MISCELLANEOUS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1777, 31 October 1879, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS.

Canon Farrar’s new work, “ The Life and Work of St. Paul,” is stated to be in a forward state of preparation ; and a " Life of the Right Hon. W. B. Gladstone,” by Mr George Barnett Smith, in two volumes, is also announced. A painful scene recently occurred at the Altorf Theatre. As “Lucia” was being performed a violent thunderstorm burst over the house. The tenor was singing the air in the malediction scene, when Edgardo fell forward, struck down by lightning. He was immediately raised from the ground, and, though alive, was found to be paralysed in every limb. The performance, of course, was brought to an abrupt termination. The death is announced of Mrs Eartoris, better known to amateurs of thirty-five years ago as Adelaide Kemble. Mrs Sartoris was a daughter of Charles Kemble, and a niece of Mrs Siddons. She was also a sister of the aged Mrs Butler (Fanny Kemble), now upwards of seventy years old, and was also the aunt of Mr Stanley’s wife. Adelaida Kemble was horn in 1816, and first sang at the York Festival of 1834, After a few appearances in London, she went for educational purposes to France, Germany, and Italy, and sang with success at the Fenice of Venice, at Trieste. Padua, and the Eoala of Milan. In November, 1811, she made her first appearance on the English stage at Oovent Carden, under the management of Charles Mathews and Vestris, singing in Mr Blanche's version of “ Norma,” which then had an unprecedented run of forty nights, in Mercadante’s “Klena Übeiti," Susanna in “The Marriage of Figaro,” Amina in “La Sonnambula,” “ Semiramide,” and “II Matrimonia Scgrcto.” The enterprise was a failure, but the artist, less by her singing than by that acting which befitted a member of the Kemble family, attained unusual artistic success. At the close of the season Adelaide Kemble married Mr E. J. Sartoris, then M.P. for Oaeimarthenahire, and quitted the stage for ever. Since then she has devoted herself to family cares, and to literature and art, in each attaining an eminence due as much to her manner as to her real talents. In 1867 she published a charming little book, entitled “ A Week in a French Country House,” in which Sir Frederick Leighton and many other contemporary celebrities, literary and artistic, were portrayed under a thin disguise, and with delicate appreciation. Her death will be regretted, though to the present generation she is, of conrse, little more than a name, Among the theatrical “sports” that will take to “the road ” next season in America are Colville’s Folly Company, Salsbury’s Troubadours, Bice’s Surprise Party, and B 1 z % Weathersby’s Froliqnes. “ Abraham Lincoln and the Abolition of Slavery ” is the title of a biography to be published as one of the “New Plutarch” series of lives of men and women of action. The writer is Mr Charles G. Leland. Mdlle. Sarah Bernhardt’s American engagement, it is said, is signed and scaled. Mdlle. Bernhardt is to go out in September, 1880. She is to receive 600 dollars a performance, and 20 dollars a day for her personal expenses, Mr Jarrett defraying all other charges of every kind, including steamer passages and railroad fares. Previous to her American tour, Mdlle. Bernhardt will play in Russia, Holland, and Belgium. Edwin Forrest was a fearfully stingy and close man. At one Boston engagement his share of the receipts was 4000 dols. Though the management had lost money on it, he exacted the last penny. The money was handed over to him, a few odd dollars being in rolls of twenty five cent pieces, and he left the box-office. Half an hour afterwards he returned with one of these rolls, and taking a piece of silver from it, said to the treasurer, in his own peculiarly pompous manner, "This quarter, sir, which you have given me, is not good.” " What’s the matter with it ? ” asked the treasurer curtly. It has worn smooth, sir, and the people at the bant refuse to take. You must give me another for it." The treasurer, who was a good deal of a wag, handed Mr Forrest a bright new quarter, took the worn piece, and with the words, “ I wouldn’t sell these two shillings for five dollars,” slipped it into his pocket, That night the story of Forrest and the smooth quarter was known all over Boston. ' “ Truth ” tells us us that a drama has just been produced at Posen founded on the death of the Prince Imperial. In the first act the Prince is seen at Ohislehurat, He speaks about the mitrailleuses at Forbach and the ballets at Saarbruck, and why the French army ought to have been victorious, but was not; enter a deputation of Bonapartists, who requests that he should come come back to France and make an appeal to the country for a restoration. As the good boy that he is, he declined to do so and to occasion a civil war. Act lI.—Ho is in love with the daughter of a gamekeeper, aud meets her in a wood. The Empress comes upon the pair; she remonstrates with the girl, who forbids the Prince her presence. The young follow, in a fit of despair, vows that he will have himself killed. In the third act the scene is in Zululand, The Prince, about to proceed to the front, writes affecting letters to his mother and sweetheart. Act IV.—The dismounting of the reconnoitring party amongst the Zulus ; the savages surround the party ; a general stampede takes place, amongst the indignant hisses of the audience, and the Prince, who thinks only of the gamekeeper's daughter, is killed. In the fifth act the Empress and the girl fall into each other's arms over the remains of the Prince, and the coffin being raised by a mechanical appliance, shows to the public through a glass lid the dead face of the ill-fated lover.

The following ungallant dramatic paragraph, which appeared in " The Boulevard,” will not be without interest. Mme. Doche, the actress, is fifty-six ; Aline Duval, fifty, eight, Adele Page is fifty-four, Marie Laurent is fifty-three, Miolan Oatvalho fiftytwo, Ugaldo’ fifty, Alphonaine forty-eight. Mdlle, Favart is forty-six years of age, Madeleine Brohan the same; Periga and Gueymard are both forty-five. The buxom Mdlle. Scheidor is forty-four, and Theresa is forty-two. Mdlles. Agar, Delaporte, and Marie Sass are forty-one. Oarlotta Patti (who, by the way, is just married) is thirty nine. Krauss is thirty-seven, Blanche Pierson is thirty-six, and so is Adelina Patti. Zulma Bouffar and Peschard are both thirtyfive. Mdme. Nilsson is thirty-owo. Daram, Oroizette, Grivot, and Broisat are all thirtyone. Marie Boze is thirty, Judic is twentynine, Paolo Marie twenty-eight. Theo twentyseven, Heilbroun twenty-seven, and Granier twenty-seven. The performances arranged for the benefit of the widow and family of the late Mr Charles Calvert, at the Theatre Boyal, Manchester, were to be given on the Ist and 2nd of October. ‘‘As You Like It’’was to be played on both nights. Miss Helen Faucit the Rosalind on the first occasion, and Miss Wallis on the seccnd; Mr TomTaylorwill play Adam, Mr Alma-Tadema Le Beau, and the Hon Lewis Wingfield Sylvius. Miss Braddon had been asked to play Celia. Bubinatein’s new opera “Nero" will be represented for the first time at Hamburg, at the commencement of the winter. Verdi has finally relinquished all artistic work. He was visited lately by Prince Amadeus during the latter’s stay in Genoa. The report that ;has been going the round of the papers that the Marquis of Lorue is engaged on a book about Canada, is, the <i Athenmum ” is able to state, untrue. Pope Leo XIII. is said to be preparing a work on the government of the Church, It will contain new instructions to the bishops and clergy. His Holiness wishes to examine and annotate all the Pontifical bulls, writing their several dispositions in one single bull, which wp'*’d replace the others,J Variou ni.aiges are announced (says the London "-garo) as likely to shortly take place a* - many of the metropolitan theatres. The romedy Opera Company having the occnpv.ticn of the Imperial Theatre for seven ■weeks -.nly, will, it is understood, at the expiration of that time move to the Folly. Thero is a rumor that Mr J. L. Toole has taken the Folly for the unexpired three years of the term. There is no doubt a limited occupation of this sort would be the wisest step Mr Toole could undertake. Theatrical management is always a speculation, and in Borne respects a lottery ; while a deservedly popular comedian who earns a very large annual income without any risk by the exercise of his art in town and country, would do wisely to enter into the perilous waters of theatrical lesseeship only as an experiment. The Prince of Wales’ Theatre, as I stated some weeks ago, is likely to pass, after this autumn, into the management of Mr Edgar Bruce, a deservedly popular gentleman, who ought with his high talents to be fully able to carry on the traditions of a place of amusement so long identified with the names •I Ur and Mrs Bancroft.