Public Amusements.

to gain possession of her honour . Kate herself is not altogether i ndifferent to his overtures , which she supposes to be honourable , but the real character of the man is better understood by her relatives and neighbours , and she is warned against him . AA'hen the play opens Harry Kavanagh has gone to Dublin to raise money , and pay the rent of the farm , and during his absence Stephen Purcel presses his suit to Kate with apparent success . Harry , on his re-1 turn , upbraids his sister for listening for a moment to the

professions of a man who is known to be so vile , and being overheard by Purcel ! , a plot is at once laid by that worthy to identify him with the designs of the United Irishmen , then just breaking out , and thus to work his ruin . The means employed to effect this end it is unnecessary to describe . Enough to say that they completely succeeded ; that Harry isdicoveredwith treasonable papers upon his person , and that he is hurried away from home and all that he holds dear , to be tried for life in Dublin as a traitor . This closes the

first act . A period of seven years is then supposed to elapse . On the opening of the second act we are informed that Harry was found guilty at his trial , and transported , that his aged mother had died of grief , and that his sister Kate , to save herself and her mother ( whilst she yet lived ) from actual starvation , had consented to enter into a secret marriage with the villain Purcell . AVe are further informed that Purcell , grown proud as well as rich , had since repudiated her , denied the legality of the marriage , and left

her to wander about the country without a home and without a name . It is necessary to mention that Harry Kavanagh , previous to falling into the snare which Purcell had spread for him , had plighted his troth to Mary Grace ( Miss Clara AVeston ) , who warmly returned his passion , and swore to maintain towards him an eternal fidelity . Harry being exiled , and Kate discarded , Purcell now turns his regards towards Mary Grace , whom he first of all seeks to win by an open suit ; but failing in that he resolves to abduct her by force , and for that purpose enters into a compact with some of the greatest ruffians of a body of AA hiteboys , whom he engages in the first place to murder Kate , who comes

inconveniently across his path , and then to assist him in forcibly carrying off Mary , In this scheme he lias every appearance of becoming successful , but , unfortunately for him , his plans are completely known to Barney O'Toole ( Mr . Edmund Falconer ) , a humble neighbour of the Kavanaghs during their prosperity , and a fervent hater of the Purcells , by whom their downfall and ruin had been affected . The worthy Barney is associated with the Peep o' Day Boys , and is the special confidant and agent of Captain Peep

o' Day , a personage in the then existing state of things in Ireland , of considerable influence and power . This Captain Peep o' Day is , in fact , no other than Harry Kavanagh returned from exile and driven to desperation by the desolation that he finds spread around the home that was once so dear to him . Barney , of course , communicates to his captain everything that be learns as to the designs of Purcel ] , who , in consequence , finds himself counterplotted at every turn , and in the end perishes miserably at the instant that he

expects to achieve a triumph , Harry Kavanagh at the same time claiming , and ( after some hesitatoin on the lady's part ) receiving the hand of Mary Grace . Poor Kate has previously been killed by a chance shot in the skirmish between the soldiers and some of the peasantry . The story is well told and the scenery really beautiful , that of the " Pattern , " or festival fair , at the holy well in the second act , beginning with a jig and ending with a faction fihthas seldom

g , been surpassed for humour , spirit , or effectiveness by anything we have seen upon the stage . Nor do we remember anything in the form of scenic effect more striking than the scene of the " Old Quarry in the Foil Dhuivo , or Dark Valley , " a work which we are convinced every one will be disposed to regard as Mr . Telbin's chef d'auwe . In this scene , too , there are some novelties of machinery which are productive of the happiest effect , and fill the minds of the audience with a feeling of delighted surprise . It would be unjust

not to say a word in commendation of Mr . Grieves ' s lovely view of " the Lover's Dingle among the Green Hills . " The whole of the characters are admirably sustained , and the piece is likely to have a run very little inferior if not superior to the " Colleen Bawn . "

DRURY-LANE THEATRE . Miss Avonia Jones , an established Australian favourite , who has appeared here in the character of Medea , merits an infinitely more cordial greeting than we are generally enabled to accord to artists who have earned a colonial reputation . The part which she has selected for her debut is one of the most trying in the whole range of the dramaand having passed triumphantlthrough the ordeal

, y thus bravely courted , she may fairly be said to have made good her position in the formost rank of modern tragic artistes . Her figure is firmly set , yet lithe and graceful , and appears to combine to an unnsual extent as much m uscular development as is compatible with feminine elegance , with perfect flexibility , and adaptability

Public Amusements.

to attitudes which have all the charm of the statuesque , with none of the stiffness with which it is too often allied . Her voice is thoroughly sympathetic , though her delivery is occasionally blemished by an undue prologation of syllables ; but in the moments of highest passion this trick of elocution is cast aside , and the actress , evidently yielding herself up to the emotion of the situation , gives thrilling effect to her natural inspiration . Miss Avonia Jones is a treasure such as our tragic stage has long coveted ,

and it is to be hoped that she will make her home amongst us , and delight us by devoting her genius to impersonations more congenial to popular taste than that in which she has achieved her first English triumph . On A \ ednesday morning an entertainment , quite new and interesting , was offered to the public by the performances of Mr . E . T . Smith ' s juvenile company of Italian singers and dancers , brought forward for the first time in this country . Of course the public

will not expect to hear that a party of liliputian performers , varying in age from Seven to fourteen years , can sing , act , or dance , like practical artists . In fact , if they did not often do very awkward , childish things , much of the interest that attaches to them would be lost , and though some of the children are comically awkward , some of them are extraordinarily clever and amusing . The entertaiments consisted of "II Campanello , " an operetta

buffa , of which Donizetti wrote both words and music ; and Perrot ' s " grand ballet of action , " entitled " Catarina ; ou , La Fille du Bandit . " "II Campanello" has-been already performed in this country . The plot , which turns upon the sufferings of an old gentleman , who is kept out of his bed the whole of the night succeeding his marriage with a very charming young lady , is certainly broadest kind , and scarcely one that children would be expected to understand ; but , nevertheless , the most ludicrous incidents and

drollest situations seemed to be perfectly appreciated , and were unquestionabl y expressed by appropriate humour and unflagging spirit by the two principal performers , Signor Smiraldi and . Signer Bottini . The latter young gentleman , indeed , is quite , a genius in his way , and but for his voice , which nature has recently turned from " childish treble" into something quite indescribable ,, would have afforded unqualified amusement . The ballet was still more diverting than the operettaand it is not too much to say

, that a more agreeable or interesting terpsichorean entertainment has been rarely seen on any stage . The ensemble dances , the solo steps , the dramatic action , were one and all admirable ; but the highest praise is due to the very young lady , Maddle . Marianni Flori ( aged nine years ) , who personated Catarina . The grace ,, agility , and gestural expression of this gifted child are perfectly astonishing .

The "Week.

THE "WEEK .

THE COURT . —Saturday was the birthday of the Prince of AA ' ales ,. when his Royal Highness attained bis twentieth year . As the Court is still in mourning for her late Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent , the usual military displays at AVindsor were omitted , but the day was otherwise well observed , and the royal tradesmen celebrated the auspicious event by dining together on the occasion . It is stated that the Prince will , at the close of the present term , hid

a final adieu to Cambridge , and proceed upon a foreign tour . The Court will remain in retirement some days , in consequence of the death of the King of Portugal . GENERAL HOME NEWS . —AVinter heralds its approach in the increased mortality of the metropolis . For several weeks the deaths had been considerably under the ten years' average ; in the first week of this month they were more than 40 above it , or

altogether 1251 . The diseases of children occupy a large place in the causes of these deaths , showing that the late severe weather has been most fatal to the infantine population . In the same week the number of births has been 1710 , which is about as much above the average as the deaths have been . ——From many parts of the coast we have melancholy accounts of the effects of a heavy gale which took place on Sunday . The storm was felt with terrible severit y between Bridlington and Flamborough Head , loss of life

beingadded to immense destruction of property . A long list of casualties has also been received from the Lowestoft range of coast ; while a Sunderland brig , the fate of whose crew is uncertain ,. is reported to have been wrecked on Gunfleet Sands . From Liverpool we hear of a sad disaster . The barque Prompt ,. from Rangoon , foundered off the Bell Buoy , on Monday , fourteen ' of the crew going down with the ship . On Saturday the Londoners had the ' n- Lord Mayor's show , which was followed , in the evening , by the usual banquet at the Mansion House . Among the speakers after dinner were the Duke of Cam-