FOREIGN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5273, 1 June 1895, Page 6

FOREIGN.

Thomas Hardy iB dramatising hif celebrated story, *' TeBB," for Mrß Patriok Campbell. Mascagni has written another operaj soon to be brought out at Milan. It it called Silvano, haa no chorus, and only three characters. A London cable message report! that Mp John Rogers has succeeded in hia suit for * divorce from his wife, Minnie Palmer, on ' the ground of adultery with Mr Jarred, manager of the My Sweetheart Company. From some statistics that have jnst been compiled at the French Ministry of the Interior it transpires that the Beating capacity of the theatres and cafe concerts of Pariß is about 82,000. A London cable message reports that Miea Ada Croßsley, the Australian con* tralto, made a brilliant ddbut at the i Queen's Hall, being recalled twice for eaoh song. A company is in process of formation with a proposed- capital of £250,000 to run Covent Garden Theatre as an opera house. If the money can be secured the Duke of Bedford, who owns the property, will pro* bably take the chair. The argument about stage kissing har got to America, and the actors and actresses are being interviewed. , Nobody.; has thought of interviewing the audience, who don't know and don't care whether kissing on the stage is real or not. It ill too easily imitated. ' ' Litigation is promised, according to London papers, over the score of Edward Solomon'- last completed work. A lady who was in his confidence during the latter part of his life ia in possession of the score, and claims it. The compoaer'- widow asserts the score to be hers, and iB taking legal measures to obtain it. Wagner is a much -written -about in* dividual. Herr Oesterlein, of Vienna, hag collected 25,000 documents relating to him. This collection includes 12,000 books and pamphlets, GOO portraits and busts and 300 manuscripts. Herr Oesterlein has occupied himself for many years with this collection and now offers it for sale for 454500. Rubinstein founded two prizes of 45200 each for composition and piano playing, to be granted once in five years at St Petersburg,'Berlin, Vienna and Paris in success sion. Both the prizes may be granted toi the same candidate. The next contest will take place in Berlin, beginning in September. Young men (only) between twenty and twenty-six years, of any nationality, rank or profession, may compete. The recent destruction of the Theatre Royal, Glasgow, is quoted as an argument} in favour of asbestos curtains, which doubtless are good things in their way. The point to be insisted upon, however (says a contemporary*), is that in these days everything about the stage ought to bd fire-proof. The occurrence of a fire in «J theatre is in itself evidence of criminal neglect. On a stage there ought to ba nothing capable of being burned and nothing capable of setting fire to anything, Mr George Grossmith relates that ona night in his early days, when performing with his father, instead of commencing the performance at eight o'clock, they did nob arrive in the town until twenty minute* paßt that hour. "We dressed in the oab,'* remarked the genial actor and entertainer,' "which flew along like a fire engine; Suddenly we espied a building lighted up, and a large crowd coming out. *Go baok I Go back!' shouted my father to tha crowd, as he pushed his head ont of tha cab. 'Go baok ! It's all right, Großamith is here. We have arrived. Go baok!* Unfortunately it was notour audience, bud a congregation leaving a Methodist chapel after service." A mild sensation was oaused in London tho other day by the announcement of the marriage of Weedon Grossmith to May Lever. The happy pair kept the matter bo great a secret that it was all over before anyone except intimate friends and relatives knew. The interest of the wedding lies in the fact that Miss Lever, during the long run of The New Boy, played the part of the vivacious school-girl, who flirted violently with the New Boy in the intervals of her more serious love-making. Her proper name was Palfrey, for she was a daughter of a well-known West End physician of that name. Her stage name, "Lever," was the maiden, name of her mother, who waa the daughter of the famous Dr Lever, of Guy's Hospital.

Richmond Free Methodist Church.-* This church, which has been closed for several Sundays on account of alterations to the choir gallery, will be reopened tomorrow, when the anniversary of the churoh will also be celebrated. The Revs S. Macfarlane and W. J. Elliott will preach morning and evening xespeotively. In the afternoon, commencing at 2.80, there will be a musical service, when the recital of Mrs Sewell's rhyming Btory, "There's Help at Hand," will begiveir.

Morris-tube Shooting.— The opening match of the E Battery Morris-tube Claw took place on Wednesday. A match, righthalf against left-half of the Battery, thirteen men aside, was fired, and resulted in a win for the right-half by sixteen, points. On Wednesday last the class' fired the first competition for Sergeant Louiason's trophy. The following were the' highest scorers:— Gunner Bowker (5) 34, Gunner Ballantyne (2) 34, Bombardier Vanderlyn (4) 34, Sergeant Louision 32, Corporal Croft 32.

Church Anniversary. — The anniversary of the Bible Christian Church, Kaiapoi, waa celebrated on Thursday, when the church was crowded. The BeT J. Greig presided. During the evening, songs were contributed by the Rev A. Mitchell and Mrs Mitchell, Misses C. Beat, M. Mather and G. Barden, Messrs H. Laati and J. Templeton. Mies Murgatroyd played a violin solo and the Sev W. J. Gov gave an address. Mies Bradley acted aa accompanist. The evening concluded with a coffee supper. The net proceeds amounted to about £7.