A Strange Dinner.

One of the most curious things in the way of entertaining was done lately by Mr Farini, of the great variety agency company of Warner and Farini. While he was 'on tour ' in Australia with ' Professor ' Baldwin he gave a big dinner in London, to his friends and patrons, principally the musichall proprietors, for whom "he provides ' talent' of all kinds.

The London correspondent of the Argus,' always bright and pithy, gives the following account of how the guests were pot together. Besides the music-hall proprietors, and the pick of Farini and Warner's clientele, there was a sprinkling of men of distinction and men abojjt town —the two latter classes being provided en bloc by that strange being 'Broadley Pasha,' whilom the defender of Arabi— who, amongst many avocations, acts as a sort of social broker ' for bringing together people who would not otherwise meet,' as the phrase goes. Of course, no limit was given in the flowing speeches of the evening as io how it was that the banquet had come to be graced with its noble, learned, artistic, and legislative fringe. Mr Warner spoke of his guests with overflowing affection as if he nad known them from childhood. 'Gentlemen, 5 he said, 'I see before me almost every music-hall proprietor in the United Kingdom. And there are other gentlemen here also, who are not music-hall proprietors, and whom I thank for coming here to-night to testify to that friendship for me and my partner which has so long subsisted between us.' Here the men of the world bowed gravely, and drank to the 'music-hallelement,' and the 'music-hall element' bowed and drank in response. Before-entering the hall, not one in ten of the above-mentioned ' fringe' had an idea who Farini and Warner were, or why they had been invited. But London is a strange place. Many worthy people starve there ; but many others less worthy, and with no better claim on humanity, can feed like princes all the year round, and never be asked to pay.