WHAT THE WORLD SAYS.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 731, 23 October 1876, Page 3

WHAT THE WORLD SAYS.

(ByAtlas ” in the Woald.) If report is to be believed, the musical lion of ’77 is to be Herr Griiafeld, a pianist of surpassing excellence, who paid us a flying visit this year, and is now at Bayreuth, My old friend, Mr E. L. Blanchard, sends a weekly letter to the Birmingham Daily Gazette concerning ‘ London Amusements,’ in which the curious may often find some interesting and valuable information In his last communication of this kind, he recalls a fact which appears to have escaped the notice of the biographer of that interest ing criminal, Mr Richard Banner Oakley. Mr Oakley was, it appears, in the year 18G5 chairman of the English Opera Company (Limited), as such manager of Covent Garden Theatre. There on Boxing night was produced the brilliantly embellished pantomime of Aladdin, which ran with wonderful success until the middle of February, 1866, On the 18th of that month the theatre was suddenly closed, and though money had been turned away from the doors from the first, not one shilling was to be found in the treasury. Even the little children who were hired at sixpence a night had been compelled to allow their wretched salaries to fall into arrear for a month; and, adds Mr Blanchard, “ to this day the theatrical debts of the ‘ limited ’ company remain unpaid.”

If the Premier had remained in the Lower House and sent Sir Charles Adderley to the Lords by himself, it would have been said that Mr Disraeli bad again revenged himself upon the aristocracy. Inasmuch, however, as Mr Disraeli also quits the faithful Com mons, it merely appears as another proof of his fondness for a practical joke, even when he himself becomes one of the victims. Nay, pause, my good lord —pause ; or if you will have your little fun, render it complete by translating Mr Jenkins into the Baron of Marmalade, and Mr McCullagh Torrens into the Lord of the Dismal Countenance !

During the past week Queen Victoria has occupied the Scotch palace most intimately connected with the name of Mary Queen of Scots ; and Mr Secretary Cross, in attendance upon her Majesty, has visited the room where Eizzio was dragged from the side of Lord Daruley’s wife, and murdered in her presence. These simple, even commonplace, facts suggest a comparison which it is useful to dwell upon when the question is being put : Why should the staid and hard-headed people of Edinburgh have gone half wild with excitement in view of a visit from the Queen, and should have shown themselves so reckless of consequences as deliberately to decree a whole half holiday on what is called a “ lawful day ” —that is to say, a day on which shops might be open from morning to night ? The difference between Queen Victoria and the unfortunate Mary Stuart is wider even than may be bridged over by three centuries, whilst the Tudor epoch, rich as it was in grave statesmen, shows us, looking through the picture gallery of history no such staid and absolutely irreproachable official as the Bight Hon Assheton Cross. Monarchy is a very different institution from what it was when Edinburgh was the capital of an independent kingdom, or indeed from what it has been up to within the last half century. But I do not know how two epochs may be brought more swiftly or more vividly into contrast than to write down the fact that Queen Victoria has been making Holyrood Palace her temporary home, whilst she performed the ceremony of ununveiling a statue to a husband who died fifteen years ago. A woman was recently tried at Oxford for the murder of her child. The legal reporter of the case, after saying that she was described by the neighbors as ‘ a fond wife and devoted mother,’ added that ‘ her personal appearance in the dock bore out this testimony to her character.’ This wonderful power of expression rivals Sydney Smith’s remark to the portrait painter, to whom Moore was sitting, “ Couldn’t you throw a little expressive hostility to the Church establishment into his features ?’ The introduction into India of the true Para indiarubber tree (Hevea) is now fairly inaugurated. In the beginning of the week 2500 thrifty plants were despatched by barge from Kew for embarkation. Mr H. A, Wickham had been commissioned by the Indian Government through Dr Hooker, C.B, and Mr 0. R. Markham, C.B, to collect the seed of these trees in the Amazon valley. The plants now despatched are part of those obtained in the Kew hothouses from seed brought direct (with great care) from the Tapajos. It is to be hoped that no means will be spared to insure success by the selection of proper localities for the formation of extensive plantations, which in the course of a few years would return great profit. It is to be feared that the depreciation of silver may operate detrimentally. The Scotch are nothing if not national. It seems that the other day Lord Muncaster and Lord Kilmarnock were upset out of a dog-cart. “ Lord Muncaster and the coachman were a good deal shaken and bruised, but beyond this they happily sustained no serious injury. Lord Kilmarnock escaped unhurt,” The Scotchman heads this paragraph, “ Narrow Escape of Lord Kilmarnock.” Every one now talks complacently of Wagner and his works ; and even those who do not admire admit his genius and the dramatic spirit of his works. We must not forget, however, that some twenty years ago the maestro was driven from London amid the revilings of the musical critics—that his masterly Tannhauscr overture was hardly listened to when he led it at the Philharmonic Concerts. It is pleasing to think that her Majesty was in advance of public opinion, and sent for him to offer her congratulations. At Paris this great opera was hooted from the stage. In a week or two Wagner will be the most talked-of person in Europe ; and as I write correspondents from every journal of position in the civilised world are at Bayreuth or on their way thither.

William Black has sailed for the United States. He is going to break fresh ground for a new novel, one volume of which is already written. May luck go with him ; and may he bring home from the New World another Sheila to add to the list of our most highly treasured friends and acquaintances. The Times, last week, under the heading “ The Jam of Lusbeyla,” says :—“ In Monday’s telegram from Calcutta the Jam cf Luxbehai should have been the Jam of Lusbeyla.” Yes ; but the Times does not add that, with that consideration for a curious but not too well-informed public which leads it to print every morning an excellent little map to illustrate the somewhat familiar news sent by its special correspondent at Belgrade, it has provided in

neat pots specimens of both delicacies. As Ovid plaintively observed in his exile—- “ Jam desuetudine longa Yix subeunt ipsi verba Latina mihi.” Otherwise I might celebrate this liberality ir sonorous verse. As it is, Ohc jam satis. Despite competitive examination, everything in the civil service does not go quite smoothly as yet. A young gentleman had to be mildly reproved lately for the irregu iarity of his attendance. His Celtic blond was inflamed, and turning upon his rebukes ie angrily told them, “ Sure, if it wasn’t for the trifle of salary yt give, the divil a bit o’ me would come here at all ? ” This almost surpasses Charles Lamb’s retort when he got into hot water concerning his hours of arrival and departure. If ever there was a rolling stone, it was Mr B. P. Kingston, who died recently in London. Play writer and actor, traveller, spiritualist, Indian chief, Fiji courtier, agent and accountant, pedestrian, manufacturer of Dutch clocks, journalist, Cincinnati pigraiser, notable “ brave ” amongst the Maoris and [South Sea Islanders, sheep shearer in New Zealand, and store keeper in ’Frisco, — no man ever saw more phases of human life. He was at one time thought to be a Morman by the Mormans themselves of Salt Lake City. He was theatrical agent to Avonia Jones and her husband Gustavus Brookes. Home, the spiritualist, employed him, as did also Artemus Ward, Professor Anderson, Spiers and Pond, &c, &c, as busi ness agent. A New York friend writes to me that the profane in that city are exceedingly amused and the religious world as much scandalised by the news that a quarrel has broken out between the Evangelists, Messrs Moody and Sankey, It seems that they have very steadily and persistently given out that they are of that apostolic type of preachers who take nothing for their services beyond their hotel and travelling expenses. Whether this is true or not I of course cannot say, only I should like to have had an answer to the question which I asked some months ago about the Manchester school treat, for which Mr Moody collected so much money, and which has not, I believe, been given yet. I should like too to know what became of those splendid gifts of £IOOO, and similar sums which were always being announced as having just been presented to the evangelists by pious ladies. On these subjects my natural curiosity is perhaps unlikely to be gratified, but my correspondent tells me enough of what is going on in New York to make me “ smile smiles,” as Mr Moody would say, when the evangelists are mentioned. It appears that the pair have been holding a “ mission” or a “ revival,” or something of that kind, in New York, and at the end of the performances it was discovered that they had appropriated to themselves 6300d015, besides SOOdols under the head of “ consequential expenses.” Mr Moody’s explanation is that 6300d01s were the thankofferings of converted sinners, and that in all equity they were the private property of the converters. So far good. Only it unfortunately happens that Mr Moody thinks himself entitled to the lion’s share, and considers his companion a mere paid servant. Accordingly Mr Moody presented the “ singing pilgrim” with lOOOdols and kept the rest himself. Poor Mr Sankey objected. It had always hitherto been share and share alike, and he did not appreciate Mr Moody’s run ning off with 6600d015, and leaving him with only a beggarly lOOOdols. High words arose, and in the end Mr Moody informed his “friend and fellow-worker” that if he did not like his share of the plunder he was quite welcome to leave it since it would be easy to get a vocalist who could do all that Mr Sankey did for 50dols a month, and find his own American organ into the bargain. The “ singing pilgrim ’’ does not quite like this style of treatment, and threatens an appeal to the courts. If the Chicago committee do not succeed in hushing the matter up, it is possible that there may be a very amusing if not wholly edifying exposure. My correspondent adds another little story about Mr Moody and a young lady ‘ moving in the most fashionable religious circles,” which is comical, but I hope not true.