The Theatres, &C.

THE THEATRES , & c .

Terry ' s—An amusing farcical play , entitled the " [ The Judge , which , quite in accordance with "the fitness of things , " is written by Mr . Arthnr Law , was produced here on Thursday evening , and received a fairly favourable verdict . The plot is somewhat weak for three acts , and the story is rather strained at points , still the audience laugh at tho comical , not to say absurd , complications

evolved , and that is the result desired . Sir John Pye , a judge on circuit , arrives at Woolchester , his native town , on assize business , and is disturbed in the middle of the night by a buxon dame , who forthwith announces that she is an escaped prisoner , and claims his protection . It is then discovered that she is a former sweetheart of Sir John ' s , but she is now , by a peculiar turn of fortune's wheel ,

awaiting her trial for bigamy , before her old flame . The soft hearted judge takes pity upon her , and permits her to remain in his sitting room , to avoid pursuit , until she is discovered by the old man ' s two daughters . Not knowing who the young ladies are , and unable to account for her presence in the judge's room at night time , she staggers then with the announcement that she is the judge ' s wife .

By press of circumstances Sir John is compelled to fall in with the arrangement , with tho inevitable result that confusion becomes worse confounded . It is finally ascertained that the lady is no bigamist at all , and she is handed over to her lawful spouse , to the great satisfaction of the judge . The piece is full of witty sayings and unexpected repartee , but requires closer acting than it received on

Thursday . Mr . Penley is most droll as the hypochondriacal judge , and is ably assisted by Miss Emily Thorne as Mrs . Shnttleworth . Miss Emily Ley ton and Miss Cissy Grahame prettily represent the two daughters , Chloe and Daphne , while Messrs . W . Herbert and F . H . Fenton are their sweethearts . A clever character part of a lady detective is capitally played by Miss Elsie Chester , while Mr . Mark Kingbome and Mr . W . Lestocq make the most of two small

personages . Haymarket . —Through the kindness of Mr . Beerbohm Tree , an afternoon performance was given at this theatre , on Wednesday , for the benefit of Mrs . Beverley , widow of the late Mr . W . R . Beverley , the eminent scenic artist ; the piece selected for representation bsing a new comedy in three acts entitled "That Girl , " written

by Mr . Henry Hamilton and Mrs . Oscar Beringer . Some of tho characters are forcibly drawn , but the story requires compression , especially as it does . not run on any new dramatic lines . Capt . Wentworth is a disreputable officer who has become a chevalier d'industrie , who selects a fashionable hotel in Switzerland as the scene of his exploits . He is assisted , though much against her inclination , by his daughter Iris ,

who attracts the pigeons for the father to pluck . One of the victims , Lumley Brereton , for the purposes of revenge , writes a number of billets doux to Iris , purporting to ooine from one Phillip Challoner , of whom the girl is fond , but who sees through the schemes of the father . When Phillip arrives at the Pension des Alps-Yaudoises , Iris perceives at once by his manner of

addressing her that she has been deceived , but the tables are turned by Challoner asking Iris to become his wife ; and the gallant captain meets with a better fate than he deserves , by pairing off with a wealthy American widow , Mrs . Cyrus P . Dodge . Miss Norreys plays the part of Iris prettily and pathetically , and Mr . C . W . Somerset acted tho Captain to perfection . Mias Vara Beringer , as Aphrodite Dodge , aged 12 , was smart and amusing , her

quaint remarks , made with all American brusqaeness , causing no little laughter . Miss Helen Leigh was well p laced as Mrs . Dodge , Mr . H . Reeves Smith was easy and natural as Phillip , and Mr . E . W . Gardner as Brereton , Mr . E . Douglas as MoNab , and Mrs . E . II . Brooke gave admirable assistance . The house was well filled , and wo trust the financial result will be as satisfactory as the object was worthy .

Shaftesbury . —Mr . Willard has indeed been lncky in seenving the services of Miss Eleanor Calhoun to take the place of Miss Olgn Brandon , who was secured by Messrs . Gatti for their now piece some time back . The part of Vashti Detbio loses nothing in the bands of Miss Calhoun , her playing being all that could bo desired . In the : ene outside the tower , and in tho final act , the actress showed the

•nest feeling and genuine impulse . In no part does the character . ose in Miss Calhoun's hands , and' Mr . Willavd need have no fear as to the change proving as great a success ai in the hands of Miss Brandon . All the other parts are capitally portrayed , and we feel sure that the drawing powers of " Judah" will be far from exhausted when Mr . Willard quits the Shaftesbury for his American tour .

The Autumn Season at the Adelphi will commence to , night ( Saturday ) , with a new and original drama , entitled " The English Rose , " by Messrs . Geo . R . Sims and Robert Bnchanan . The following is the cast : —Messrs . Leonard Boyne , J . D . Beveridge , J . L . Shine , Charles Dalton , Lionel Rignold , T . B . Thalberg , W . L . Abingdon , Bnssett

Roe , James East , J . Northcote , W . Northcote ; the Misses Olga Brandon , Mary Rorke , Kate James , Clara Jecks , M . Mildren , and Essex Dane . The scenery is by Messrs . Bruce Smith , Phil Goatcher , and W . Perkins , the music by Henry Sprake , while the play will be produced by Mr . Wm . Sydney .

A new play by Mr . Pierre Leclercq , entitled " This Woman and That , " will be produced at the Glob * this ( Saturday ) afternoon . Miss Adelaide Moore will appear as Eva Flnerier . A new comedy , by tho late James Albery , entitled " Welcome little Stranger , " will be produced at tho Criterion on Wednesday next , the 6 th inst .

Ar00601

IMPORTANT NOTICE . —Confident hi Advice free per post to all in weak and failing health , with loss of strength and vitality . Fifty years experience in Nervous Ailment ? . Address , The Secretary , 3 Fitzallan Square . Sheffield . Form of Correspondence Free . "Vrite to-day .

Freemasonry Unveiled.

FREEMASONRY UNVEILED .

WE extract the following " short essay" from a recent number of The Topical Times : — Freemasonry is a very long subject , and one with which it is really impossible to deal exhaustively in a short essay . There are many varieties in Masonry , not counting the differences of degrees . There are common Masons , " Mark " Masons , "Arch

"Masons—socalled because they preserve an innocent and unsophiscated air when questioned as to their mysteries by the profane ; Knights of St . Joh n of Jerusalem , Gibraltar , and Malta , "Royal Star" Masons , Rosi . crucians or "Rosy Crossers , " " stoney" Masons , and many other Orders of Masons who have just simply gone into tho thing with no idea of personal aggrandisement , but with the honest wish to benefit

their fellow men and anybody nither than themselves . One of the first roles of Freemasonry is that members of the Craft shall always give the preference , in cases where employment or patronage is at their disposal , to outsiders . This salutary regulation at once knocks on the head auy tendency of a novice to be too precocious . There is a kind of imitation Freemasonry to be met with among persons

describing themselves as Oddfellows , Buffaloes , Templars , Druids , Sons of the Phcenix , Offspring of the Oof-bird , Children of the Soil , Reohabites , Fleabites , Foresters , and the like . But such inferior associations do not enter into the scope of this article ; they are not a patch upon real Freemasonry , which enjoys the antiquity of Solomon ' s period and the vitality of an eel . They have little in

common with the genuine article , and if , for instance , a "Druid , " even if dressed in full canoaicals and with a clean surplice and a new Clarkson wig were to come up and give mo the . " grip , " he would get no countersign from me . Thank heaven , I know better than to give the secrets of our Craft away to a man who has been seen in the streets without a hat . Similarly with regard to Oddfellows and

people who parade with sashes on them in public thoroughfares . No ; when I want to do a little dressing up , I pack my decent apron in my gripsack and go down to the Freemasons' Tavern in a cab . When the door ia "tyled" I put on my finery , and not till then . 1 have not been a Freemason long , having only joined comparatively recently , and my apron has not got as many frills upon it as I could

wish . But I do hope and believe that I have a proper appreciation of my high calling , and , though I may be as yet only a humble pillar of the magnificent edifice , I am putting oat to take the thirty-third degree which will show you the class of * hair-pin that any ribald scoffer who seeks to run down Freemasonry has got to reckon with . My initiation was a very interesting affair . People had come down

to our Lodge from all parts of the kingdom to witness the ceremony , which was even more imposing than usual . There was hardly a dry eye in the room when I took the oath and my seat , and the only marring influence was the execrable nature of the music discoursed by the then " Organist , " who strangled a broken-winded harmonium . At the conclusion of tho rite he was severely cuffed by the Grand

Master , and I need hardly say that I very shortly took his collar from him . I am tho Organist now ; and it is sweet on a summer ' s evening to listen to the melodies that I liberate from a spavined concertina . Like every distinguished man , of course I have my detrac tors , some of whom say that the Lodge must be pretty far gone if I am the best "Organist" that it can galvanise into action . But this

is merely " tho idle breath " which 1 regard not , and a moro industrious blast from my instrument generally has tho effect of paralysing calumniators . Tho Organist of a Lodge has a distinct pull . I would like to tell you what occurred at my initiation , but I have promised not to do so . People are now-a-days so censorious that they might insinuate ( behind my back ) that I were guilty of a breach

of faith if , after having been made an " Officer , " I did not scrupulously avoid provoking a breach of the peace . I may not agree with such strict discipline , but I will bo on the safe side , and merely observe that when I had been finally baptized on tho crumpet , and told by tho Junior Deacon in a loud whisper to take a back seat , there was no prouder man than myself in the entire procession .

And I may here remark that , when the Worshipful Grand Master twittered , that procession was pretty apt to move . I started out on this article with the idea that I could , without betraying any of the secrets of Freemasonry , at any rate give the profane public a general idea of the grandiose aims of the gentle Craft . But at every turn I find myself hampered by the reflection

that if I do not watch it very carefully I may get my head punched or be struck oil" the rolls—or both ; and , anyhow , I do not want to prejudice my chances of tho thirty-third degree . I am living with that aim before me . Nothing impedes my march to success , except our banquets . They throw me back a bit . But I have hitherto recovered consciousness and my lost ground . What I said to my wife when I took this matter up was , " It is good enough for H . R . H . the Prince of

Wales , and it onght to be good enough for me . " That , however , the future will decido . Meanwhile I attend a Lodge of Instruction--which I need badly ; 1 reid up at home , and I mortify my flesh in a thousand ways . I never miss a Lodge meeting ; my concertina and myself are always on deck ; I give the " poverty sign" with a dexterity begotten of considerable practice , and which ensures me a free drink in nearly every bar I use . I am going to fetch that thirty * third degree " if it takes me all summer . "

Mrs . John Wood having been ordered complete rest , the run of "Tho Cabinet Minister" will bo suspended from Friday , the Sth inst ., until October next , when the performances will b 3 resumed ) with the original cast .

Death.

DEATH .

PKRRY . MAN .- ~ On the 30 th ult ., WIUUM HIXH PiiRHttiAy- of LitUu Q'i-- " Street , W . f .