TABLE TALK. SOCIAL, THEATRICAL, AND FRIVOLOUS. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 232, 10 December 1887, Page 8

TABLE TALK. SOCIAL, THEATRICAL, AND FRIVOLOUS. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

London, October 5. The " cafe is out of the bag " at last. The so-called "new book" upon which Her Majesty has been so busily engaged latterly is neither a novel nor a life of Prince Leopold, but a popular biography of the Prince Consort by the late Principal Tulloch, the proof sheets of which the Queen expressed a wish to personally revi.se. The work will contain a number of anecdotes of the Prince especially contributed by Her Majesty. The only London papers which have noticed the Hughes-Hallett scandal are the "Pall Mall Gazette," the "EveningNews," and the " St. Stephen's Review." Thc2-ycar-oldbrother to Ormonde, a very handsome colt called Oasory, will make its debut next week in the Middle Park Plate. The Dukeof Westminster visits Newmarket specially for the occasion. Great things are expected from a novel called "Poor Nellie," by the brilliant author of " My Trivial Life and Misfortune," which was so successful two years ago. Mudie alone has sub&ciibod for 500 copies (900 vols). Madame. Pntli has no notion oi lagging superfluous on the sfcago she has for 20 years so splendidly adorned, and will finally l-etire in 1889. She expresses great contempt for performers who, after bidding 1 the public farewell with any amount of fut>s, reappear ala llistovi. It may theicfore be taken for granted that her valedictory tour of Europe and the States will be final. Patti's last appearance on any stage will almost certainly be at Covent Gulden in either " La Traviata " or " II Barbiere." Amongst the lot of yeai lings of her own breeding sold by Mr Manton (the Dowager Duchess of Montroso) to her lival, Lord Calthorpe, last summer, were the two crack fillies Seabreeze and Satiety, who have between them pretty -well swept the board this season. At Newmarket last week, Seabreeze added three more valuable stakes to her winning scoic. Moreover, the dark sister to Holoiso, Thebais, and Clairvaux, who was also included in this lucky purchase, ii said to be better even than the cracks named. Lord Calthorpe, however, made a sad mistake when he concluded the weedy colt by Isonomy — In Boundb was not worth training, and sent it forthwith into the sale ling. John Poitcr picked the youngster up for a trifle and christened him Mon Droit. Tho colt has developed into quite as smart a two year-old as either Seabreeze or Satiety, and already won close on £3,000 in stakes. The Duchess's luck was certainly out when she sold Seabreeze, Satiety, Devotee, and Mon Droit for £5,000. Any one of these animals would now fetch that sum easily. Despite the magnificence of the scenery and mounting and the irresistible Mimis "pretty" acting as Perdita, "A Whitei's Tale " has not " caught on " at the Lyceum, and Gilbert's comedy, "The Wicked World," has been hurriedly put in rehearsal. This, you may remember, was the last of the famous series of fairy plays at the Haymarket initiated by "The Palace of Trurh." It was produced on the 4th of January, 1873, and ran just a year. The piece would not, however, have achieved this success but for the author's brilliant parody, "The Happy Land," which re-acted on it. To appreciate one, people had to see the other. Miss Anderson will, of course, play Selene, and Forbes Robertson, Ethais, By- tho- way, although Miss Anderson denies a tendresse for her handsome jeune premier it is distinctly noticeable that her mimic lovemaking is less fiigid with him than it has ever been with anyone else. "Ruddigoie" shows signs of giving out at the Savoy, and the long-talked-of ro\ival of " Pinafore " is said to be pending. The extraordinary popularity of " Dorothy " has always been a mystery to me. Nevertheless it is popular. On Thursday evening last, when the opera completed whai the management call "its fir*t year's nm," there wasn't a scat in the house to be had for love or money. Altogether "Dorothy" has drawn, it is said, £55, 731 5s and some odd pence. Not a bad tweh emonths' takings for a- small house, eh ? The production of Collier's " Sultan of Mocha " at the Strand does not seem destined to set the Thames on fire. It may, however, run through the autumn. The music is generally pronounced melodious, but lacking in indhiduality, and the libretto i^ feeble. Mrs Henry Wood's posthumous novel, " Lady Giace," i.s, 1 regret to have to say, a very indifferent work, quite unworthy " Johnny Ludlow " or the author of " East Lynne." It begins well, but fades away feebly to nothing. Another story fiom this pen will run through the "Argosy" next year. B. L. Farjcon provides the Christmas number of "Good Words," and Sarah Tytler that of the "Sunday Magazine." Arrowsmith's annual will be a story by Walter Besant, entitled " Kateßegina.*' " Atalanla," the new magazine for girls between 16 and 17, contains the opening chapters of a promising little story by Mr Rider Haggard. It is called " A Tale of Three Lion?," and relates some thrilling experiences in South Africa of our old friend Hunter Quartermain. In the initial portion we are carried off to the goldfields of Pilgrim's Rest in the Transvaal, and learn how Quartermain and hi.s son Harry, after months of despairing labour in a seemingly worked-oub claim, come upon a poekofc of virgin nuggets. " The Gaverocks," which is incomparably the best of the many novels which MiBaring Gould has at present in hand, will be published in three volumes next week. Edna Lyall's " Knight Errant " is out at 6s, uniform with "We Two," &c, and Miss Corelli's "Romance of Two Worlds '' has been added to Bentley's Favourite Series. New 2s novels worth note include Miss Collins's "Prettiest Woman in Warsaw," Phillips's crude and cynical "Dean and His Daughter," and "Tiff," by tho author of "A Great Mistake." "Her Own Sister," in the Family Story-Teller Is series, is less trashy than many of its brethren.

The Melbourne Customs authorities are afc present engaged in an exceedingly peculiar case of alleged evasion of Customs duties, and through which a vast amount of milling machinery has been soized, the estimated value of the machinery being about £11,500. The invoiced value was set down at £2,064 9s lid, whilst the department estimate it at £7,000. Mr Wood, the importer, states, that the Customs officers jumped to a conclusion beforo careful inquiry. A second lot of the machinery has also been seized on the ground that the invoice shows a considerable undervaluation. The entry passed at the Custom House sets the value down at £629, whilst the landing waiters estimate it at between £4,000 and £5,000.

Dr. Hubert's Experiment

; December 16th, 1878. I had a qucor and a terrible dream last night ; bub then, my dreams are always terrible— as grotesquely terrible ad any ever conceived by the morbid imagination of Edgar Poe. What a feeling of relief it is to awake and find that tho fearful experiences through which we have parcel had no foundation in facts. There is a pleasure in this letutu to the actual life of disappointment and toil, which fully compensates for the tetrors of sleep. This was my dream :— I found myself wandering about In a vast solemn forest. Through the openings in the foliage overhead 1 caught sight of a dull, leaden sky. "Not a streak of sunlight brightened up the sombre tints of dark green. It was silent and still as the grave. No cound of singing birds — not the faintest breath of wind stirred the branches. Silence, loneliness, and desolation reigned around me, and I felt that intense awe and terror which we always feel when brought to recognise our littlene&s in the midst of immensity. As I wandered aimlessly about hoping that I might escape from the maddening loneliness, and yet conscious of the futility of my efforts — I came to a stunted pine-tree. On one of the lower blanches, about 6 feet from the ground, there hung suspended a human head. I approached the ghastly object without any dread ; but rather with a feeling of relict ; for was I not in the presence of something which, not long ago, belonged to a living world? In gazing intently upon the features it seemed to me as though I had seen them before— they seemed so familiar to me. All at once it flashed upon me ! I recognised the scar in the temple ! Yes ; there could be no doubt about it ; the head was that of my brother CSeorge. The face was not such as when I last looked upon him ; but as it might be now, after ten years' absence. I touched the cold forehead —and I awoke. Somewhere in Horace 1 have read — " Post meJiam noctcm cum soninia vera." But then in our days, as a matter of course, we do not believe in dreams. Science has explained the phenomenon quite satisfactorily — (atall events to the {satisfaction of tho learned physiologists) - on purely materialistic grounds. Still, itappcars to me, after all has been said, that in dreaming wo arc brought face to face with a mystery whi"h vague phrases about unconscious ccrcbratioTi cannot account for, and which demonstrates—well not exactly demonstrates, but at all events suggests — the possibility of man consisting of something besides ilesh and bone. For is it not a fact that the mind, duringf its nocturnal oon t 3oiou&ne&s, displays pow ers which it could never manifest in its wakeful state? While di cam ing the most ordinary peison is endowed with the faculties of an expert dramatist. Ho depicts scenes, conceives plots, invents characters, and composes dialogues which he puts in the mouths of these chaiactcrs. But my diary Ls already well-filled with metaphysical speculations, and I shall not turther dilate upon this subject. 1 wonder what has become of George? This dream has somehow awakened a distinct recollection of certain words spoken by our father in the days of our childhood. I remember him saying that he dreaded George's futiue because of the flatness of the top of his head and the width across the ears ; and afteryears corroborated the coriectness of the-se apprehensions. Ho was a cruel, stubborn, and untruthful boy, and he grew up an unscrupulous man. His youth was an incessant period of dissipation, and ten years ago he left England to escape the consequences of flagrant dishonesty. Perhaps he has altered and under different circumstances become a better man. lie had not gone too far for reformation. Woise men than lie have leformed. June 3rd, 1879. Though I have been in Paiis more than three weeks, I have only made one friend in all the time. This fiiend is Dr. Hubert, a German, who is a very learned man — in fact, a veritable scientific encylopredia — a classical scholar, a bold experimentalist and a brilliant conversationalist. He is also a man of kindly feelings and a warm heart, and he is beside — not to forget one of his chief points of character —an enthusiastic vivisectionist. .Strange that such opposite, seemingly irreconcilable qualities should bo united, but they often are. Theio aie some men who seem to consist of a dual personality. They are one in private life, another in their professional career. They have one character for the hearth, another for the forum. Robespierre as a private individual was sympathetic and tender-hearted, and would not injure a tly ; but as the leader of a theory he would guillotine a nation. Last evening J spent with Dr. Hubert and his family. After dinner he suggested that we should retire to his study for an hour or two's chab. I must confess I would rather have remained by the side of his pretty daughter chatting about German music and literature, but, submitting to the inevitable, I went with the doctor. "The day after to-morrow," said the doctor, when seated, "I shall perform the most interesting experiment of my life." "Some other poor monkey or rabbit to be massacred on behalf of science?" I asked. "No," replied the doctor, "this timo I experiment on a higher class of animals — on a human being." " On a human being," I repeated, startled and horrified. " Well, perhaps I should rather say a part of a human being," said the doctor. '"You know I have long held the theory that by decapitation death is not sudden, but that i consciousness continues in the head for some time, and ceases only gradually, for as the head contains the organ of the mind, and as the brain performs its functions as long as it is supplied with blood, it follows that thought and feeling linger in the severed head until the blood has completely left the brain. Were it now possible to inject a continued supply of blood into the severed head, its life could be prolonged for a long time. This I intend to verify the day after tomorrow. On that day a murderer is to be guillotined, and in the interests of science the authorities have given me permission to experiment on his head. 1 shall be pleased to see you with me on that occasion. You will never get another such chance of witnessing an interesting experiment. I have hired some rooms in the immediate vicinity of the place of execution, and as soon as the knife of the guillotine has fallen, the head will be brought to me as quickly as the bearer can run. You must certainly come. " Though 1 am naturally a timid man, the terrible has always had a strange fascination over my mind, and, though my blood ran cold at the thought of the siokening sight, I promised to come. October 3rd, 1879. Thanks to my youth, I have now nearly recovered from the effects of that awful shock ; but in the months which have elapsed since then I have become an aged man, and the terrible scene haunts me still with the tenacity of Frankenstein's monster. On the morning of the day on which I was to witness Dr. Hubert s experiment I

rose very early, and .13 there was some time till the hour of execution, 1 looked up the old file of newspapers, and read the trial of the condemned man. He was a foreigner, though no one knew from what country he came, and he had himself preserved the most dogged silence as to his antecedents befoie ho came to "France, where he had been 5 years, and where ho was known by the name of Do Lisl ?. His career in France had b, i ca ,'ri unrcinilbed scries of villainies and ciiinui, culminating in the murder ;i::d lohbery ol an old miser. 1 finiai c ! leiciinj; the trial without fooling a single *parL of pity for the man. He had richly de->er\cJ hi.-* fate, and all feeling of commiseration being eliminated from m^ mind. 1 thought myself strong enough to witnc&s the diead experiment. At the appointed time I was in the doctor's rooms — • only a couple of hundred yauls away from the scaffold. I found, besides the doctor, two of his fellow scientists who were to aid him. There were also two herculean-look-ing fellows with bare arms. They were the subjects from whom the doctor was to transfuse the necessary amount of blood for the resuscitation of the sobered head, and I thought in looking at thorn that they could stand losing 0 good deal of blood with impunity. The doctor explained to mo the process of transfusion. Over a table was srspended a ling, which was to receive the head. I felt very excited and very nervous. The door was tin own violently open, and in rushed c man with a box in his hand. Tn an instant of time Dr. Hubert had opened it and fixed the ghastly, bloody contents in the ring. J gave ri loud shriek when I looked at it. 1 recognised the scar and the features as those that I had seen once in a dream. Rcfore mo was the head of the guillotined mm dci or — my brother. 0. E. Hugo.