TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 247, 17 March 1888, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Precis : Sad Tragedy — Burning of a Suwoskd FmhruooK TnßA ike— Narrow Escal'k ok 3,000 Persons — Absolute Sak&ty is TIIKATBES IMPRACTICABLE — Til 15 PANTOMIMES— The "Tkvjxo" Season for Ownkhs OK TIIOROUIIGURKDS— 7,OOO CtUINEAB WoHTH OF IIOKSKKMSbII NOT WOKTH TRAINIXtJ— IIoW to Try a Ykaulixo— Mibb 33raudon'h Mk\v Skkial '" Tjik 1 (1 a'J % al Tiibkk " Mr J3 lack's HOUSKBOAT AT LAW -GOOD STORIKS IN THK January Maga/ine«~Nk\y jSovkls— Niflw Editions, etc., etc.

London, January 12. The most notable facts in connection with blio burning of the (hand Theatre at Islington are:— (l) That tliemischiet originated, as usual, in the Hies, and (2) that although constructed entirely of fire-prooi material and on the latest approved principles, the building burnt as fast and iieiecly as though mere Inch and plaster. Two hours earlier tho hoii!>e was tilled from iloor to ceiling with an audience numbei ing 3,000 odd. What would have occurred had an alarm been given then, one hesitates to think. My own imprc-sion is that it will never be po^ible to make a large theatio absolutely sate. Drury Lane hah e.Mts innumerable, bub ii a scaie broke out during a pantomime time nothing could prevent a pioportion of the thou^iiuU jam moil in the pit and gnileiy, oi oven dress circlo and .stalls, being ci u-ahod to denth. The olhoi evening when we wore there, four out of the live principal aisle? in the stnllb wore choked with chaiis. The authorities taUc owl lev- pains ir, iwtia. doors, etc., yet scorn to clce their cyo-> to overcrowding. No doubt it >.". u ticklish difficulty to tackle. The (Jrand Theatre vab burnt down before, wlien known as tho Philharmonic. The piescnt lessee did not carry it on extcn:>ively, yet 300 persons are thrown out of employment by tho stoppage of the pantomime, iam told that if anything happened to the big show at Drury Lane, clot«e upon 2,000 poisons would suller. Augustus Han in is not having things all his own way this year. I have not seen it yet,' but I hear "Jack and the Beanstalk " at Covent (<arden uins a dead heat with " Paws in Boots," even it it is not superior to that somewhat overgorgeous production. The iunny " panto' 1 of tho season is, ah often happen.-., across the water at the old-ia&hioned Surrey Theatre. 3?hi«* is the time of the yenr when the owner of a racing stud, with a view to coming entr.ie^, tries the youngsters for whom he gave so many hundreds or thousands at auction last summer. Kecdless to say, it often proves a season of most doleful surprise*, .©no .hears, for example, that a bafcoh of Mr Abington's yearlitiirs, tor which he gave an aggregate of 7,000 guineas, were, shortly before Chrislma?*, easily beaten by a second-rate selling plater that was conceding them two Uom. Of course, thi^ is veiy bad ; yot some of those youngster.-* may and probubly v, ill win races next autumn. All the trial may mean is that they won't come on early. (Reports from Newmarket concerning lecent yearling trials are, however, generally bad, and such rich atake* as the Brockle^by, at Lincoln, and the Hyde Park Plate should not take much winning. To show how poor early two-year-old form usually is, I may mention that the principal winner at Lincoln last spring had been beaten at home by a .-elling plater, which wus sold at auction at the same meeting for £120. The higher- 1 known trial of a yearling is that of Ecossius, who startled Tom Jennings in November' by doing a big thing with Blenheim (I think it was), then almost king of the T.Y.C. Unfortunately, illness, prevented the colt's appearance till Ascot, when it smothered a big field for the new stakes. M. Lefevre thought he had the classic races of 1874 in his pocket, but the colt proved to be only a iivo furlonger. The Bard was highly tried as a yearling, but Ormonde failed when asked a question about the same time. Hence the latters lato debut. Betting is at a standstill and will continue so until the middle of January, when, the weights for the Spring Handicaps are clue. Miss Braddon's new novel is entitled "The Fatal Three," and contains, I am told, an incident in the first chapter .suiiicently exciting to stimulate the inteio&t of even the most languid reader. It commenced to run serially through papers in Great Britain, the States, and India last, Saturday. On the same date Mr William Black's long- promised "Strange Adventures of a Houseboat " was started in the " Illustrated London News." In this story we are again to sec much of the delightful " Queen Tjtania " of "Strange Adventures of a Phaeton. " Two artists have been engaged for some months past making sketches on the Thames to work up into illustrations, and everything possible will be done io make the tale the author's chefd'aiivre. Of the new serial stories in the January magazines, W. E. Norris's "Chris" in "MacMillan's" and Miss Fothergill's " From Moor Isles " in " Tompie Bar ** promise best. The latter, as at present conducted, is a most admirable collection of mixed reading. " MacMillan's," by the way, contains a whimsical little story by Mr T. Anstey, in which the troubles of a noted ghost-collector's heir are amusingly set forth. There ia also a really powerful short tale called " The Statement of Gabriel Foofce, Highwayman," by Q. (the author of "Dead Man's Pvock") in •'Longman's" for January. "Chamber's Journal" contains the final instalment of " Richard Cable, Lightshipmap," the mosfc eccentric and least successful of the three novels Mr Baring Gould wrote last year. Mr Grant Allen will supply " Chambers" with fiction during '88. His new story i • entitled " This Mortal Coil." A groat surprise has been occasioned by the discovery that the remarkable novel known as " Tho New Antigone " is by an obscure Roman Catholic priest. Recall tho plot, and you'll easily understand what I mean. The only new books I need mention at present are William Westgarth's "A Fair Cinsader," which goes in for whitewashing, or rather, glorifying the Salvation Army, and an American "shocker." "Who is John Noman ?" I have not read the latter, but the " Afchenreum " speaks well of it. To give a fillip to the sale of " King Solomon's Mines," an illustrated edition is being issued. Up to the present 56,000 copies of this work have been disposed of. Some of you may not be aware (though you will recognise the truth of the fact the instant) 1 mention it) that a popular educational book is the" most profitable ' literary property an- ~ author ■ or publisher can possess. . Of Todhunter's Algebra alone no fewer than 120,000 copies are sold per annum, and, what T>i\ William Smith's royalties .amount, to -I shouldn't like to< say. , Occasionally authors of the scholastic >I'ype .get; ■ wofully dono, s |iy I ,b.eard .only the other day of a poor French • piaster, who'sbld' for"£2sJ a{lconv,ersnt<ioa {1 conv,ersnt<ioh x manual which' turns in the publisher a steady £300 a year. J . When, the little 1 work became a success ho made an' ad mi&hricovdiwn appeal for better terms. After much demur the publisher conceded another £25. feren,t this, to the action of Cassell's, who, ,aft?r .paying Rider Haggard a"t>hump|ng sum,' '■conceded, a,, substantial royalty iqn, eWy copy >o,f his book gold. ♦ . • - ') "