The Theatres.

Except that it gives the admirers of Miss Dorothy Dene , who are many , the advantage of seeing her and witnessing the progress she is gradually making in her acting , the production of "The Secret Foe " at the Opera Comique last Saturday might as well have been left alone . Mr . John A . Stevens , the author and principal actor in the drama , may find his play meet with approval

on the other side of the Atlantic , but it will not do for London . Such a performance might have a certain success in the provinces , but even the people in town during the off season will find it hard to be interested in "The Secret Foe , " vvhich is very badly constructed . Count Ivan Demidoff and Conrad Fedor Petrovich both fall in love with the same lady and at the same time , and after several

events , which in real life would be impossible , the former wins her , and the latter , under the semblance of being Ivan ' s friend , becomes his deadly enemy , and vvhen he can get an opportunity makes love to Ivan's wife , Olgar . Ivan is not of a jealous temperament , and lets his wife have p lenty of liberty ; but , like many women , Olgar fancies what is her husband ' s faithfulness in her is indifference to

her . Fedor intrigues and gets up a supper party , at vvhich are present some ladies of shady character . Ivan wants to go home , but is persuaded by his former brother officers to stop and have a game of cards . One of these ladies is paid to make love to Ivan , when Fedor , who has Olgar in an adjacant room , brings her in masked to witness her husband ' s infidelity . Ivan makes the beauty

of his wife the subject of a wager ; she then unmasks herself , he realises the treachery of his friend Fedor , and fells him to the ground . Fedor , not baulked yet , goes to Count Demidoff's house and tells Olgar that her husband owes him a large sum of money , and takes her jewels in place of payment . Hearing Count Ivan coming , Olgar hides him behind the curtains . Ivan tells his wife that he is in

difficulties for money , and begs her to let him have her jewels to clear himself , but she having parted vvith them , but afraid to say to whom , refuses to help him . Driven to despair , he tells Olgar he will have to break an oath , and then declares that he is a Nihilist , and it is for this cause that he wants the money . Fedor having overheard this , of course makes use of the knowledge , and by a pretext

gets Olgar into his castle , where he makes overtures to her , vvhen he finds her faithful to her husband . Olgar takes up a dagger to kill him , the door is burst open at the moment by Count Ivan , who at first naturally thinks his wife not faithful , but she implores him to believe her , and shows him the weapon she used to try to kill the secret foe , and begs her

husband to go into the room where he had sent Fedor and kill him himself . A duel ensues , in which Ivan is victorious . The author , Mr . Stevens , vvho is the Count Ivan Demidoff , is too heavy and slow for such a part . Mr . Boleyn plays the thankless title role of the secret foe with firmness , and is decidely the best actor in the piece . Miss Dorothy Dene has made another advancement in her acting since her

appearance in " The Noble Vagabond . " In tragic parts she shows much earnestness . We vvould like to see her in a play where a great deal of passion and jealousy are required . It is unfortunate that this decidedly clever young lady should always have appeared in pieces which have not been successes . We refer to "Jack , " "The Noble Vagabond , " and the present play . We believe Miss Dene

has played at two or three matinees as well . Her dresses , as in the other two plays , are the admiration of the sterner sex and the envy of the ladies . Her costumes are very becoming , and we suppose are designed by the President of the Royal Academy , who is always present at her first nights , and to whom Miss Dene has sat for many years as the subject of his pictures . For beauty of face and figure Sir Frederick would not easily find a parallel .

To-morrow night ( Saturday ) Bro . Augustus Harris produces his new drama by himself and Mr . Paul Merritt , with Bro . Harry Nicholls in the cast . On Wednesday the Novelty re-opens its doors with " The Blue Bells of Scotland , " by Mr . Robert Buchanan , with Mr . Henry Neville , Miss Harriet Jay , and Miss Fortescue in the company . Saturday , the ioth , Miss Mary Anderson

begins her season at the Lyceum with " A Winter's Tale , " and on the 15 th Mr . Beerbohm Tree re-opens the Haymarket with " The Red Lamp , " Bro . Clayton brings Mr . Pinero's "Dandy Dick" to Toole's Theatre on probably the izth . _ On the 21 st Miss Lydia Thompson opens the Strand vvith burlesque , Mr . Ernest Birch , brother-in-law to Mr . Hope Morley , making his debut in " The Sultan of Mocha , " and at the close of the month Bro . Edward Terry hopes to open his own theatre .

Fortune has changed at last . The Olympic Theatre , vvith all its old grand traditions , may lift up its head again amongst the other theatres . The little house in W ych-street no longer smells nasty , has no draughts , is well ventilated , has plenty of exits ( all open at any tune ) , is beautifully decorated , extremely comfortable , fees of all kinds absolutely abolished . All these advantages

the public have to thank Miss Agnes Hewitt for , but what 's of chief importance to them and her is that her autumn 'egimri has been ushered in with the production of a melodrama with unmistakeable signs of a big success . The Proverb that "fortune favours the fair" seems , in the Present instance , to be a truism . The plucky manageress must have thanked her lucky star that she had placed the

responsibility of writing a new piece in the hands of Messrs . Cecil Raleigh and R . C . Carton , and obtained ™ assistance of Mr . Willard to depict the central chapter . The authors , it will be remembered , two or three S ago , wrote "The Great Pink Pearl , " which met ith tolerable favour , and we fancied on Monday night

"Tfc certain resemblances to their former play in ihe Pointsman , " for such is the title of the present y . n-P'c drama . We think the piece will require more ? ' I " S together . It has at present too many stories to for a . none . Pt to get off the main line of the plot and tim C ' ' * cIlaracter in other parts which seem at the p . Im P 0 rtant , and yet turn out to be mere accessories . J authors , no doubt , thoroughly understand what they «¦•> ,, " -. "" P ! ece to be . they have not written it in a

caref 1 f ° understood of the audience . A little more are c . ° "aboration and an expunging here and there The r \? r make " The Pointsman" go better . a Wetli the P ° ' ice m'ght "ith advantage come out tne iL , i j' those scenes are more fit for pantomime than *•« drama . We wish there were in the play some

The Theatres.

people of noble thought , of purer minds , and pleasanter characters . As it is , the piece suffers rather from a surfeit of the villain and his influence over everyone , man and woman alike . It would take columns to unravel the story , dealing as it does with so many heads , so we will just say that this stirring and ingenious drama opens in a low public-house on the riverside , kept by the villain of the piece . Into it

are brought by a loafer , a colleague of the proprietor , two young men just arrived from the diamond fields , where they have been highly successful . One is suffering from sunstroke , the healthy one is murdered and silently put in the river . The innkeeper and his accomplice carry the sick man far away , who is found by a station master's daughter , and who afterwards marries him . After a number of

vicissitudes , the Pointsman , who has had a dim recollection of being robbed and seeing his companion murdered , confronts the murderer , the cloud is lifted from his memory , and the villain is given up to justice . In every part of the house the piece was received with rapturous applause , and loud calls vvere given for the actors . Mr . Willard was head and shoulders the favourite over anyone else , and he richly

deserved all the applause . Mr . J . G . Grahame acted the hero in the same manly tone he always plays such parts , but , like the rest , he was too loud . Noise prevailed . Voices were often heard over firing of revolvers and smashing up of railway carriages . Mr . Barnett gave a very clever rendering of a man who won't work ; his make up as a tramp vvas lifelike . Mr . Motley Wood , as the "loafer" is a

fine bit of character acting ; of Mr . Bernard Gould , as the murdered man , every one wished to see more . He only appears in the prologue . Mr . Frank _ Wright , as a railway porter , also showed well , specially in a scene with his wife . Out of twenty-four characters only three are played by ladies , viz ., Miss Agnes Hewitt ( the lessee of the threate ) , Miss Maud Milton , and Miss Helen

Ferrers . The latter young lady has , we think , not played in London before this . She shows much aptitude for the stage , and , considering her part was not one out of which much could be made , she was not behind the others . ^ Miss Ferrers always seemed quite at ease ( a great necessity on the stage ) , and speaks her lines with clearness and expression . We do not think it is generally known that she is

the sister of Miss Fortescue , which may account for her being well coached in her part by that clever and shrewd lady , whom we hope to see next week at the theatre hard by our publishing office . As Miss Fortescue , who was present on Monday , has not acted in London for a long time , it is a singular coincidence that the two sisters should be playing at the same time . Miss Maud Milton pourtrayed the

victim of the villain , and in many of her passages aroused the sympathy of her audience ; but we liked her better in her last character in '' The Golden Band . " Miss Agnes Hewitt , with admirable judgment , depicts the virtuous daughter of the station master . She dresses very neatly , looks , and is , pretty , and acts with such quiet grace and modesty that took with every one . It was not only on account of her being manageress of the establishment that

Miss Hewitt was so well received . The scenery is painted by Bro . Bruce Smith and Mr . Callcott . The railway accident scene is by far and away the best of the kind ever attempted on the stage , for such things heretofore have not succeeded . The stage manager has done wisely in not trying to show us the actual collision , but merely the results of it . We hope bright days have once more come over the Olympic , inaugurated by Miss Agnes Hewitt .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . BRISCOE MASEFIELD . We have unfortunately to record the death of Bro . Richard Briscoe Masefield , one of the oldest British residents in Buenos Ayres—a man respected by all vvho knew him for his truthful , straightforward , unblemished character as well as for his quiet , unostentatious , honourable life . He was a native of Shropshire , was born in 1 S 13 , and

belonged to the old Masefield family , of the same stock as the Masefields of Ellerton Hall . In 1835 Bro . Masefield being at the time 22 years of age and in delicate health , determined to emigrate to a milder climate , and thus he became associated with South America . Part of his long and useful life vvas passedin Rio Grande , partin Montevideo , partin Buenos Ayres , but in all these several placeshisname

is associated with sterling qualities of mind and character , and in every employment he held he gained not only the respect but the friendship of all with whom he was connected . In early life he joined our Society , and by his zeal , ability , and merit had risen to the highest rank . He was at his decease a Past Grand Master of the Order , and the representative at the G . Orient of the Argentine Republic of

the Grand Lodge of England . He died on June 28 th , after two months' illness , and was buried on the 29 th in the British Cemetery . His funeral was largely attended by his numerous friends of all nationalities , many Freemasons being present , and the burial service was read by the Rev . Austin West and the Rev . A . Lennox Robertson of the English Church .

The "Victoria Institute , " which assists indigent German brethren and their families and works under the auspices of tbe German Grand Lodge League , expended 5550 reichsmarks during the year 1886 , the amount of its fund for the Asylum for Indigent Sisters amounting to 84 , 076 reichsmarks , and that for general assistance to

59 > ° 39 reichsmarks . These funds increase annually by some 10 , 000 reichsmarks , exclusive of accruing interest , and , according to the regulations , the Imperial Crown Prince of Germany , who is Deputy Protector of the three Grand Lodges in Berlin , must approve of the disbursements .

According to the report recently issued by the Committee of the Corporation of London , which was entrusted with the arrangements for celebrating the Queen's Jubilee , the total sum expended was within £ 11 , 000 , of vvhich £ 5000 vvas voted to the Imperial Institute , while the rest was expended on tbe reception and

ball at the Guildhall on the 28 th June . The number of invitations issued was 5392 , and the number of persons present vvas 464 6 . For this entertainment £ 6000 was granted from the City ' s cash , but only £ 5597 ns . 2 d . was expended , of which £ 1743 9 s . 8 d . went to the workmen for preparing the Hall , & c , & c , while the supper and refreshments cost £ 2779 8 s . 3 d . and the music £ 178 7 s .

Masonic And General Tidings.

MASONIC AND GENERAL TIDINGS .

Bro . the Marquis of Hartington , M . P ., P . G . M . of Derbyshire , has left town for Bolton Abbey . Prince Albert Victor of Wales is on a visit to Bro . the Earl of Fife at Mar Lodge . Bro . Lord Egerton of Tatton presided at the half-yearly meeting of the Manchester Ship Canal Company , which was held at Manchester on Monday .

Bro . the Duke of Abercorn presided at a meeting held in Dublin on Friday , the 26 th ult ., of the Landlords and Encumbrances Association . Bro . Sir John Macdonald , Prime Minister of the Dominion of Canada , and Past S . G . Warden of England , is about returning to Ottawa , after having passed the summer at Dalhousie , New Brunswick .

There are at present 16 inmates in the Masonic Home of Pennsylvania , which has now been established for four years , and had a balance in hand from the year ' s account on ist June last of 11 , 340 dollars . The Imperial Crown Prince ot Germany , who is said to have greatly benefited by his visit to Scotland , left Braemar on Monday for the South of England , and will shortly return with the Crown Princess to Potsdam .

Bro . the Lord Mayor of London left the Mansion House on the evening of Friday , the 26 th ult ., on a visit to the South-West of Ireland . During his sojourn his lordship will be the guest of Mr . Fitzwilliam Hume Dick , of Hanevvood , county Carlow .

There are 10 councils subordinate to the Grand Council of R . and S . M ., Georgia , the aggregate membership being 259 . The expenses appear to have slightly exceeded the receipts . Comp . C . F . Lewis is the present M . I . G . Master , and Comp . Wolihin G . Recorder .

Bro . the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon left England on the 26 th ult . on board the Rimutaka for the Cape en route for Australia . While sojourning at the Cape the distinguished travellers will take part in one or two important public ceremonials .

According to the World , the first appearance in public of Bro . Sir M . E . Hicks-Beach , Bart ., M . P ., since his absence from the political world for the purpose of recruiting his health , will be at the Dolphin dinner at Bristol on the Colston anniversary in November . According to the Masonic Token , no less than 33

Masonic journals died during the ten years ending in 1877 , while 32 have passed away during the ten years which have since elapsed , making a total for the 20 years of 65 , or at the rate of upwards of three per annum . This is a serious mortality , and some people must have suffered pretty severely .

Among tne principal guests at the dinner given at the Viceregal Lodge , Dublin , on Thursday , the 25 th ult ., by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and the Marchioness of Londonderry , were Bro . the Marquis of Headfort , S . G . W . of Ireland , and the Marchioness of Headfort , and Bros , the Earl of Clonmel and Viscount Combermere . The Keystone , of Philadel phia , for the 13 th ult ., is exceptionally complimentary to the Masons of England

in general and the Freemason in particular . It contains brief particulars of some of our most distinguished brethren and of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , and , in addition , quotes largely from our columns as to the reception of the American Templar Pilgrims vvho were recently among us . Undoubtedly , the slight tribute which we considered it our duty to render , and which we had so much pleasure in rendering , on its entering on its 21 st volume , has been appreciated , and vve rejoice that it has been so .

The statement of account for 1886-7 of the Great Priory of England and Wales shows receipts , including balance brought forward of £ 266 3 s . in respect of the Benevolent Fund , amounting to £ 42483 . 80 ! . ; and including £ 503 17 s . 7 d . balance brought forward amounting to £ 1090 3 s . 7 d . in respect of the General Fundj or together , £ 1514 12 s . 3 d . The expenditure on account of

Benevolent Fund , including £ 26 5 13 s . nd . for purchase of £ 250 Southern Mahratta Four per Cent . Debenture Stock , reached £ 321 15 s . nd ., and on account of General Fund , including £ 371 19 s . ? d . for purchase of £ 350 of same Stock , £ 95953 . 6 d . ; or together , £ 1281 is . 5 d . The balances in hand at close of account were £ 102 12 s . gd . Benevolent Fund , and £ 130 18 s . id . General Fund .

Lord Doneraile , the news of whose death from hydrophobia caused a great sensation on Friday , the 26 th ult ., was particularly known as a member of an old family of Irish Freemasons , the family which has the singular honour of counting in its ranks the only lady Freemason . It was Miss St . Leger , afterwards the Hon . Mrs . Aldvvorth , who , as a hidden intruder in a Masonic lodge , of which her

brother was Master , and vvhich vvas held in their own house , became so frightened after the lodge vvas close-tyled and the ceremonies began that she disclosed her concealment , and , as she had seen a portion of what was going on , had to stand aside until the lodge had come to a resolution as to what was to be done under the circumstances . The

brethren decided that she must be made a Freemason , and this was accordingly done . The lady never regretted it . She vvas very proud of being a member of the Craft , became an excellent Mason , and took part in all Masonic ceremonials , both public and private , in which her lodge was afterwards engaged . —Manchester Mail .

HOLLOWAY ' S PILLS . —The Liver , the Stomach , and their Ail . ments . —Alterations of temperature , muggy weather , a troubled mind , sedentary habits , exces . ses of the table , and a gay , reckless mode of life exert the most deleterious influence over the liver and stomach . When once these organs are fairl y out of order , great inroads are quickly made on the general state of the health .

The constitution , which has been deprived of two of its noblest organs , soon gives way , and diseases quickly follow , from which , if neglected , the worst consequences will inevitably result . If a course of Holloway ' s celebrated Pills be presevered in , all will be well again , as they are the finest and noblest correctives of the blood ever known , and a certain cure for all disorders of the liver and stomach . —[ ADVT . ]