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London Table Talk,
SJostiy \bmit Pictures^ People,
roitf Plays,
[Frou: our Londcil Oorreapondout,]
London, May l'i. 1883.
The weather 13 so line and suinmer-like
that we are all looking forward gleefully
to the Whitsuntide holidays, which com
mence to-morrow, Parliament rises this
afternoon, and there will than be a
general ezodus and a lull in the London
season of perhaps 10 day3. After which
comes the turmoil of Epsom and t.li3
inevitable annual conundrum - '' What
will win the Derby
The situation in which Mr. Donnelly,
of "Baconian Cryptogram'' notoriety,
finds himself must be galling, to say tlia
least of it. He came over here in full
anticipation of being par excellence the
" lion' of the present London season.
Boston and New York had alike a33ured
him this would be so. The Shake
spearean Society if not shaken to its
foundations, was to be deeply moved by
and interested in Mr, Donnelly's dis
coveries, and sa vants of all sorta and con
ditions were to talk the great cryptogram
into a burning question. Alas ! for poor
Ignatius, London has refused to_ be bored
by the cryptogram. E?en the Royal
Society have gently pooh-poohed it. Mr.
Donnelly attended their conversazione
the other evening, willing; nay, anxious,
to say a few words about his " mission of
exposure.' Had he been a fine-looking
man with a dignified presence his fate
might possibly have been different. As
it was people merely wondered vaguely
what on earth "the little bald-head" was
talking about. The two thick volumes on
the cryptogram published last week by
. Sampson Low it Go. fell completely flat.
Sotherans, who are the principal vendors
of this class of literature, have nob 3old a
single copy, and many libraries are not
even taking the book. The flash of public
interest excited by the fuss_ over the
matter in America, and the articles in the
Daily Telegraph, must have died out
almost at once-killed, I suppose, by
ridicule. Said Labby to Mr. Donnelly,
when a mutual friend introduced them,
111 believe in the cryptogram," " NoT
replied the delighted Ignatius, flattering
himself he had secured a powerful ally.
"Yes," continued Labby, "but I draw
altogether different conclusions from it.
Give me five minutes, and I'll prove to
you by your own arguments that it is far
more likely a clever man like Shake
speare wrote that stupendous old humbug
Bacon's works than th .b Bj.COII wrote
Shakespeare's." Poor Djnnelly was
speechless.
Hr, Gladstone made another great hit
last week. Somehow the G.O.M. is in
immense form this session, though he
never seemed further from office than he
does now. But his own confidence in the
future begets confidence in other people.
To quote an ardent follower-"It is
Gladstone's fine, cock-sure, wlnning
handa-down spirit which makes the Timed
leader-writers writhe in their boots, and
curse through miles of clumsy Johnsonese
the impertinent old man who will not die
when ft suits them. For Mr, Gladstone,
who could about equal the combined ages
of Mr. Chamberlain and Lord Har ting ton,
has twenty times their enthusiasm, a
hundred times their force, and a thousand
times their belief in the righteousness of
his cause." He knows he is going to
win just aa they know they are going to
lose. And it is this grand self confidence
that impresses and rightly impresses the
country. We look to our leaders for the
note of decision, which clears the moral
atmosphere, helps us to plain issues, and
generally relieves the strain of the present
situation.
The Duke of Westminster seems a quiet,
simple5 inoffensive gentleman, altogether
without the inordinate pride and self-ihi
portance his actions appear to indicat?.
His grace's last betise (I really don t
know what else to call it) has excited con
siderable amusement in Giadstjnit.n
circles. The duke was once a profound
admirer o£ the G.O.M.'a, but when the
latter took up with Parneii and the Irish
party he not merely metaphorically, bat
practically shut the do ;r nf Grosvencr
House in Mr. and Sirs. Gladstone's fivces.
It was, however, surely going too far to
cut little Bobby Spencer (as Mr. Hobert
Spencer is called) for dining with the
Eighty Club when they banqueted
Parnell. Mr. Spencer it seems had been
bidden to dinner at Grosvennr House on
a certain date. After the Eighty Club
reunion, however, he received a note
from the duke cancelling the invitation.
"God alone knew," qaoth his grace,
" what pain it gave him to take this
step : but believing a3 he did that
Parnell was an assassin of the vilest type,
and a coward to boot, he could not break
bread with anyone who associated with
him."
"Dorothy" will be played for the600jh
time at the Prince of Wales's Theatre
this evening. The house is crowded at
every performance, and the'piece goes
better than ever. The " Old Guard" i3
well on towards its 250th night, and
" David Garxick" will to day week roach
its : 100th performance. The latter is
perhaps the most conspicuous success of
all, depending a3 it does entirely on
Charies Wyntihanvs fine acting in the
title role. By-the-way, six of the suc
cessful plays now holding the London
boards are dramatic versions of popular
novels, and another, " Mr. Barnes, of
New York," is on the verge of produc
tion at the Olympic Theatre, where it was
recently tried at a matinee as "To the
Death."
Till Mr. Lecky in his speech at the
Royal Academy banquet referred to
Robert Buchanan's " Jity of Dream" as
" a poem, destined to take a prominent
place in the literature of our time," very
few people had even heard of that great
woik. On Monday morning there was a
general rush to the bookseliers to purchase
it and investigate " the pictures of Greek
mythology worthy to compare with those
with which Sir Frederick Leighton has
delighted us."
At the same time the question of what
is the picture of the year par excellence
was settled by the Duke of Cambridge
publicly conferring royal approbation on
Alma Tadenifi's wonderful "Rose3 of
lieliogabalus," which I recently described
to you, Mr. John Aird, the contractor,
is the possessor of this chef d'a-nvre, the
price paid being, on (lit, G.000 guineas,
Agnew, the dealer, openly stated he would
gladly have given 8,000 guineas for it and
considered his bargain a good one.
Mr. ItouDg has after much considera
tion resolved-to revive "Macbeth" in
September next. Ellen Terry will then
for the first time essay Lady Macbeth.
Mrs. Bandmann-Palmer's matinee per
formance of " Macbeth" the other day
proved a success financially, the Olympic
being crowded with kind friends of the
beneficiares and critics anxious to see
how Willard acquitted himself as the
Thane of Cawdor. Mrs. B.P.'s Laay
Macbeth is a comfortable matronly party,
very much the "grey mare," and Willard
as Macbeth seemed downright afraid of
her. Moreover, blank versa doesn't suit
him. He is more at home in melo
drama.
Extraordinary interest is bBing taken
in the^production of the dramatic version
of Hall Caine's " Deemster" at the Prin
cess's to-morrow evening. I triad in
vain to secure a reserved seat of some sort,
though the house is one of the largest in
London. Report speaks highly of
Wilson Barrett's Dan Mylrea, which
should certainly be a great performance if
he understands the character thoroughly.
The opening of the " New Gallery,"
as Messrs, Comyns-Carr & Halle have
christened a very handsome suite of rooms
in Regent street, has after all proved a
severe blow to the Grosvenor. The pri
vate view on Taesday was the smartest
afternoon conversazione of the season so
far; and tlis show, aa a show, is far in
front of the Grosvenor, and not far
behind tha Academy, Bams Jones's
pictures alone would attract all London
there. " The Bock of Doom" and " The
Doom Fulfilled" are the two best. Tha
former represents au adorably beautiful
nude Andromeda chained to the rock on
a lonely shore. Perseus, having just re
moved Ilia helmet of darkness, has become
visible to her, and ia on the point of
effecting her deliverance. In the " Doom
FEilfilled" Perseus, in full armor, is
writhing in deadly conflict with the
monster imaginatively conceived as a
huge serpent. Andromeda with ^her
back to the spectator looks on. "ft atts
has also a great picture h9re called 1 The
Angel of Death." In idea ifc is not unliKe
his°"Hope." But really there_ i3 no
use in attempting to describe pictures ;
one never conveys a right impression.
Mr. Labouchere is, 1 am sorry to hear,
in very far from good health, Something
has gone wrong with liis heart, and he
ought to keep quiet and do no work of
any kind. Bat of course he won't listen
to advice, and lceep3 his friends sadly
nervous. . .
JohD Lawrence Toole's " Reminis
cences,1' edited by genial Job Hatton,
will run through the Sunday Times
serially to begin with. Two instal
ments have appeared, and been so
freely quoted all over the country one
Is forced to the conclusion that when the
book itself turns up its contents will be
stale. On dit, the serial rights fetched
£2,000.
That there Is still plenty of money in
the market for good pictures was made
evident at Christie's '.last Saturday, where
70 paintings from the collection of the
late Mr. Bolckow, M.P., of Marton Hall,
Middlesborough, realised £71)387, or an
average of 1,040 guineas _ each. The
liMiest price paid was £5,550, for Ro3a
Bonheur's " Highland Cattle," and the
lowest £74. Millais' "North-West Pas
sage" fetched 4,000 guineas, and Land
seer's " Braemar" 4,950 guineas.
"Francis or Frances" is the title of a
most extraordinary story just published
by Arrowamith. The leading idea would
do credit to W. S. Gilbert or Robert
Louis Stevenson, but unfortunately the
author's execution is not equal to his in
spiration. Francis and Frances are an
unexplainable phenomenon in the way of
twins. Two children are bom to unlucky
Mrs. Jutland ; but 24 hours later, at 5
minutes to 7 in the evening, one of them
(the boy) disappears, Tha next night
at the same time the boy reappears and
the girl disappears ; and so it goes on, the
children twins only on alternate days.
The outward appearance of twins is, how
ever, kept up, and the pair grow up with
the secret undiscovered. Of course con
trrtcmys occur, as when Policeman X
bavin'' locked up Francis for a tipsy frolic
at a quarter to 7 one evening returns at a
quarter-past only to find a trembling girl,
the unlucky Frances, in her brothers
place. Hu\\" iho phenomenon ends ft
would not be fair to say. Bay and read
the little book for yourselves. 44 Burglar
Bill," the amusing skit that has been ap
pearing in Pi'.nch, i3 by Mr. Ansley
Guthrie of " Vice "Versa" fame. It will
be republished forthwith in shilling form.
" Dead or Alive," by Mrs. Diehl, which I
commended to ycu aa a fair average
" shocker" when it was running through
the Family Herald, is the latest addition
to the "Family Story-teller Series."
Mrs. Arthur Stannard (John Strange
Winter), who was the literary "lion' of
London society last year and the year
before has been completely deposed by
Mrs. Humphry Ward, the author of
" Robert Elsmers," who was the observed
of all observers at the Ilalle-Carrnassian
private view on Tuesday. Mrs. Ward^is an
American, and a great friend of Mary
Anderson, whose career she described^ (or
p. as supposed lu have describeu) in^ l>liSB
Bretherton." Mr. Gladstone did not
undertake to review " Robert Elamere"
IMitly. He was profoundly convinced of
the importance of getting accurately at
the clergyman's views as expressed in the
be ok, go he sent for Mrs. Ward, and talked
theoloay to her for two hours. " She a a
clever" woman, but Elsmere's heresies
must be demolished" z r. I the grand old
churchman, and aat uu.vn to demolish
them.
It is in deference to a request ot
Buskin's that Mrs. Stannard continues to
retain "Booties" and " Mignon" in all
her stories. '' Bootie s Children is, we
hear, to be the next volume of the series.
A dramatic version of " Bootle's Baby '
was nroduced with fair success at the
Globe Theatre last week. The part of
Mignon is played by the youngest scion
of a great histrionic family-to wit, little
Minnie Terry. The tiny actress is tne
neice of Ellen and Marion Terry, and a
clever little thing. Miss Edith Wood
worth, an actress who retired just as she
was beginning to be known on a large
fortune left her by an elderly admirer, re
turned to the stage to play Mignon s
mother. I never saw the lady before,
and can't say she seemsd more than an
r.mateur. The play, Indeed, was more
than once Imperilled by her bad acting.
They tell me at Mudie's that next to
"Robert Elsmere," Farjeon's "Miser
Farebrother," Mrs. Oliphant's "Joyce,"
and Norm's " Chris" are the novels most
asked. "Herr Paulus" and the "Devil's
Die" seem to have failed to catch on.
Starting price bettors grumble that it
would have been preferable if Friar's
Balsam had been conspicuous by his ab
sence instead of by his abscess in the Two
Thousand. They blame Cannon for not
turning back when he found the horse's
mouth"was full of blood, averring he had
not tlicn been in tho starccr 3 liancls, and
would have saved their money. What
these worthies forget is that owners and
trainer had backed the colt heavily pp.,
and that their money vuidd have gone
if ho failed to start. It was a ticklish
situation, and Cannon rightly resolved to
let the peer animal do ita best, unfor
tunately, the best proved to be very
bjidi Some curious persons would like to
know what inspired Mr. Fry, the big
bookmaker, to lay such vast sums against
the apparent ccrtainty. In an in
cautious moment after the he ad
mitted that his winnings exceeded £U),UUU,
and that he had penned no less than
£00,000 against Friar's Balsam for the
Derby. Strange to say, too, Mr. Fry was
the "bookie" who foresaw the dowmall
of Merry Hampton in last year's Leger
and this year's City and Suburban, >nd
profited largely thereby.
Whilst the horses were at the post for
tha One Thousand Guineas Briar Root
wa3 restive. "Keep your crocodile
quiet," yelled Loru Marcus Jjeresford,
the starter, to little Warne, "and don't
upset horses that have a chance of win
ning." His surprise 10 minutes later
when he rode up to the Rowley Mile
stand and heard that the "crocodile"
had romped in alone was considerable.
It is said, however, Seabreeze wa3 badly
ridden and will win the Caks. We shall
see.
The death is announced, at a com
r.aiatively early' age, of Reginald Shirley
Brooks, son of the Shirley Brooks, and
known all over the world as the " Peter
Blobbs" of the Spotting Time<. He wa3
the first, or one oc the first, of the " clean
shirt" school of journalists, and enter
tained a profound contempt for " the
press." as represented by the reporters of
the House of Commons and the snuffy
veterans of the Savage Club. To be well
dressed and generally comma it feint wa3,
he considered, as much the duty of a
"newspaper man" as of a barrister or a
parson. But, nevertheless, young Brook3
lived hard and fast, and was as Bohemian
in many of his tastes a3 his prototype
Blobbs. Few men could get through
more work in less time, and its quality
was invariably good. He started many
journalistic ventures, the moat promising
being Sketch, but it waa not till the "Bird
o' Freedom " became a big success that
he can be said to have really settled down.
Poor Brooks waa never very strong, and
like most of the staff of the " Pink Un,
burnt tin? C&adie too bravely at both ends
to last long. He had bean auiTdriug from
consumption arid rheumatism combined
for some time and boen unable to work ;
nevertheless the end was unexpectedly
sudden. At tlie funeral, which was well
attended, "Master" (John Corlett) broke
down altogether ; and the <[ Shifter" (Mr.
"VV. F. Goldberg) was deeply effected.
Sala, F. C. Burnand. and most of the
wringer school of journalists were
amongst the mourners, and several clubs
sent wreaths. Yale ! Blobbs. B.I,P.
The great turf trial of Wood v. Licensed
Victuallers Gazette i3 fixed awkwardly
enough for Derby week, indeed, it seems
poasible that instead of riding over
Epsom Eowns many leading jockeys will
be hanging about the law courts. If
possible, however, something will be
arranged,
$