TOPICS OF THE DAY. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) London, April 20.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 374, 5 June 1889, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) London, April 20.

Tin; Garrick premiere next Wednesday will bo a great occasion. The company is a very strong one, including Mr Forbes Robertson, Mr Cathcart, Mr Sydney Brough, and, of course, Mr Ha ro himself ; also Mrs Bernard Beero, Miss Kate Rorke, Miss Olga Nefchersole, Miss Blanche Horlock, and Mrs Gaston Murray. Pinoro's new drama, " The Profligate," alone ferms the bill of-fare, a song which will be sung ' in the second act being composed, we are informed, by Sir A. Sullivan. " Buffalo Bill " has at length come to an arrangement with the Pans Municipal authorities and obtained a suitable site tor the erection of the "Wild Wild West" show. It will be much larger and smarter in overy way than it wa3 in London, and should draw " tout Paris." The success of Burnand and Solomon's cantata " Pickwick" has induced Solomon to try his hand at a musical version of the "Area Belle," aptly renamed "Hot Coppers," which will presently be produced at the Comedy Theatre.

Literary Notes. The new number of the " Universal Review " issuod last Monday contains two interesting memorial articles on "Jno. Bright' by the great tribune's staunch comrade the venerable Chas. Pelham Villiers, and by Professor Thorold Rogers. The former's contribution should not be missed Forthcoming works of interest include a new theosophist novel by Marie Corelli, author of "A Romance of Two Worlds;" " Diana Wentworth," by Caroline Fothergill; and "A Window in Thrums " by J. M. Barrie, whose admirable tale of journalistic life in London, " When a Man's Single," I cannot too forcibly commend to youngsters with literary aspirations. Poor " Robert Elsmere " has been preached upon, lectured at, and criticised to death. Now I see he is being used in the States to push tea, patent medicines, and "shoddy" generally. At the great store in Chicago, for example, " every purchaser of five pounds of prime tea at half-a-dollar per lb will be presented with a handsomely bound copy of either that immortal work ' Robert Elsmere ' or of Mrs Elizabeth ] Shandon's thrilling ghost stoi-y Imoogene s fchade, or Murder will Out.' " In hits new story, "Griefenstein " (which McMillans have included in theii\ Colonial library), Mr Murron Crawford abandons Italy for Germany, and draws for us an admirable picture of the Teutonic aristocrat, full of pluck, pride, and prejudice. The scenes at Heidelberg (or is it Bonn ?), and the vivid descriptions of the korps oaronals and duels are excellently done, and perfectly true to life, in fact, this is tho best part of the book. The story itself is a terribly gloomy one, and the culminating tragedy (which it would be unfair to intending readers to hint at), overstrained. Nevertheless, " Grief enstoin," will distinctly repay perusal.

VizKTELLY, the well-known publisher, has been sentenced to three months' imprisonment for selling Zola's novels in England, although the book in question has been revised since the flue was imposed.