The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-15 00:00:00

FRENC I I PLAYS.

Her Majesty and Prince Albert honoured the St.
James's Theatre with their presence last night. They
have of late greatly patronised the theatres. In tho
course of last week they visited both the Haymarket
and the Lyceum.
A very pretty vaudeville in three acts, called Rose
et Marguerite, was played for the first time. Rose
and Marguerite (11Idlles. Baptiste and Nathalie) are
the two heroines of this vaudeville, whose youth will
last as long as this vaudeville remains in the reper-
toire, their ages being marked in the Look eighteen
and twenty respectively. The young ladies being
orphans, live under the roof of their grandfather,
Baron de Villiers (M. Cartigny) a superannuated
busyl-ody, as silly as he is good-natured. For-
tunately for the helplessness of this little family,
they have found a friend, a mentor, and protector,
in Jacques Perrin (M. Ste. Marie), a man of
sound sense as well as excellent heart. He is a
bachelor, forty years of age, but when the play
begins, to acquire a more immediate right to treat his
three friends as his own family, he is about to
marry Marguerite. The young lady, who is highly
romantic, has secretly formed an attachment, whilst
at the sea side, for a youth of her own disposition,
Jules de St. Ives (M. Pechter), and she is in utter
despair at this conjugal prospect. The arrival of
Jules in Paris formally to claim her hand reveals her
secret passion. Perrin generously gives up his be-
trothed, and is about to separate from the family for
ever, when he is stopped by Rose, the youngest sister,
who displays towards him such deep affection, that
he hastens to transfer to her the title of his wife. The
consequence is, that the two sisters are married the
same day, amidst the rejoicings of their friends, in
which Frederic, their cousin (Montaland) participates
for reasons of his own. He is a gay young roué,
who having been rejected as a suitor by the sisters,
has declared war against all husbands gene-
rally, but against his fair cousins' spouses in
particular. in the two last acts we witness
the intrigues by which Frederic attempts to
take advantage of the ennui of Rose, whose
husband is absorbed by business, and of the indigna-
tion and vengeance of Marguerite, whose consort is
engrossed by far more culpable pursuits. In all his
attempts he is baffled by the tact and good sense of
Perrin, whilst the passions to which the other dra-
matis persona are successively a prey, vary and keep
up to the last the interest of the plot. Mademoiselle
Nathalie's performance elicited the greatest applause;
but it would be great injustice not to notice how
greatly several of the habitual members of the troupe
contribute to the success of the performances, al-
though one might well expect their efficiency and
talents would be marred, their memories being over-
tasked by learning the repertoire of each newly-
arrived star since the beginning of the season, each
vaudeville being rarely performed more than twice
or thrice at the utmost. Mdlle. Baptiste, however
inexperienced, is always pleasing, whilst Ste. Marie,
Montaland, Cartigny, Josset, and Mdme. Valmy are
clever as well as painstaking actors, who never fail
to make the peculiar wit of the vaudevilliste tell with
point and piquancy.

THE LATE EXTENSIVE FAILURE IN THE IRON
TRADE.--BIRMINGHADI, MONDAY.—As was expected
by many persons best acquainted with the affairs of the
Oak Farm Works, near Dudley, the arrangements at-
tempted a few weeks ago have not met with the concur-
rence of the creditors, and it is feared that, to the great
detriment of the property, the firm will have to pass
through the Gazette. It is already known that Lord
Lyttelton, Mr. Gladstone, and Sir Stephen Glynne, who
hold heavy mortgages upon the works, offered to gua-
rantee 9s. 6d. in the pound to the unsecured creditors.
To this Lord Ward, by his agents, takes exception, and
a docket of bankruptcy has been struck. On Saturda,
a general meeting of the creditors was held at the Dee
__ec I :
Royal Hotel, when a resolution was passed to the. 11..te
that the parties present were desirous of abiding by In
resolution passed at the former meeting,
pay Lord
mending Lord Lyttelton and his pertnersbtoand recom.
not more than about 7001. It is hoped Ward his debt in full, as the difference tboyttheims
meanswould be
to
creditors, with a view to
it is not impossible that other escape a bankruptcy ; but shou
ldho.bord Ward succeed,
may adopt
similar success, SOUTH STAFFORD.
appears
e colliersn ow
amlikoerm,ovement.
THE MINING DISTRI
to be every proba I 1 Y .
thatSAr lire AtYu.r—ii -TouterOef
SHIRE.—BIRMINGbIIiA.r,
have resumed their work ; but the iron
will be of abort duration. In the neighbourhood of
wa•nyobstitiate. The maqers can afford to wait;
c lthough stocks of iron are low, there is an exceed-
ingly limited demand. The nail trade is unusually fiat.
A YANKEE PREACIIER ON PREDESTINATION.—
" Lot us, fir arguments sake, grant that I, the Rev.
Elder Sprightly, am tore-ordained to be drowned in the
river at Smith's Ferry, next Thursday morning, at
twenty minutes after ten o'clock; and suppose I know it;
and suppose I am a free, moral, voluntary, and account-
able agent—do you think I am going to be drowned?
I should rather guess not! I should stay at home; and
vou'll never ketch the Rev. Elder Sprightly at Smith's
Ferry, nohow—nor near the river neither.
SOUTH WALES RAILWAY.—We understand that
the line of railway iu this neighbourhood is to be pro-
secuted with vigour, orders having been received by the
contractors to engage as many men as possible for that
purpo3c—Afenintoutkshire Merlin,