Lured by this delightful September weather, I stayed in London long enough to see Mr. Hedmondt in Rip Van Winkle at Mr. Tree's beautiful new theatre, then I hied me to another London, London by the sea—called Brighton. Of Mr. Hedmondt, by the way, words only of praise can be written. The opera does not give him a chance to be as merry as Washington Irving meant poor old Rij to be. It is a novelty to see a doleful Rip Van Winkle, but this is exactly what the composer and the librettist have given us. The rest of the cast call for no Special mention. They are all "fair to middling." But it was worth the venture to show us what a really great artist is Mr. Hedmondt, given a part worthy his abilities. The audience struggled to be pleased; the welcome extended to the singers proved this, but you cannot make bricks without straw. We many of us had Joseph Jefferson's evergreen dramatic performance in our mind's eye, and again poor lamented Fred Leslio's musical version of Rip. Hence we wanted the play, not a new version of a skeleton of the original. Refined English Opera is needed in London. Mr. Hedmondt will no doubt please every one when he resents his Prentice Pillar and Hansel and Gretal asadouble, The first is a grand opera in one act. It is the work of one of England's. most rising young composers, Mr. Reginald
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.