TOPICS OF THE DAY. (By Our London Correspondent. ) London, November 19. The Witches' Kitchen.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 187, 15 January 1887, Page 5

TOPICS OF THE DAY. (By Our London Correspondent. ) London, November 19. The Witches' Kitchen.

Tub loag-promised weird and thrilling scene of tho Witches' Kitchen was introduced into the Lyceum "Faust" on Monday evening. You know it is here Faust drinl<3 the potion that renews his youth. A cauldron Btands on the fire watched by a gibbering she-ape, and about the floor crawl loathsomo creeping things. Mephistophelo3 and Fau?t arrive on the scene and summon Uio witch. The cauldron boils over, and the cloud of steam and fhino masks the entrance of the crone, \<ho bounds in with an unearthly shriek. The qedultou seen in the eteum of the cauldron are lizards toads, enak.es, etc., v, hich mount to the roof by means of invisible cords. The witch hay some difficulty in recognising Mephisto ia his pcarlot bra\ery and without horns and hoof, efcc., but ho explains that in matters of diablerie Every Ivirbariem is now abo'lelicd. Amongst the rest the devil's politmed. Tho magic potion ia produced and drunk by Faust amongst flashings of lightning and rolling thunder. With thiti the ?cene practically ends. Mephtato .'-hakes Faust, prcsuaiably to aid him in shaking off old age. but as tho stage darken?, the exact method of his rcjuvene»er;ee remains obscure.

officer, who, in a careless, lordly way has once protected her lrom her stepmother's unkindneßS. When little Mignon (the famous Bootle's Baby) comes to stop with the regiment, and ie made much of by the same young officer, poor "Jock" (the little barrack girl) grows frantic with jealoußy, and at last in » moment of frenzy pushes her golden- haired rival into the river, immediately afterwards, however, jumping in to try and cave her. Fortunately, Captain Lucy happens to be nn the spot, and refccuea Mignon. but poor " Jack " is drowned. As was tho case last year, George Manviile Fenn'i? annual, a complete tale of a pronounced eensational character, isquiteone of the most popular and readable. Mr Fenn taught un he had the knack of pilingup the agony in an exciting narrative in " Double Cunning ;"' and "The Chaplain's Craze " shows no falling off in this respect. Evon experienced novel -readers ■will at first iind a difficulty in solving the mystery of the wealthy owners of Findon Friar's disappearance, though they are not likely to be long off tho scent. One can bolt a good many utter impossibilities in a shilling dreadful nowadays, but the baronet hero of Bowling's annual, "The Skeleton Key," who goes u mad as a hatter 'q at the eight of a mysterious emerald cross, and is thereupon carried off to an Aladdin's cave of peerless splendour amongst mountain faetnessos, is a little too much of a good thing outside the " London Journal." Nor does Mr Francillon's novelette, "The Golden Belle," in "Grant's Annual," rise much above the level of penny fiction. At any rate love, bankruptcy, shipwreck, attempted murder, and tho discovery of hidden treasure form its leading features. The chief attraction of Mr George Temple's "Poor Little Life" lies in th^ fact that its simple ana sad-ending love atory is laid amongpt unfamiliar ecenea irt Jamaica. Those who cave to know what life in the We.°t Indies is like will find this tale sufficiently agreeable reading. "The Devil's • 'auldron " (Remington's Annual) deale with the diabolical deeds c^f an extraordinary being who makes innocent persons commit burglary, murder, and Fundry other crimes whilst under mesmeric influence. It is a dlovenly and ill-written production. Walter Bcsant now and then disappoints one tadly. Few taking up " The Holy Rose," hie Christmas tale for " All the Year Round," would (but for the name being on the cover) credit that it was by the author of "Children of Gibeon," or of tho66 de•lightful short stories "The Captain's Boom" ana "A Glorious Fortune."' But Beaant never does succeed when he lays tho scenes of his stories in the last contury. " Dorothy Forster" is dull reading, and co is "The World Went Very Well Then, "now running j through the "Illustrated Newe." "The ! Chaplain of tho Fleet undoubtedly made a "hit," but he wrote that in collaboration i with Rico, itbhould be remembered. "The Holy Rose " i? a fetory of the French Revolution, the loading motive being almost pro cisely similar to th/it of Dickens "Tale of j Two Cities." I Book Chat. ! Everybod} r is reading Rhoda Broughton's "Dr. Cupid." The critics pronounce it a great impiovoment on "Belinda," and I tbink I agree with them. Miss Broughton's etyle is as lively and flippant as ever, but tbere ore fewer lapses into vulgarity than in her former works. The bo&l drawn character in the book is the shallow, feather-headed young Oxonian "Freddy,'* whose selfishness brines about the catastrophe of the story. But you will of course Older " Dr. Cupid at once. Mr Hodder's life of the sixth Lord Shaffesbury (the philanthropist) was pub- | lished yestorday. It contains copious extracts from tho decefi c c- r l neer'a rl i.irirsß and ! papers. "The Evil Genius" was sufficiently painful reading to the admirers of Wilkie Collins, "The Guilty Kiver," which the once grand-mastor of sensational tic'ion has written for " Arrowsmith's Annual,' 1 is, however, even a weakler farrago of rubbish. A third-rate novelist would be ashamed of such a production. I am assured on the best authority (though I can scircely believe ifc) that the wither stupid paiable of the Queen'a reign, called "Tho f?ood fiermione," and published for " Aunt. Belinda," by Messrs Maxwell, id by Mips Braddon. A cheup edition ot Mr Bompas's IC Life, of Frank Buckland" places an interestingbiography of a remarkable man within everyone's roach. Mr George Dalby's "Charles Dickens as I Knew Him" has also been re-issued in a cheap form, "The Lazy Minetrel," tho new volume of verses by the " laureate of frills " (ac Mr Ashby Sterry calls himself), is in great demand. The first edition was bought up on. tho day of publication.