The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-06-11 00:00:00

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(We deem it right to state that we do not at all times
Identify ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions.)
The painful effect produced upon all who are
accustomed to attend places of publicamusement
by • the lamentable disaster at the Paris Opera
Csonique-has•not yet died away,- andsif it has the
result of effecting such improvements in their
construction as shall do something to mitigate
the terrors of any similar event elsewhere, even
the hecatomb of lives now lost may not prove ,
altogether a useless sacrifice. It is curious to
note how, upon a matter which admits of the
clearest natural explanation, superstition finds
something to feed. A writer who disclaims being
"altogether a fatalist," but who really does not
appear far removed from that character, has
pointed out that, just as it was when "Mignon,"
an opera composed by Ambroise Thomas, was
being performed at the Opera Comique on the
night of the catastrophe, so it was when "Hamlet,"
- by the same composer, was being given at the
Paris Grand Opera that that house was de-
' stroyed some years ago. To heighten the
effect of the coincidence, it is added that, on the
occasion of the lamentable break-down of Mdlle.
Vatizandt that laiy was singing the music of M.
Thomas, and that Madame Patti, the most sue-
case& singer of our day, has never in public
given a note of it. There is a suggestion in all
this that M. Thomas is the possessor of that
undesirable quality which the superstitious deno-
minate "the evil eye;" and the only really
curious part of it is that the same thing used to
be said of Jules Offenbach. But it should surely
be sufficient to point out that both Thomas and
Offenbach have composed some of the most
popular music and successful operas of the day.
To the millions among us who are never likely to -
"go to Court," the accounts which are periodi-
cally published of State balls and concerts at
Buckingham Palace must prove somewhat
mysterieus reading. They have not the same
atmosphere of publicity which in a fashion sur-
rounds the State drawing-soorns that are held in
the same Royal building, for as these are fixed
for the afternoon, and there is thus ample
opportunity for inspecting the dresses of the
ladies who attend, a crowd always gather
in St. James's-park to watch the arrivals
in the carriages. But balls and concerts are
naturally aflairs of the night, and, therefore, the
most that the public are likely to know of them
is from the programme and the list of visitors
published in the newspapers the following morn-
ing. The programmes, especially of the balls,
have an interest far beyond the Palace walls, for
many an intending hostess looks through the
list of dances with an idea to framing a list for
herself, thinking, and thinking rightly, that what
is designed to suit the exceedingly aristocratic
company which assembles at Buckingham Palace,
is calculated to please her own circle of friends.
As for the official descriptions of the drewes,
those naturally are devoured by the ladies, who,
though they may never be able to secure any-
thing so gorgeous, love to feed their imagina-
tions upon glories so remote.
It is almost impossible to take up a newspaper
just now without seeing the announcement of
some series of athletic sports which are just about
to be held. Foot races and hurdle races, bicycle
races and sack races, high jumps, and long
jumps, all offer opportunity for competi-
tion, and the youths of the neighbourhood
have an opportunity of distinguishing themselves
which they are eager not to miss. There is an
idea in some minds that the modern passion for
athleticism has been carried too far, and that
although it is right enough to secure that a
sound mind shall be seated in a sound body, the
effort is not so praiseworthy when attention is
concentrated upon the latter to the practical
exclusion of the former. But this is simply
another instance of the old truth that it
is possible to have too much of a good thing,
for there, can be little doubt in itself athleticism is
a benefit to growing youth. The body requires
strengthening and the faculties need exercise, and
if a young man gives up a portion of his leisure to
the cultivation of those faculties, he is not to be
blamed. There are tens of thousands of youths
in London alone who are cooped up all day,
behind counters and upon office. stools, who dis-
tinctly benefit themselves after business houri
by their efforts in cricketing, boating, or cycling;
and with the physical effects obtain a moral in-
fluence which cannot be ignored.
Arrangements have now been completed at
the War Office for the largest assembly of
troops which this country has witnessed
during the Queen's reign, and it need hardly
be added, that this will be in connection with
her Majesty's Jubilee. The great review
will be held in the Long Valley, Aldershot, on
July 9, and, in addition to the Queen herself,
there will be present the Prince and Princess of
Wales, the Duke and-Duchess of Connaught,
the Cro am. Prince and Princess of Germany, and
other members of the Royal family, as well as
many Royal and distinguished visitors who will
be in England during the celebration of the
Jubilee. The extensive nature of the review
may be judged from the fact that the regular
troops engaged in it will include a division of
Cavalry of nine regiments of " heavies " and
"lights," eighteen batteries of Horse and-
Field Artillery (with about one hundred
guns), a large force of Engineers, the
cadets of the military colleges, a brigade of Foot
Guards, another of Marine Artillery and Light
Infantry, four brigades of Infantry of the Line,
two Militia, and seventeen companies of the ,
Commissariat and Transport Corps *nd the i
Medical Staff Corps. As there will also' he pre-
sent seventy-two regiments of volunteers, 'those
who go to Aldershot on the ninth of next month
will witness such a display of the British land
forces as they may never have the chance of
seeing again.
One of the events which will flow from the
Jubilee is not unlikely to be the conferring of
a special title upon Prince Albert Victor, who
stands second in direct succession to the throne.
He is now in his 24th year, and it is thought
that he ought to take his place among
the peers of England, a position he can
only assume by the gift of a peerage.
There. are a number of dormant titles
by which scions of Royalty have been known
- in this. country, any one of which might be
revived, for the occasion, but it is thought
probable that the precedent used in the case of
other eldest sons of peers called to the House of
Lords in heir father's lifetime will be followed,
and that one of the paternal titles will be con-
ferred upon the son. In the case of the Prince of
- Wales— sho is Duke of Cornwall by birth, and
Prince of Wales by creati n.—there art) various
titles by which a choice could be made. Either
the Earldom of Chester, or that of Dublin,
could -be conferred upon Prince Albert
Victor; and as "it is announced that his
Rjoyal Highness will represent the Queen in the
Irish capital during the Jubilee celebrations in
that city, "there would be an especial fitness of
• compliment in calling him to the upper chamber
as Earl of Dublin. The custom of" calling up
is not very common, but it has been done in
several instances within the past fifty Years the
most noteworthy of which was in that of th:a late
- Earl of Derby, always to be remembered as "the
Rupert of debate," who in the later years of his
father's lifetime sat among the peers for the
• paternal barony of Stanley.
It is really very difficult, now we are getting
so near the 21st of June, to talk of anything in
public matters that does not bring us round to
. the Jubilee, and. least of all can those who live in
London keep "away from that topic, for the
,
evidences of preparation have now spread from
- Westminster Abbey to the streets, and days ago
there was commenced at the Bank of England
and other great buildings, private as well as
• public, the work of fixing the illuminations.
London will evidently be a blaze of light and colour
on the eventful night such as it has not
been since the Prince of Wales's marriage in
1863, the Thanksgiving Day of 1872, or perhaps
even the peace rejoicings of 185(3. Various sug-
gestions have been thrown out for illuminating
every house in the metropolis, but these are at
once too vast and too vague to be likely to be
adopted. It is easy to suggest, for instance, the
placing of a candle in every pane in every room in
every house, but the question of how to do this
without danger is difficult to answer, and the
, plan would not be likely to commend itself to
Captain Shaw or any other leading officer
of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade. The safest
plan undoubtedly will be to have such illumina-
tions as are decided upon properly fixed by com-
petent workmen; for we do not wapt a night
which should be given over to joy to be marred
by a catastrophe. As it is, the police and the
fire briga.le will have all their work to do in
guarding against possible danger, and that work
ought not to be added, to fromhowever laudable
a motive. A. F. R.

AN Anitrallan paper announces that there is a
woman in that country who is 107 years old, and
adds: flur parents can point to her with pride as a
sample of their success in rearing children.
WHIT are you doing under the horses' feet, there?
shouted a hack driver to a stupid-looking man, who
be came near running over. Drive on, you fool!
snarled the stupid-looking man? I want to find out
if my life is insured in a reliable company.