LITERATURE, MUSIC, AND THE DRAMA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6936, 9 February 1884, Page 4 (Supplement)

LITERATURE, MUSIC, AND THE DRAMA.

Sampson,. Low, & Co., London, have jugfc issued a new story by Jules Verne, entitled;?. The Green B*.y." .- The correspondence of. John Wilson Croker, of which so much ia expected, will probably: not be published until next autumn.; ■ ■ , The death is announced from New York of Mrs. Edward M. Hammond, author of "The Georgians'—and "The Fair Philosopher." Mrs. Hammond was only twenty-nine years of age. The title of Professor Church's new book, •wHich is to be published shortly, is "Roman s-liife in. the Time of Cicero." It in drawn from his letters and speeches. Messrs. Seeley and Go. are the publishers. : The poem Mr. Alfred Tennyson has written for the '? Youth's Companion" is only a short one, though the editor announces it _aa " an exquisite lyric." Mr. Tennyaon received for It a cheque for 200 guineas 1 Our Laureate is probably the first £10-a liner on record. i ft appears that New York has the only good and efficient school for aotors in the Eng-lish-speaking world. At Wallack'e Theatre a constant succession of plays of every sort is given—modern comedy one month, melodrama the next, old English comedy the next, Shakspear the next,.and so on. Anew tenor is likely soon to appear on English boards, and the more welcome because, he is an Englishman. Moat musical Londoners have heard him in aaored music. He is the son of Canon Wade, at whose church in Soho Bach's Passion Music has for many successive seasons of late been so beautifully rendered. • With reference to the forthcoming new edition of BosweU's " Johnson," it will interest many people to know that some of the earliest of Dr; Johnson's letters, those to Ed- . ward Cave, are still in the hands of Cave's descendants. 'At the time they were printed in Groker's edition they belonged to Miss Cave, of Reading, from whom they descended to the lady-who now owns them. .. The Duke of Coburg, aays the illuetnrte Zeitnng, has allowed Professor Lorentz to compile some " reminiscences" from his diaries, anecdotes, and letters, which will give some of his impressions at the Courts of Berlin, Brussels, and London. The manuscript belongs to Professor Lorentz, and will not be published during the Duke's lifetime. A London correspondent writes:—"The fact may be chronicled, as an instance of the -•-lavish manßer in which theatrical affairs are ■ now conducted, that a whole colnmn of extracts from the American press criticisms of The Bells and Charles I. has been cabled over from New York and advertised here. Even at the lowest press-cable rate of sixpence per word, the expense must; have been consider- , ■ Here is an anecdote concerning two popular authors of the day. A few nights ago Mr. Geo. R-'Sims paid for a box at Drury Lane to see " A SaUor and his Lass." Soon after the rise of the curtain a messenger arrived from, the stage with the following letter :— " Bear Sims, —I return yon your money. I can't think of letting you pay to see me act.— Yodrs, Augustus Harris." G. R. S. appreciating the compliment, pocketed the money, and scribbled the following acknowledgment whale the messenger waited :—'

I paid to see Angnstus act, ; - ~ - And he returned my L.S.D. , .-, _ • \ let critics sneer—it is a tact— ... -Augustus acted well to me. . A novelty in theatrical management ia. Bpoken of, and Mr. Clayton is to be the innovator. Within the last two or three years morning-performances have got to be very popular. , The half-holiday fills the theatres, and the suburban trains do a large business, bringing iu residents who find evening performances; mean : a return home After midnight. Mi. Clayton's idea is to have afternoon performances whioh shall not begin too early, and which shall not end too soon. He ■will not'" raise bis curtain till four, and he •will be content to have'his audienco out at half-past six, and. his performance will not consist of the runnning play. The idea is a good one from either side of tha curtain. There will be some variety for the actors— anS-for the audience. Perhaps,-aa the length of the performance will be reduced, ihe prices might be reduced too, and if the manager would issue subscription tickets.for all the Saturdays the speculation would be Bure to take.- ..... ' ' ■'"■