OUR LONDON FLANEUR Social, Theatrical and Literary. (FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.) London, December 17.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 191, 12 February 1887, Page 3

OUR LONDON FLANEUR Social, Theatrical and Literary. (FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.) London, December 17.

If the great divorce case, of which we are all so tired, has done nothing else, it has at least demonstrated the eminent definability of keeping a diary. Lady Colin Campbells diaries, though the merest bald outline of movements, doings, and engagements, were the rock oil which her defence was founded. Without them it would have been impossible to offer material contradiction to the specious stories of her servants,* or to have attempted to prove an alibi re the Purfleet incident. Women, more especially women of faehion, or women who have married unhappily, would do well to bear in mind these facts. In times like the present it is impossible to say when one may not be called upon to account for certain days or hours, and mere memory is a hopelessly treacherous staff to lean upon, Aek yourself how you employed your time on some specific date six weeks ago, and, unless your life is a strictly monotonous one, you will soon see lam right. "But," says some happy and confident reader, " legal trouble can never come my way. Ah ! my dear sir or madam, so thought Lady Colin Campbell a few years ago. When Gertrude Blood married the Princess Louise's brother-in-law, she little guesaad what was before her. The most extraordinary precautions are being taken to prevent any facts leaking out with regard to the new comic opera at the Savoy which would enable American pirates to anticipate the author's copyright. Mr Gilbert himself conducts every rehearsal, taking care to have the house searched ere business commences. Neither piece nor characters are named, the performers referring to one another as A., 8., and C , etc., and all concerned are bound under tremendous penalties neither to whistle any of the airs nor repeat any of the lines to a living soul outside the theatre. The piece will probably be produced early in January, The "Mikado" was produced on March 14th, 18S4, and if it runs to the end of the year (as I anticipate) will have been per tormed (with matineeß) close on 700 times. It has proved the greatest success ot the Gilberton aeries in England, not even excepting " Patience." One of the mont interesting of the Christmas novelties will be a dramatic version of " Alice in Wonderland," performed by children in the afternoons at the Prince of Wales's Theatre. Tne arrangements of the manager (indeed of a good many managers) have, however, been sadly put out by a sudden ultimatum on the part of the Lord Chamberlain, to the effect that children under ten will not henceforward be allowed to perform. This sounds a most beneficent restriction. In reality it means the loss of comfortable meals, warm fires, and pretty clothes to a lot of little mites, and money to their parents. The Gaiety Christmas piece "Monte Cristo," with Nellie Fan en and Fred Leslie in the principal parts, promises well, and Arthur Roberti's version of " Robinson Crusoe " is sure to draw all the town to the Avenue. The mania for employing music hall artists in pantomimes increases every year. This year the " stars " of the pantomimes at Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds are all hall vocalists, and will draw thumping salaries Jennie Hill, the " Vital Spark," who got £40 a week at Liverpool the year before last, is this Christmas to receive £60 at Manchester. Meanwhile, " burlesque boye " and " firetsinging chambermaids? " advortiee in the "Era in vain. Private theatricals are usually such a painful infliction to the onlookers that it becomes almost a duty to chronicle any exception to tho rule. I was present the other evening at a house where three little unprotensious pieces— a farce, a comedietta, and an operetta— were given. The farce was? a witty dialogue called "The Nettle," that haa had a great success ut tho Court as curtain-raiser to " The Schoolmistress j" the comedietta, "My Lord in Livery," a charming little play; and the operetta the well-known Savoy piece " The Carp," music by Cellier. All three pieces were capitally played, and the scenery being simple, long intervals could bo avoided. Tho mistiest of the house Darned the following as aiso being wellsuited to drawing - room performance : - " After All," oper. tta by Cellior ; " Twica Killed," an o'd farco, by Oxenford, that ehould be played in the costumes of 1827 ; " Two Flats and a Sharp," comedietta, and " A Case for Eviction," by They re Smith. Mr Edward Terry's now theatre in the Strand not being ready for occupation, he means to venture on a season at the unlucky Ob mpic, and will open next week in Piuero's " Churchwarden," a piece that has had a mott successful run in the provinces. If he should fail there, the old houee will probably be pulled down, and remodtlled under a new name. Mr Drew Gay, the notorious war correspondent, has produced in the " Mystery of the Shroud " a most portentous " shilling ehocker." It is in some respects quite the best twelvepennorth of mystery, murder, and dynamite that we have read lately. Unfortunately, Mr Gay's method of narra tion falls short ot hie plot. Tho same story told by Robert Louie Stevenbon or David Christie Murray would, one feels, have taken the reading world by Htorm, As it ie, I don't suppoee the book will be more than an average success. Old and young will alike experience keen pleasure in reading Mrs Burnetts "Little Lord Fauntleroy," which the "Saturday Review " and " Spectator " have alike and rightly pronounced the mo.sb perfect child's story given to the world since Miss Montgomery's "Misunderstood." Mrs Burnetts tale has all Miss Montgomery's charm of manner, without hor falso, and sometimes maudlin sentiment. The lato Mrs Ewing was facile p-wceps at such work, witness "Jacknapes" and the "Story of a Short Life."' Mrs Burnett should, however, go far to fih her place. By-the-way, "the child's book that went through cix editions," which Lady Colin Campbell claimed recently in the witness-box, was, it turns out, oue of Kate Greenaway's great successes, and owed its popularity entirely to the illustrations. The serial stories in " Harper's Magazine" during tho C' ming twelvemonth will be by W. h. Howeils and Katherine O'Meara. The former's ie to be entitled " April Hopes," a tale of life in Bostou, and the latter's "Narka, a Russian Romance." " Harper's " also advertiso many other atti actions. When Mr Stead set our virtuous hairs standing on end with the publication of " The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon," uo London journal was more unaffectedly shocked and outraged than the " Standard." Yec thie, if you please, is the papor which, since the commencement of the Colin Campbell cate, has published from nine to thirteen columns daily of verbatim report,

preserving for the public benefit every single ceruleaD detail. " Two Bishop?," says Dagcnet the irrepressible, " were walking past the new Law Courts tbe other day. Said the first Bishop : ' Another of those blue blood cases 1' Said the other Bishop : ' You are right. It is a B'ood ca°e, and as for ita being bhie— well, what do you think, my lord?' " To realiae the full significance of one of the principal charges againet the Duke of Marlborough in connection with the Campbell case, the public require to know one little fact which has not yet transpired. At the time Lord Blandford is accused of meeting Lady Colin at Purflet, the divorce case in which he and Lady Aylesford were concerned had only just closed. Lord Blandford had, indeed, been advised to leave town for a few weeks, a8 public opinion waa so strong against him. Is 2fc, then, da you think, likely that with tbe shame and obloquy of one adultery full upon him, he went straight away and committed another? Lady Coliu, her friends declare, hae always been most urgent in advising the Duke of Marlborough to offer to remarry Lady Blandford. "It is the only reparation you can make," she used to say. What do you think of W. S. Gilbert as a prophet? Four years ago he wrote in I "lolanthe":— ; Ob ! Captain Shaw. Type of true love kopt under ; Could thy brigade, With cold cascade, Quench my deep love, I wonder ? The marriage of Viscount Weymouth to the young Princess of Teck will take place about next August. Lord Weymouth is the eldest son ot the Mat quid of Bath, and a very pleasant, unassuming young man. It io the wish of the Bath family that the " Princess " should be dropped after mar ribge, but the Queen won't hear ot it. It the Colin-Campbell case mars many reputations, it has at least made one. I refer to that of M* K. B. Finlay, the leading counsel for the petitioner. Hitherto, this gentleman has been known chiefly as an authority on Stock Exchange cases. He now ranks with Sir Charles B-ussell, Sir Henry Jamea and the leading men at the bar. A finer piece of advocacy than his opening epeecb for Lord Colin has not been heard for many a day. When he began Loid Colin's name waa held in execration throughout the three kingdoms. When he ended, almopt every man in Court believed that a great injustice had been done. 'Tia now admitted that Ary Ecilaw, the author of the notorious "Roland" and "Roi de Thessalie," is the Russian Countess who was so scandalously treated by the Grand Duke of Hesse. Her new novel, " Une Alttsse Imperiale," throws a lurid light on the Court of Russia, and lets numerous cats out of the Imperial bag. Madame de Kalomin' is now busy on a work that will touch up our English royalties. "They All Love Jack" is the title of anew nautical ditty by Stephen Adams, which should be quite as popular as the famous " ftancy Lee." It wae three timed encored at the ballad concerts last week. Another popular song just now is Collier's "Queen of My Heart," from the Gaiety success " Doiothy," and I also hear good accounts of "Tho Middy," by Leigh Kingeruill, and " Love is a Dream," by Cowon. Several good operettas suitable for performance by amateur companiefa have been published receutly, and will, it isto be hoped, take the placo of Gilbert and Suliivan's overdone pieces. " Ages Ago," with words by W. S. Gilbert and mueic by Fred Clay, is specially suitable tor piivate theatricals. It was wiitten for the Uerman Reeds many years back, and had a tremendous run. There are (if I remember rightly) only five characters. The comic eong of the moment is a mock ballad de scribing: pathetically how a gentleman who would tell his friends disagreeable truths was rewarded with : Two lovely black eyes Oh! what a surprise Oniy for telling a feuow the truth 'JV o lovelj blucu o cs. The refrain ie hideously catching, so much so that for days after hearing it the accursed tune rings in one's care. Corney Grain's two new comic songs from •'Taking theWatera," "Kioklebury Brown' (describing the inanities of a confirmed practical joker) anJ "The Actor and The BJshop " have just been published, and should sell well. They are witty without being vulgar. Wood, the jockey, is a Hebrew by birth, which accounts for his "saving" propeneitiea. He boasted to a, lot of friends the other day that he had settled i.25,000 on each of his three children, besides settling a large cum on "the missus." 'Twas not, it turns out, the wasting that did poor Archer so much barm as tho fact that he bad to waste by artificial means instead of by taking long walks, as most jockeys do. Aicher's feet were co delicate ho couldn't walk, Ormonde will only run at Ascot and Goodwood next year. George R. Sims has been revisiting the ecer>es of " How the Poor Live," and will deecribe his new experiences (after the manner of ioiruer one.*) in. the "Daily News." The title cf the papers is "The Pinch of Poverty." The firet appeax-ed on December 4th. The latest issue of Routledge's incomparable tbieepenny library contains Dickens's two be&fc Christinas stoiiea, "The Carol " and "TheCbinies," in clear, readable type. Miss Braddon'a " Cut by the County " forms the initial volume of a new series of "shilling shockers" to be published by Maxwell's. In addition to "The Nine of Hearte," " The Golden Land," and " Life's Brightest \ Star," B. L. Farjeon has just completed a three-volume novel entitled " The Tragedy at Featherstone,'' which will be published to-morrow by Ward and Downey. Much curiosity prevails as to tho author- ! ship of that powerful story " The Silence of Dean Wait land " On its appearance tho work, waa attributed to Mrs Harrison (Miss Kingsiey) ; but that lady, though flattered, denied the eoft impeachment. Mrs J. H. Needell is now suspected to be Maxwell Gray's alter tf/o. The Chribtmas "Graphic" leaves tbe "Illustrated" far behind both &s regard 3 pictures and letterpress. " Punch's " almanac ifl as usual excellent, and " Judy's " shows an immense iinpiovemcnt on former years. "Figaro Illu&tre" does not snuff out our English periodicals so completely as heretofore. Tho "Graphic Christmas number, at a thiid of tho price, is nearly its equal.