, 1879-06-22

unfortunate place. almost every meeting there
has been spoilt by some untoward circumstance.
Generally 1t is rain: but this time, as you per.
ceiye, 1t was fire. The Grand-Prix day at Long
champs, on the contrary, is almost always fine.
Let us levoutiy hope it may be on Sunday next:
This Year the great event of the French turf
vail be shorn Of its chief interest, as, through
the sudden death OF Baron Rothsch!ld, Sir Bevys,
the winner of the EPSON blue ribbon, has been
struck out of his engagement So far as we at
present know, only one horse, aud that one
an Insignificant outsider, is likely to wear
English colors in the race on Sunday.
We continue to receive glowing accounts OF
= THE coMED1E FRANCHISE
from London. The "Etrangere" Vas given at
the Gaiet7 With marked success on the second
ntght,-Sarah Bernhardt, Of course, playing the
t!tlc.role, though she objected to doing 50, dit
on, most strenuously. Hardly mad the French
company reached London when melancholy
piece Of news Was sent them It announced the
death of Nine. Perrin, the wife Of tho manager
OF the: Theatre Franchise. She Was buried yester-
day with much poUlp and ceremony.
Adolphe Belo.'s adaptation Of "La Venus
Nofrc ~ Is in preparation at the Chatelet. It Is
winter season; and extraordinary things in the
way OF scenic effects and costumes, OF the pur-
est African character, are promised us. Nine
hundred new dresses have been designed BY NJ.
Thomas, IN old African settler; and the scene
painters are busily studying 1" local color ION
the Boulevard, bien cxtcndu.
The Prince aud Princess Of Wales went to
SEQ
TIE "AssoMMo1R,"
at the Ambgu, last night. Too much honor for
that rather Indifferent melodrana. Charles
Reade's. adaptation OF it, "Drink," does not
He has fallen into the same fault necessarily,
to be surrey Us Mn. Busnach and Gastineau.
Action, In the novel, being altogether absent,
he has supplied It himself, thus wholly
cnanging the character OF the work, and
turning a clever study Of life and character into
a CLUMSY and SENSATIONAL" melolramn.
GonJet, the blacksmith, who is, relatively speak
Ing; decent character OF the noyci, has been
made q prosy and impossible saint. He was
bad enough at the Amptgu, but at the Princess
be fs worse. Gervaise has been tdealized out OF
her identity to suit the prejudices Of theatre
gocrs; and -Mes-Bottes is verY like the same
shallow but amusing fraud at the Ambigu. The
only character, in fact, that is faithfully pre-
served is Coupeau; and he, they tell me, dies as
horribly On the London boards as here.
N. LABICuE's NAME
will be on the bills Of three theatres before
is still having brilliant run ut the Odeon. Ills
'Embrassons-nous, Follevillc," arranged as an
opera comique, with music by II. Valenti, is
being given at the Opera ComiQuc; and they
are to revive another comedy OF his shortly at
There's disquietlng runor in circulation
about
PATTI.
The Marquis dc Caux is credited With the silly
intention Of trying to prevent the diva from full
filling her engagement at the Gazette, with Nico-
lini, alias Nicolas, Ibis winter. His claim to in-
terfere seems to be based upon right accorded
him as PATHS husoand-eyen after the scoara-
tion--to forbid her singing at bis abode domi-
cile''). All depends upon the Interpretation
that may be given to the word ''domlcile." If
1t means place Of rcsidencc,-that is, town of
residence,-we shall not hear Patti this winter;
but il, as it is reasonable to suppose, it has
sense. the Marquis may whistle. We
sincerely trust he may whistle.
HARRY MELTzER.