TABLE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 66, 19 March 1887, Page 5

TABLE TALK.

(nv our r.oNnoN cobbk.spoki>xkt.)

London, January 2". Bonn L'INsnALR haa shut himself up at f.owther Castle since Ida return from the United States, and won't soo or talk to anyone. Violet Cameron, too, is living in strict rotiremont. Her business connection with His Lordship proved disastrous in more ways than ono, and sho has no notion of renewing it. The " Mikado" was ployed at tho Savoy far tho laat time on Wodnesday week. It waa produced on the Mth of March, 1885, and, with matinees, haa been performed GSO times.

The entries for the Spring Handicaps aro largor than haa beon tho case for eomo yeara. It ia, however, feared that both the City and Suburban and Leiceater Handicap will sullar from competition with tho !!,000 guinoaa .lubiloe Handicap, to bo run at Kempton in tbe first waek in May. The Kempton affair will bo tho largest of nil tho Spring Handicaps, and has obtained tho biggest entry. Mr Gladstone received £200, not £2"i(>, for hisarticloenthenow" Locksley Hall" in tho " Nineteenth Century " Tho celebration of the Queon'a Jubileo at Weatminbtor Abbey noxt .luno will, according to some authorities, coat £15,000, or more than tho thanksgiving service at St. Paul's after tha Princo of Walee's illness. Curioua people want to know how the monoy goes. A snobbish Australian who came over Inst summer, and of whom many amusing atorioa are now told, was very anxious to mako the acquaintance of a certain noble Duke. He conaulted a friend as to tho beat way to bring a mooting about. "Oh !" said tho friend, " wait till the next time you come ncroan His Grace at tho Exhi' ition ; (1.8. Tho Duke was a Royal Comissionot) Mien stop suddonly with a look of recognition, and say, ' My old friend, Mr Wilkinson, I boliove?' putting out your hand Tho Duko will then explain who ho ia. You of course apologiso effusively, and so fall easily into conversation. It's a capital plan ; always succeeda." Tho colonial waa delighted, and accepted tho suggestion con (imoTv. At tha Guildhall Ball ho in duo course eamo across tha Duko, who was wearing the ribbon and star of tho Garter, and leoking extremely dignified. In a moment the little Australian had ambled acrusa tho room and with what ho meant to bo a winning smiio anti handloutatretched. remarked suavely, " My hold friend, Mr Wilkinson, I believe ■>" But alaa ! His Grace waa equal to the situation. Instead of following out tbo programme anticipated, be simply guyed at tho unhoppy man with a cold smile, and replied, "Indeed ! if you believe that you 11 believe anything,'' and promptly turned hia .) a'amte ita absurd title ("Hard Hit"), Ml' H A Jones's now comedy-drama at the Havmarket seems to havo-in theatrical parlance-"Caught on." Mta Marion Terry, who has returned to tho stage after a prolonged absence, in batter health than sha has boon for years, playa tho persecuted heroins ; Mr Arthur Dacro, her wok, irresolute husband; Mr Boerbchm Tree, the plotting villain ; and Mr Willard. a spotting country gentleman, a new rolo for him. « •, _ -a At the conclusion of the run ol ' . avm Garrick," now drawing crowded houses to tho Criterion Theatro, "Still Waters Run Deep." with Lady Monckton aa Mrs Sternhold, and Wyndham as Mildmay, will ba revived. _ ~, The third portion of tho " Greville Memoirs'' wero published, like the first and second 'portions, without preliminary notice or advertisement. Mr Ifudie and a few notable people in tbe trade alone Know pf tha book'a advent before Tuesday morning, whon sopis.ii wero sent round to the news"The Lodgers," tho «ow farcical play by Brandon Thomas, which repioeefl " The PickPocket" at the Globe Thentre, was produced with moderate success on Tuesday evening. J>. is a f*ee and easy version of tho well-known French vaudeville "Ma Niece et Mon Oare''

Mr Douglas Baird'e Enterprise U wintering well, and has gone up several points in the Perby betting in consequence. Foar Archer thought very highly of this colt. "If he hadn't a touch of the white feather Enterprise would baa eenond Ormonde " On tha other band, Araber did not think much of Tho Baron, and when John porter thought of buying him at £10,000 for a pation, advised against tho purchase. " He'd not worth £5.000," said the jockey. Timo will show what these opinions were worth.

Tho comic ballad "A Triplet," which appears in "Punch" this week (January 22), in by Mr Odell, and forms one of that come diari's most acceptable rfo'4itins.

The reviowei's are unanimous in pronouncing Mr Rider Haggard's "She." a daring and ambitious, but vary unequal work. Nevertheless it sells well. Threo editions have beon disposed of sineo Hew Year's Day. Tho pocket edition of Lord Lyt.ton's works, just about to be issued in shilling volumes by Messrs Routlodgo, is a groat improvement, both ss regards type, eize, and paper, on tbo pocket Thackorays and Dickons es,

Owing partly to the publication of Mrs Henry Wood's portrait (not tho least like her now, by-tha-way), and partly to tbe interestis' opening of her new novel, "Lady Grace," the demand for the January number of the " Argosy " has beep so great as to necessitate a re issue of 10 000 copies.

Sola's autobiography will not fes p;;b lished till well on in May.

One of the most daring and original shilling stories published for many months is "Cashel Byron's Profession," by a wellknown Socialist and litterateur nomad Shaw. Its nature wiU be guessed at when lexplaio that Coshal Byron is a gentleman's eon .ho, owing to a combina'to? of circumstances, becomes a prize fighter. The book can only bo obtained from Simpkin, Marshall and Co ,in Paternoster Row, E.C. I had a tremendous hunt for it.

A study of Mr Gladstone by Mr Louis Jennings," M.P, will be published nojit week by Blacewoods. /_. new series of tales by Grant Allen, the bast ijr/ing writer of short magazine storlae, is pi-omteed by Chatto and Windus under the title ot "The Beckoning Hand, and other stories." Tbo _._£ firm issue the 3volumo edition of Hall Caiue's "Son of iligar,' a novel thefc attracted a lot of attention during its serial publication In tbo nr.w spa pore.