Song, Stage, and Story.

The Fauab-Lawfcon Novelty Company have been playing to good business at the Opera House this week, and changes of programme have been frequent.

Tha Pobter-Bellew Company aro announced to open ab Auckland on December Ist). Mrs Browa-Pokter intends to visit the Hofc Lakes before the commencement of the New Zealand tour.

Pollard's Opera Company played a fournights' season"ab Timaru this week, to good houses. They open at Chriatchurch on Monday, with • Rip Van Winkle.' Miss Edith Blande, formerly a member of Bland Holt's Company, took apart in 'My Artful Valet),' recently played ab Terry's Theatre, London, and was well spoken of. Miss May Pollard has gone feo India as insbrucfereßS to a Juvenile Opera Company, recently organised in Australia. The London Gaiety Theatre Company made a clear pvofib of £16,000 on their lasb year's productions, and £7,080 more in the shape af royalties on provincial toura._ The directors declared dividends amounting bo 15 par cent. The cosb of free programmes, it transpired, is about £1,500 a year. Mr Frank Thornton sails again for Australia aud Now Zealand per Orizaba on October 30th, taking with him a repertoire consisting of ' Charley's Aunt," • Mamma,' 'Tha Private Secretary,' 'The Bookmaker,' 'The Strange Adventures of Misa Brown,1 and 'Sweeb Lavender.' Wilson Barrebb has sold tho provincial rights of his- new religious play ' The Daughter of Babylon ' for £5,000 down. If it ia another ' Sign of the Cross ' this should leave the buyor a good margin of profit. But whab a risk. Great auccessee,' one knows, seldom follow each other. Mr Barrett, by the way, has converted ' The Sign of the Cross' into a novel. If Mr Barrebb take 3to fiction Misa Corelli will have to look to her laurels. Mias Mario Corolli has been unable to find a London manager appreciative enough to accept her dramatisation of ' Tho Sorrowß of Satan.' Rumour has it thab ehe is forming a syndicate to produce bhe play. Mr George Rignold intends bo produce 'Henry V.' ab the Melbourne Theatre Royal when * Tommy Abkius ' is wibhdrawn. His Sydney season will commence next month, after which he will feour New Zealand, commencing ab Auckland about the end of March.

Mias MarioLoffcus, one of the brighb stars of the London music halls, ia aboub bo follow the exampla of other distinguished members of her profession, and tour ia Australia early next year.

Tho roll of ' Little Dixie's' drum will be hoard no moro. ' Dixie,' a email coloured man, was familiar to all colonial playgoers as a ekilfu! performer on the s»ida drum. Ho first came to New Zealand many years ago with the Hicks-Sawyer Minstrels, and ona of the features of their ' march oub' wan ths Htble man's playing. Eeconbly he returned to Now Zealand with the Elite Variety Company, and afterwards he became a member of the Godfrey combination, which is now appearing in Napier. A few days before bhe company left Auckland be complained of feeling ill—' cramps ' was tha trouble—but he declined to go to the hospital or even to seek medical advice. When bhe company reached Napier ho was still unwell, and was unabla to take hia place in the orchestra last Saturday evening. He retired to resc aboub 11.30 p.m., having again declined bo sea a doctor, as ho thought he would be all right in the morning. That was the lasb time tho little drummer was seen alivo. Whan tho room wae opened tho next morning he was found dead on the floor. ' Lifetle Dixio ' was a young man ; his real name does nob appear to be known, or indeed any other particulars concerning him.

Mr George Darrell whilo in Brisbane recently staged for the first time an entirely original psychological play from hia own pen, entitled ' Convict Once.' The motif oi tha play, says Mr Darrell, was conceived after reading Mr Brunton Stephen's beautitul poem ' Convict Once.' In thab poem bhe crime of tho heroine ia nob told, but Mr Darrell ' has woven a poetic fancy of his own into dramatic shape.'

Not only Miss Hilda Spong bub Mr ' Billie ' Eiton, Mr Chaa. Glenny, and Mr Clarence Holts will appear in the * Duchosß of Coolgardie 'at Drury Lane. A comedy parh will bQ undertaken by Mias Eato Phillips, Tho drama extends over five acts, and may bo summarised thus :—Act 1 : Scone I—The inn of ths Widow O'Xlara, in Coolgardie. Scene 2 — The Wilderness. The fighh for bhe nugget. *Acb II: Again in tho Wilderness. Acb 111 : Scene 1— The Erin-go-Bragh Hotel. Scene 2—Main street in Coolgardio. Tho revolt. Act IV: Scene I—Oab in bhe scrub. Scene 2—The police cell. Scene 3 —The Warden's Courb at Coolgardie. Act V,', The New Inn of Erin-go-Bragb ; The House Warming:. Mr John Colenian represents hia venture as a return to the drama proper and a protest against the school of play which ho auras up in tho phrase ' Paris Fash-una/ In the course of a puff-preliminary-ioterviow Mr Coieman is reported to doclare: I have made a careful study of fche drama of the moment and I find ib all begins and ends with ' Paris Fash-uns.' The impetus, Bir, was givon by my dear friend Gus in ' Cheer, Boys, Cheer,' and affcer him they have all followed. Igo to the Gaiety and what do I see? Paris Fash-uns; to bhe Adelphi, Paris Fashuns; and in fact everywhere do I find the iconoclastic trail of the decorative millino.-'a dummy—a drum, sir, of tawdries, toilettes and totties. I like ife, sir—but is ib art ?Ib may be art—with a big H —bub is Eb arb with a big A ? "No, sir, no—a thousand times no. When I saw bhe drama being swamped by fche octopus-armed rapidity of Paris fashions, I thoughb thab the time had arrived for a play written, produced and played for the play's sake, and nob for Paris Faahuna. I have gathered round me a fine cast. My friend, Herman Vezin, will play a small parb —an artist, sir, will play any parb. My leading lady is Miss Hilda Spong, of Australia, where the gold and the dramas without Paris Fashuns coma from. She i« beaubiful to look upon and fair to view. Mr Shine will play an Iriah parb. I think he will play ib well—bub ife is a drama in bhe strict sense of the term, and at the end there ia a situation naturally led up to which will astonish them.' LITERARY NOTES. Tho inner history of the Phoenix Park murders, which Mr Tigha Hopkins haa been publishing under tho title of ' Kilmninham Memories' in the ' Wifideor Magazine,' is now re-issued as a booklet in shilling form, with many excellenb illusbrationg. The Btory forma a wholesome corrective both for those who believe conspiracy possible in the nineteenth century and for those who consider our detectives foola. Mr Mallon is in reality superior even to those famous man,hunters of ficbion —Sergeant Cuffo and Sherlock Holmes.

Ainongafc the volumes of popular stories and folk lore to be issued tbia nutumo by Mr David Nutb will be Mrs K. L. Parker's ' Australian Legendary Tales,' for which Mr Andrew Langhaa written an introduction Mrs Parker lived for twenty years among one of the now faab dwindlinef tribes in the heart of New South Wales, and she claims to have faithfully re-produced iihe substance of nabivo story telling.

The first edition of Mrs Mannington Caffyn a • A Quaker Grandmother' was sold out on the day of publication. The Australian authoress can still command a very large public, though her popularity ljae nob grown ab all since bho days of 'A Yellow Aster.'

During hia sfeay in Spain Mr Be'cke hop e f to complete a efcory for Aagas and Robert, son,- fcho Sydney publighers. It win bepubliehed eimultanoouely in Great Britain America and Australia. Bsfore this jpl pears, however, a collaborated novel o}.l island adventure, by Becke and Jeffrey will have been issued by the eamo firm both in England and the colonies. It h&B already been announced in tho London press, bat ■ so far nothing is known of bhe title. Lit Fisher Unwin has in hand a short story of Mr Becke's, which will bo called • A Nativi Wife/ and appear ia the 'Century Libraryl series, and the novelist has also promised to do one or bwo more tales for the English 'Illustrated Magazine.!

Sir Walter Beaanfe brings his story of> • The City of Refuge' feo an end in tha October number of the 'Pall Mall Mag»zi ne ' iand the latest) producb of the lamented Robert Louie Stevenson's pen is announce^ for the November issae; ib is entiblad ' Sh, Ives.' Mr H.Moree Stephens throws farther light on tho character and career of Maratii and Mr J. Holb Schooling places a number of statistical facts relating to fche population of the United Kingdom before his readeri in a form thab leaves definite impressions on hheir minds. Sir Hugh Gough'g remiv nißcencea of campaigns this month deal entirely with the Indian Mutiny, and? narrato the writer's experiences ab jth 9 siege of Delhi. Grant Allen contribute^! a story entitled 'Janet's Nemises,' and tha number in poinb of varieby of ib« content*' and tho superior character of the illasbra-f bions, fully maintains the high repabjtfoir of this magazine, Very few books have received morjii favourable reviews than Ada Cambridge'it ' A Humble Enterprise,' recently published, in Messrs Ward, Lock and BowdenV Colonial Library. It has by several' , been voted the beet novel thab "har emanated from the pen of an Australian.'.' author, and one can understand tbo highy praise bestowed upon ib after reading thjh book. The story is one of a young'girl in Melbourne in fairly good circumabiicep reduced by fche death of her father to. the/ necessity for earning her own livelihood and thab of the younger members of fch ß family. To do this she finally decides to: start a ladies' tea room in the city, and the! story of this tea room, with its romantic; ending, is told very nicely and dramatically. There are a number of illustrations, and the book, which reaches us through Mcssti Wild man and Lyell, is well printed and bound. A very marked improvement is obserV. able in the illustrations of the ' Windsor; Magozine,' which will now compare favour-i ably in this respecb as well as in the variety) and excellence of its literary contests, withi some magazines that cost twice the money,: I Among the notable articles in the Septem-i ber number' are, 'Maiden Speechea ia. Parliament,' by Frederick Dolman, jllm.'; trated by Harry Furnisß, T. Walier Wilson,' R. 1,, and Raymond Potter. A striking full-page pictnreof Mr Gladstone, delivering hie maiden speech in Parliament, poasegeei especial interest, The Marquis or Salisbury,' Lord Hartineton, Mr Chamberlain, lfc Balfour, Lord Rosebery, Sir W. V. : Hit( courb, Mr Morley and Mr Asquitb, ab early periods of their Parliamentary careers, illustrate the article. 'Captain Shannon' worthily replaces tho popular Nikola, From an instructive article on Newnhani College, Cambridge, we learn that ou^.'pl 667 studeubß leaving" college between 18ft and 1893, 374 took up teaching. Of tH other students, 230 aro living at boms, of whom 108 sre married, apparently a until percentage when the age of the sfJudeßtsis remembered. " Life On An Bast Anglian Farm ' gives us a glimpse of rural England,^ B 'Professor Hodman' talks about conjuring,g and Dr. Hans Richter on music. .In^iffi paper on 'The British Training Sbipi;'nH are told how blue-jackets aro trained tor f| service in the Navy. The number contpj fej Bovaral ehorb stories by popular writers. UThe volujao of bales and sketches 'An lj Important Man, Etc.', which Mr W. Petl H Ridga haß just brought out through Ward, B Lock & Co.,coot ah a cmeof his best and woniffi work. Of tho forti. r, ' Exchange No .Rob- H bery,' * A Terrib a Story,' ' An Important |' Man,' and 'A Model Crime,' may be cited M as capital specimens of what the unpreteni H tiouH newspaper 6tory should be. Biititii H in scotches of the actual Pett Ridge shines El brightesb, as for instance 'A Visiting Day,1 H a description of guest day in a womeii'l M ■ward at Guy's Hospital, which is. a H perfect mosaic of Cockney humour,.and p pathos. Wecan only find room tor ono ehori if excarpb, bub ib may tempt some of oat ■-! readers bo spend a shilling on the book ail If sample more : — . fjf Pationb Number Fifteen sitting ap iofiet M bed, holds her red bed gown ab the throat, m aiad looks anxiously at the doorway. ■ H • Isn'b your friend coming this aftarnooi, ■ Fifteen ?' asks nurse. ■ | 'I don't suppose so,' answers Kumboi B Fifteen, frowning. ' It's the old saying yoi gj know, nurse: "Out of eight, out ofEj mind." ' ...', i Kg Nune says, optimistically, there's ag°^H quarter of an hour yeb, but Number Fit-H teen declines bo take cheerful views of thi m. sabject, Nurse urging thab he niay ' ia!fffi missed hia train ab Woolwich, Numb«Hj Fifteen says gloomily tbab she .know bl H never tried to catch it. I 1 Nob thab I mean to argue,'says NuH'B ber Fifteen, half-relenting,"' thab it's .■>! to'H| gather hU fault. He's a chap with a'nooiii appearance, and naturally enough thereartH some—well, I can't call 'eai girls, catifß what I call 'em—and you might be t^H own fellow-aervanb praps, bub tluF'B snatch a young man from you before yot 11 can say knife, und—' Number Fiftse? II stops suddenly : 11-.5I1-. 5 ' Why, Jim, you 'aye come then all 1«»fi Ain't you nice and late too 5' | A Unshed, hurried young arfcillerymMß salutes rospactfully the nureo, and..eitti»|B down on tho wcodea chair near toNumWB Fifteen's bed, Joosens bia white belt an* M says he's had a rush for if> fl'' "B break his blooming neck. The J^fjE Royal Artilleryman takes his hattdkerehiei g from-hia aleere and mops hie heated '°t(jl| head, and Number Fifteen doein'C mB g her bad kneo, doesn't miad tho ml'"utes|lH[ waiting, doesn'b mind St. Cecilia, but '^jH back and ;»azes contentedly ab herßopll Artilleryman. |ijl The visitors begin to back out oi ij«|| Cecilia, walking gingerly because of j; H waxed, floors and waving their hands. l( m Numbers who aro ailimed to nib up do Bit up, a row of red-gowned wornon }f l'M ing wistfully at the departing ones. ■ .s'B •I «ay, Loo! 1 the flatbed young B^H Artilleryman returns, unbutfeona^n's^llj and bakes oub a largo envolope. ' "flB?B word, I 'arf forgot itt' . i tIH Number Fifteen, stroking the "WJB hia coat, aeko affectionately ,«rh«» tne.m H

now. • «J«ii ■ Why, I brought you my P|>° t0*"P.i say 3 the Royal Artilleryman awkwaraw thought you might like jesb tto 'aro »£ ; ab it now and a^ain.' ~ . Number Fifteen looks deligh^?l^ the portrait of tha serious, weU-hoir-o/^ soldier, and chokes a lifeble ■at -.'one Then she places it wiih much content her pillow, and whispers : r^j ' Tho gister'a nob looking, Jl^4s down and give ua a good kiss, &ai ~ you for coming to Beo me.' a&d Out in tho corridor a crowd nfelMji from bho various doorways withrfldl H il eyes. There are also mild a**??M hilarity. Some of the worried laa? have broughb well behaved ch!ia« >^ theso fehey Bhake for .wnnb of^^ better to do and say, ' Nflver: ■ ■gpj my lord, will I brin<r you out on a afternoon.1 "Bhe Royal ArtilW"^ y}, his cap ab the correct) angle, aaj |bl white belb, aud as he strides Q""

corridor he buniß softly :— ■ wiaett'W' 'Then 'ere's to tlie land of our t)irtn> v : And tho gurl thufc wo— . -A-mr. The Royal Artilleryman •"°P'?Jj--. a lifeble, and ruba his nose wry «■•*..