Wednesday.—Nozze di Figaro, with Emma Eames as Countess, singing charmingly, and looking like portrait of Court Beauty by Sir Peter Lely. Maurel-Almaviva all right for voice, but not up to his Countess in aristocratic appearance. However, this is in keeping with character of nobleman whose most intimate friend is his barber, and who makes love to the barber's fiancée, who is also his wife's femme de chambre.
ROUNDABOUT READINGS.
At the Oxford and Cambridge Athletic Sports on Wednesday last, great surprise was expressed at the defeat of the hitherto invincible Mr. C. B. Fry by Mr. Mendelson in the Long Jump. Mr. Mendelson, who comes to us from New Zealand, has not only done a fine performance, but he has also jumped into fame. It is at any rate obvious that it is quite impossible for him to represent his University in the High Jump, for
With a musical name (though he varies the spelling),
This youth from New Zealand is bound to go far.
He couldn't jump high, since (it's truth I am telling)
No master of music e'er misses a bar.
The Long Jump, snatched like a brand from the burning, practically gave the victory in the whole contest to Cambridge, who also won the Weight, the Mile, the Three Miles and the Quarter.
The Light Blues triumphed, fortune being shifty;
They cheered FitzHerbert sprinting home in fifty.
For strength the weight-man's parents have a hot son,
Witness the put of youthful Mr. Watson.
Lutyens, who always pleases as he goes,
Romped in, his glasses poised upon his nose.
And none that day with greater dash and go ran
Than the Light Blue three-miler, Mr. Horan.
During the practice of the crews for Henley Regatta there has been one exalted contest, which I cannot remember hearing of in former years. My Sporting Life (of which I am a diligent and a constant reader) informed me that "at one time it did seem as though Jupiter Pluvius was about to swamp Old Boreas, but the latter proved too tough." Quite a sporting event, evidently. Why, oh why, was not Old Boreas present when Pelion was piled upon Ossa? The whole course of (pre) history might have been changed.