Nellie Napier, who enacted the heroine, was very poor, and sang ont > of tune. The numerous political allu- Jy slons must prove rather trying to Austra lian politicians. Such things as "Sir ■ Dlbbs and his cigar (warranted Albert r 'J- Edward's own)," and "Sir'EneryParkes" and hispoetry, were made the subjects of ;■■■. the wildest chaff. At the Criterion, *- "':. Brongh and Bonclcaulb were staging i " " Much Ado About Nothing," and stag y ' ing it charmingly, and the acting, thongh 7, nob on strictly traditional lines, was .y distinctly good. Mrs Brongh has an '".'' excellent stage presence, and I have .;• -never seen anyone "make up" better. I, ade a delightful Beatrice. The ge scene waa very impressive, with dsomely arranged bridal party, its sb, swinging censors, its priests gnatorles, and the realistic repre on of the Cathedral of Messina. Riekards, with a variety company, rawing large audiences at small at tbe Imperial Opera Honse, I and very hot theatre. Riekards f brought down tbe house nightly hevaller's " coster " songs, t a short stay in the city I lefb for intry, to visit some relatives whose b were in tbe Qeenbeyaß district, made my acquaintance with rural louth Wales. The mfxet". train ydney toGonlbnrn, my first stage, along at a faster rate than our gton express, and it happened thab carriage the conversation turned niland, whereupon one tourist told i when he was over here he heard ad of hay having been put on a New Zealand train which was jspabched. When the train reached iinatlon much of the hay was miss d official inquiry elicited the facb be missing provender had been off by tbe stock along the country h which the train passed I I had idly taken the mixed morning train | at 9.30, instead of the through pedal, which goes straight to my tion, in order to see something of tervening conntry. The day was and as there had been much rain •the previous week, everything ite besb, bub the scenery is much and rougher than our New Zealand l. 