 't. I make no ptpten sions to clairvoyant powers, but that's the way in wbich clairvojants locale pain." A bit of white paper was pinned to the wall, tho Rev. Henry Ward Beecher selected a data on a coin he had in his pocket, find then Mr Cumberland, holding Mr Beeckc'B hand, traced tbe fi?are» 1870 on the paper as tha date of the coin. "You'ie wrong," said Mr Beecher, "and you're right, and tboie'a something strange about tin* " Mr Uuraberlaad stopped him in liia explnnvion and then tbe figures 1879 wire traced ou the paper. "Taat's right," said Mr Beecher, but, singu'arlv enough, when I first looked at the coin I tbougbt the date was 1870, but a closer in spection showed a tail to the cipher and tbe date to be 1879.', With the Key. Dr. Buckley, who said that n 6 mind reader had ever betn successful with him, he had no trouble, and readily selocted an object thouxht of by Dr. Buckley, which no one eke in tho audience knew of. Dr. Beard put Mr Cumtwrland to two tests tbat he deemed supienie tests of this kind of work. The first was the selection of a single pin thought of out of fifty that were stuck into a table, Tn the second he led the doctor round the table once, took him into an adjoining room and l«d him about in a circle twice, and then led him round tha table about which the first eirouit was made. This was the plan laid out by Dr. Bourd, who purposely gave Mr Cumberland to understand that he was to discover a hidden ojecr. The lest Dr. Beard declared to be done better than he had ever seen it done.

In the realm of spiritualism Mr Cumber- Isnd nhowed only tbree experiments, two of which were illustrating the manner in which spirit rappings wete produced. The dislocation of the nip; toe joint wai one method, throning of the joint out of place making a resoundiig rap on the flcor. The other method was by moving the fingers so that the bones of the elbow would make,a rap on a door againtt which jt was placed, How these could readily deceive was shown by a series of experiments to prova that sound is oommonly located by sight or thought, rafter than by hearing. The last experiment in thu line was the reading of names written on bits of pap<r, which wa« nothing but a trick in jugglery, by the use of a dummy paper deceiving the person who wrute tbe original*.

American Notions of Royalty.

Some American papers nevtr tire of publishing all kinds of silly and imposiible stories about the Qaeea, and especially anecdates of her domestic life, aid so called glimpses into her ch&racter. If Brother Jonathan believes ths half he is told of the auguit lady who rules tbe British Empire; he scarcely deserves the reputation for acuteness which he enjoys. Under the heading of " The Empress victoria: *ome Peculiarities of the Lady who tuil s Four Peoples," thu New York " San" recently published a column of rubbish from its London correspondent, of wlrcli we give a sample :—

Will tho Queen go abroad or not ? Will she present her usual sixpences to Italian peasants washing their Tnen in roadside brooks an Montoae, and earn an iuexpen sive and flattering popularity by accom panying the donation with a few laudatory remarks on their primitive mode of laundry work? There are as miny ye.is as nays still in public opinion, Those among us, and there are .still a few, who desire to see in monarchy all that can make monarchy impeccible, trust that her majcty will not make the administration of affairs more laborious and complicated by removing her self further still fiorn her miaisteis and, can we say advisers. Hardly, for she Is as self-willed and (opiniona'ed in her middle age and widowhood as she was in her giilhood and. mariied life. She pos ses cs the saae will and obstinacy, which bafliles opposition and reaches its end by the mere force of is determination not to yield. It is and has ever been the same in the titling of her household, the education of her children, in her lelations with her hus band, who was a consort in name only, in her religious tendencies, herdiiiiKes, her friend ships and her put.ionsge. So it was already at that now distant day when, after her elevation to the supreme rank, a grand ie view was amoag the eveats tlut followed her coroi.ation. The young Qu en *x pressed her iotentionof iuspectiog the Iroops on horseback It was rcspectu'.ly intima te! to her that 'he precedents of etiquette precluded her from doin^ so. hhe iv vain attempted to overpay the ultima thulo of ceremo ial, and finding herself powerles< pronounc ?d her tii.t : '■ j>'o horse, no re view j" aid there was none

The c may be more than giief in th&long. protrae'ed mourning of the royal widow still, when it takes the form of constant companionship with the gillie John Brown, on account of some invisible Ukeu,es.s to the Prince Censor, t vnid,etpcted \>y any save her it is, discult, to, believe that thjs fo^ of

homage can be agreeable to "siWV albert;" nor is it likely that ia the ah j of bliss be can derive any special comf ! - from seeing bis royal relict cling i n v /: daily walks to the ungraceful fashion \ hooped skirts, and shot, paper-lik« >?i /own whicu obtained in his lifetime n : obsiinocy ot the Qaeen is proved by th : open, persisteut favouritism shown tVtV6- s.me Johu Brown. Incomp:eheasiFj Jr?'^ meaningless, it goads almost to m&dn her immedi tie entourage, and every i ■ or tact oppoition only causes it to be nf 611 manifest. That proudest of proud woa * has been made, by a preconcerted plan* see this servant of hers in ihe most deer V ing state of drunkenness, almost at h very feet, and yet, with an iofatuiiSaH stronger than femininity, her maaaer v him remain, d unchanged, and she madsiT sign that could give a clue to her sen 1 thoughts. Ladies in-waiting of 'oxalr j rank have rebelled opeUy against a bieach of etiquette his familiarity ], created, and reiused to be made a paitv r it; but, snubbed by them, he was ofctPffilH more graciously treated by his royal m ! tress, fle follows her like a shadosfiy. ' palace to palace, in public S I in private, behind her chair her meals, in the rumble of t I carriage in her drives, bending over to c? I change a few words, and calmly possess ' himself of her field-glass to inspect eos I distant rnaticeuvre at a review. ' ?" j '1 he Queen does not slacken the reins I her son's necks when they marry- «k } ordeia, directs, swaya them at homi'Xlr'i ab.oad, aud scorns no minutse of deter I just as she allows no 'impu'se of indepe ! dence. At PeUrsburgh, during some fete," t the Prince of Walts telegraphed to ask I ' mother whether he mignt attend a conrt bill on a Sunday. The answer wbb \m,j back, " Decidedly no," and he abataioed It waa said, however, that he sought m,^ mysterious and quite unaabbaticol comtw. sations. When the Princess Koyal ranVW frince. Frederick William, a palace S Berlin was built and decorated for her r ception. The plans were, by courtesy Jfc\ muted to the Queen. .She totally dia? provid of them, and, regardless of theciin :'"f and annoyance .it entailed, bad ttem I altered tv suit her own conception, not of I what was appropriate to Prussia, butwßj I she deemed necessary for a British Princes! P She likewise dictated the cosfo»me3 to b« worn f>umrner and Wicter by the fetnale servants. s»nther own physician to atteJ on her Piincesa at the time of the birth rf all her children, selected the nurses, gover. nesses, and laid down rules fur their educs tian, until at last her will clashed with M . equally strong, equally domineering m somethii.g more than c jolnesi eosued, •I he .Q •■ceo, faithful to her traditions a! interference, rujes the tastes of allnerojiut children to this present day.,. She lent AbergeLle Castle to the Piiuce o£ Wala as a mo.t suitable Scotch residence, till si; found Oiit that the apartments were bdml aad uncomfortable, and that he must r», linquish it for another Highland place; lit the discovery *as providentially not unfa: until the prince had tpent £20,000 impw. ing the property. Clareroont,, after Ha MajestyV desiges, has beea redecoraW' fit her Ust daughter-in-law, »nd it is not unlikely that chiiatening bels will sooj ring out from there a joyom chime, She ba« aito tet ap«rt and superintended tbi ■ arrangement of a suite of rooms, not iy any rnein^ an oxtenaiva one. for the Duke and Duchess of Albany, at Windsor Castle, At L-sborne und Balmoral the Qm jf aloue, almost to selfishaess, of the pri.-»cj' of her groands. .Ndt even in heradsenceu »1 an alien foot permitted to tread the saraei precinctn ; severe lebnke from atuttn ] gamekeepers overtakes the unwary pe&£ trian who wanders even in the temotiai : glades of the royal demesne. No tosi ' crosses it, uo right of way is concedei (q ' impe ious is her wish for utter seclti'ioii, that, in defeience to ncr openly expreswd $ do-iie, i:o lailrojd is constructed -wilhit hiil if Balmoral. When the Ministers of State are hastily iummoned to council,' ft after a long and weary jouroey thoy ban still a fatiguing drive to encounter before r reaching the rcoal presence. To men no longer joung, tiied by several mental exer tions arid much business, this is aECftocs drawback, but one which tho Queemwit takes into consideration. -j"p

Talmage on Gambling.

The "New York Times '• thus detctilm sermon by Dr. Talmage on the cutsifi gambling i—" What tha Rev. T. Be If J alinase knowa absut gambling was id; and freely told to a congregation vm ciowdeJ the Brooklyn Taberna leyesteiij morain?. The pre icber was in his happia mood.. His countenance never wiitliedli better a (vantage, his voice never piped ii shriller keys, bis body, wrapped ia Mad broadcloth, was never more elastic, nor la : le^s more impiriugly nervous. New !)!sft" rimmed spectacle* adorned the moid miiiiatorial nose. Heru>heddirectly w^, ' fray. The gumblirjg evil in our times,1 Is said, has takes on imperial aiis. Itlasi Jacked and outrai>ed_ tue people, andissent v ing tnousands of victims to financial as ' moral ruim. The time has cotno to put It down, and down it has got to go. ihcra absorbing question of to-day is theqi:: v: of this monrtoi's destructionandhowia& sure it. The gambler's. vile eatabiishmnii are raised all round us, and the prop At tre insoleat They dictate to poliiib and vaunt their power. Men trim U> plus them and profit themselves. In Long Ite city ths coroner provides one gambliugat: with accommodations. That coroner hi an eye to butinessj I.walked along b streets of Cincinnati one day last wees, : said Mr Talmage, 'and the sounds of Bi tting dice rang loudly out from the sa t> I stopped in a oountiy village, andJaHja of tho little hot.l gambling wifrpitbilej! carried on. The evil is everywhere, ft i b»a»ta of Its strengih Tee time has wb for its destruction. An iton hook te&f to "ba plunged into its nose. Cb tianity has got to prove that it is stwa than crime. For every man, w<nrao,fii child in this congregation the fight « volves thr«e worlds - earth, htaien, a hell." The "preacher dwelt long w»a fe extent of gambling and its grasp upl -public, and with his graphic rhectorietw all about eumptuous saloons .wiih-ffe' rosewood.rouletts tables, gaudy paints^ liveried servants, fios driaks, treol'inuM marked o»rds, and loaded dice. He *s described the pretty vernacular of the ft toom and po'icy shop, though agaiDSs again he intimated,as he winked M» W'l? towards the cushioned seats oHbMpliS nncle, that there wero scores of bis h»w ■ who needed no instruction; Betttog \®. three numbers, he said, was a 'g'fc,";' bettsng on four numbers a,' hors«.', w know all about it,' ejacnlated theptMc*' as he swept his glance over tho. w?JP!|| tlon,' and there are men within t^E «fmy voice who on that gig and-M^ that horse are riding swift t» P*™J9SMS| He told how [money was made by If 4 oa the ace, and related pathetic >»'"'• young men among bis acqu*inten««w had missed the ace atdlost. filrl*!s'» seemed to have no resmct for pW'^" played cards and could not win.-™" : minded his friends of theJsiocK^ change, and more earnest warnings flfe the sinful customs of Wall-street 'WSfflm even from the lips of Deacon Kua«ll W; Mr Talmage explained tbat the. »P round about the Stock BafliWSBL f-. ; tilled with vile gambling saloon* H broker who pets up a corner onfW*;-;' so forces down prices,' exclaimed tto-» ditedivine, 'must baveothertt^FK and excitements when the bedf°£? ■ gold-room closes its business for wL >• Mr Talmage concluded his di»doo«| arraigning gift enterprises of f e'O>|fs and unhesitatingly averred thatne« >,■... respect for charity which thus W** < laud the vice of gambling." ~t ~y.

Surgical Outfits for Railways.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Company^ « we lean from the "New ,Yort M^, Record," purchased 2000 tin boxes W^ ■; ing a few simple surgical materials w^,, be used in cases of accident. r are kept on the locomotives. s i f tains one lubber compre s, onepi"»» ~_ absorbent cotton, six rolls of W<«>^ f( pyramid of pins. ThU outßt mun,#Jß|| be kept up, and when anything.« »^ ; requisition should be made at ? nS^i# the box are .he following """f^ tions : - " When an a,rm or leg MM" causing heuiorrhajje, pass compra^ . limb immediately below the >?J a.f!^ In rase, of rupture of a vein, *'c." „„># until arrivalof thesurgeoo. ;fl?&Ws of aa artery cau be distingnuMa v j. , colour of the bled, wblcbif.S«i spurts out, while a vein hM WK^j and. ilows continuomly, *v£*!ffi&m the, head or faca awij con#{ abd bind with a bandage. .l™nZ & ; deserve gjeac credit foMl'l'H^ Ifo'rvttvtngU dwwn fa the adopWM' scheme!.

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, JANUARY 20, 1883.