It is seldom that the theatre pays us a visit down here beside Sedgemoor, but this last day or two sundry, cheaply printed bills. posted at the forge on gates, stiles, telegraph poles, and other placs of public resort, have announced that "Miss De Courcy, direct from the London Theatres," and supported by a "powerful No. 1 London Company, will present the pathetic domestic drama "east Lynne" positivley for one night only". The news has aroused bu tlittle discussion in the village to tell the truth, play-acting does not appeal to us greatly- but we are surprised and some of us a little indignant, we we hear that the viear has raised no objection to the of the village schoolroom as playhouse in this occasion

The preformance is to begin at eight o'clock precisely, but it is a quarter-past before I can get there, the sky is still full of the sun- set and it seems a pity to go in. But, even as I hesitate, from the room, which has been illuminated as brightly as may be, comes the tinkle of a piano amd some one bursts into song. Not wishing to be late, I make with all speed for the big door. It is locked. I kick it gently to arouse attention, and ask to be let in. "Very sorry, sir" says a voice- the voice of the sexton and clerk- "they've got the key; there's some o'us in here as wants to get out, but we can't"

There is another small entrance round the corner serving the evening, I suppose, for stage door. In answer ro my knock a tout middleaged lady with golden hair opens the door halfway. I explain my plight and that of my friends who seek to escape; wherest she is profuse with apologies and gives me to unders- tand that they are short-handed and have no one to keep the door; hence the only plan is with a reasonable number of people have en- tered to lock it. Again I repair to the big door. This time it is open.

Could you be true to eyes of blue If you looked into eyes of brown,

sings a lady younger than my friend of the stage door with seductive glances at the audience while the piano bangs after her as hard as it can. The listeners-composed of our stopkeeper, his wife, and little daughter, dressed in their best, five farm labourers, the blacksmith and his small son, the policemans's wife, adn the clerk together with some tiny children who ought to have been in bed, as they are now sleeping soundly-are unexpensive. The pro- blem does not seem to interest them; still they have paid their money (some as much as sixpence) and sit on stolidiy. The songcomes to an end. THe concert of which it formed part is apparently rendered necessary by the con- densed nature of the pathetic domestic drama nest to be preformed. Otherwise the entertain- ment might have failed to satisfy, in quantity at least those who had paid sexpence. The stage is not very high; it is draped with ancient hangings some of which had once, obviously, been white, and otehrs probably blue. To the left, behind a screen, is the piano.

The curtian creaks up very slowly. and we settle ourselves to watch the play. As I for one, have never seen it performed before and possess but a hazy rememberance of the work on which it is founded I am naturally interest- ed adn attentive. But, looking back on it now, it seems that very little could have happened. It was in five remarkably brief acts and four phenomenally long intervals, during the second of which three of the labourers arose and plodded heavily out, only to find the door locked and escape impossible. One of them returns to inquire of me what is best to be done. I make a dive at the piano-which is playing feverishly-and beg for the loan of the key. The tinkling stops, they key is handed over to me, I release the prisoners and return to my seat to meditate on the play. THe policeman's wife is explaining to her neighbour that she must not consider this as in any way resmebling the London plays. The shopkeeper is staring up at the ceiling, his wife is asleep and his little daughter is getting restive.

Up goes the curtain. The dialouge is scrappy and not very illuminating. There is a stout lady whom I take to be Miss De Courcy. She wears blue spectacles and so nobody seems to know who she is. This is confusing. Further confusion arises from one person being liable to appear in two or three different characters without our knowing it, for from exigencies of wardrobe it may be, the changes of attire are trifling in such cases, and discrimination is well-nigh impossible. Some- where near the end of the play the clothat the back of the stge was pulled aside and revealed "little Willie" in heaven; at least he was standing on a little pedestal with festoons of dingy blue around him.

"God Save the King" is thumped out on the piano; the small children wake suddenly and one begins to cry; then we make our way slowly to the door. Outside the air is cool and refreshing and the full moon shines over the wide plain, with it curious tree-clad island springing up here and there. At the gate stands the policeman; waiting for his wife, who has stopped to exchange theatrical reminiscences with the grocer's lady in the porch. I inquire of him as to the legality of holding dramatic preformances in a building not licensed for them and with such preacrious exists. He admits that, of course, some- thing might be said-be would not deny that-but there it was, and he did not suppose anyone was the worse for it. In which he shines rather as a man than as an officer of justice. But askin' your pardon sir" he says, "what did you think of the play ?" I reply that is seemed very interestinf and he goes on "Yes that is a good play if you like; I mind seeing it years ago at the Elephant and Castle. My wife's gone to-night. She thinks a lot of the stage. She knows all the London plays, my wife does and she likes a good bit o'acting. I wished I could ha' gone to-night-it makes a bit of change for us country folk, don't it, sir?"

I go slowly homewards past the school, now dark, with its slate roof gleaming silver in the moonlight. A dog barks far away, and is answered by a circle of barks near and far. I climb on to a stile and sit there for it is a shame to turn in on a night like this. Presently, along the moonlit road, comes trudging a little group of persons-five all told-two men, one of them pushing a little loaded handcart, two women and a little boy. They are talking to each other in low tones; as they pass me I recognise the "No. 1 London Company." They seemed tired-and no wonder; apparently they are looking for somewhere to sleep. They wish me a cheery "Good night" and pass round the bend. So our brief dramatic season is over.

The report of the Executive Committee pre- sented to the Zionist Congress at its sitting at Basle, last week, shows that the Zionist move- ment hasnow taken root in 22 States. Both yesterday's sittings were devoted exclusively to the proposal to establish a Zionist settlement in British East Africa Prof. Warburg (Berlin) submitted a report on the subject. THe report of the committee of inquiry, composed of Major Hill Gibbons, Prof. Kaiser and Dr. Wilbusche- witch the engineer who went out to East Africa last year to make an investigation locally was unfavorbale tot he scheme and recommended that the general commitee should take no action in the matter. Mr. Israel Zangwill, on the other hand favored the acceptance of the offer of the British Govern ment but only on condition that a district both of larger extent and more suitable for settlement should be applied for. As over 100 delegates had given notice that they wished to speak on this question, a long discussion en- sued as to the order of procedure. This led to such great uproar that the president had several times to suspend the sitting and leave the hall. In the afternoon the general debate continued. A majority in favor of the rejec- tion of the British Government's offer is assur- ed. Among the vice-presidents of the congress is Sir Francis Montefiore".

History selects quaint places for some of her notable scenes. A waysie inn upon the weldt serves for the opening of peace of pourparlers in the war between ourselves and the Boerse; the tiny courthouse of a Virginian village is the setting of the scene in which ended the bloody war between North and South America. Tilst famous still because of the peace which Napoleon and Alexander signed there, remains an insignificant town; Waterloo has not four thousand inhabitants; Malplaquet remains a tiny village; and Austerlitz is in population no more than a parish. Bjoerkoe where the two Emperors have been meeting is an island of whihc previously not one man in ten thousand has heard.

If there had not been an island available for a background the German Emperor would have beeen equal to the task of getting one establish- ed. For the opening of the Kiel Canal the Kaiser is said jestingly to have declared that he would like to drink a cup of coffee on an island in the middle of the lake while watching the fireworks. The stolid Hamburgers took him at his words, and built him an island and there he drank his coffee and saw fireworks wnough to statisfy even his appetite for the pyrotechnic. We have an island which would have pleased his Majesty for his meeting with the Tsar-an island owing no submission to the laws of England, to which it belongs. S'eep Holm, in the Bristol Channel, is the spot; and there lived a man and a bear. THe latter made an attack one day upon a tripper, who sought damages in court. But there was no redress.Steep Holm belonging to no county no sheriff had any jurisdiction over it.

Sir John Wolf Barry, presiding last week at the sixty-sixth half-yearly ordinary general meeting of the Eastern Telegraph Comapny, said the increase of traffic with India had been very satisfactpry. He attributed his, not to the reduction of tariff, but to the late general prosperity of the Indian Empire. As a result of the increased traffic, the reduction in the rate referred to would be brought into opera- tion on August 1. The total expensesfor the half-year exclusive of income tax amounted ot L232,00 as against for the cor- responding period of 1904, L216,000 or an in- crease of L16,000. THe net result of working for the year ending March 31 was that the com- pany were able after making provision for reserve funds, to pay the usual dividend of 5 per cent and a bonus of 2 per cent, and to carry forward a small balance.

Mr. John Newton enquired whether the Tele graph Conference which was sitting would be satisfied with the substantial reductions in the tariffs which the company were going to make on the 1st inst.

The Chairman said the Conference had nothing to do with the reductions which had been brought before the meeting. THe reduc tion in the tariff to India was under a definite contract with the Indian Government, with which the Pacific Cable Conference had nothing do do; nor had they anything to do with the other reduction to Egypt.