AN ACTOR'S DREAM

DEATH OF LAURENCE IRVING

A STRANGE EXPERIENCE

Mr A. B. Tapping, stage manager of the Kingsway Theatre, London, had a startling dream, in which he saw the exit from life of Mr Laurence Irving. Mr Tapping was touring the provinces with a company playing the drama "The Great" Adventure," and before going on the stag© at the Court Theatre, Liverpool, the Daily Chronicle interviewed him on. the subject of his dream.

"Last week," he said, "we were at Sheffield, and during the early horn's of Friday morning, just about the time that the Empress of Ireland went down, I dreamt I was one of a gathering in a handsomely appointed room, where a number of people were gentlemen,, although there seemed to be a few .ladies also. Looking round the room I plainly saw Sir Henry Irving seated at a table on the righthand side.

"His face had the waxy appearance of that of a dead or dying man. The people present seemed to realise that the great actor was about to quit for ever the scenes of his triumphs, and it seemed to me that this was his farewell "appearance among his friends before his final exit.

"Then all present passed in solemn procession before Sir Henry's chair, and shook him by the hand in sad farewell. Irving's face gradually seemed to have a mist gathering on it, and his eyes were becoming dim. It was evident his strength was fast failing. "When all the company had passed before him he rose, and, with one of those gestures we all remember so well, and in low, halting tones, as if overcome by the sympathy displayed towards him, he uttered the .words, which I could hear quite plainly, 'I can endure it no longer.' "Placing his hand on his forehead he bowed his head and disappeared, death having claimed-him.

DRAMATIC DEPARTURE

"The people then bsgan to.leave the roam quickly, and when most of them had gone out I looked round again, and saw Mr Laurence Irving, whom I had not noticed particularly during the mournful procession before his father. He was standing alone at the far end of the room. I went towards him and, stretching out my hand appealingly, exclaimed, 'Don't you see what is happening? Your father is dying. •He has left us for ever.' r "The son looked past me with amazement in his eyes, and seemed for a moment as if he would collapse; but suddenly, drawing himself up with a resolute expression on his face, he followed his father with unfaltering step. "It was a most dramatic departure and made a deep impression on me. There was no farewell on the part of the son, whose call to go seemed to come suddenly and unexpectedly. "I did not see Miss Hackney, Laurence Tiling's wife, among the company. ' "On the same morning came the news of the disaster of the Empress of Ireland, but at that time I had no reason to suppose that Mr Laurence Irving was on the boat. . ; As soon as I heard the news, however, I recollected my dream, and told it to the members of my company, and also to my wife, remarking that I hoped Laurence Irving and his wife were not on boai'd.

"The dream haunted me all the day, and when it became known that they had actually sailed on the Empress tlie news quite unnerved < me, as I felt certain it was a message tbaft the young actor and his* wife had perished. "Mr Shiel Barry, a member of the company, seeing that I was much shaken, did what he could to buck me up before I went on the stage that night." Mr Tapping added that when Re saw in a Sheffield paper a picture of the saloon of the Empress of Ireland, he at once recognised it as the room of his dream, from which Laurence Irving passed out .after his rather, although he has never in reality seen either of the Empress boats." .

Mr Tapping says he has had dreams which have come true in a similar way before. On one occasion he dreamt that a certain horse had won a race, with the result that he backed it for a small stake. The horse did win, and he then regretted that his bet was modest.

] At the present time several German steamers are on their way to New Zealand ports. The German-Austra-lian steamer Wisniar, 4686 tons, ( Captain Schroder, left Hamburg on June 25th, and is due at Bluff about August 10th. The Hawsa Line steamer Stolzenfels, 5553 tons, running under charter to the U.S. and A. Line, is at present in Sydney on her way from New York ,to New Zealand ports. The Wildenfels, 5512 tors, also under charter to the U.S. and A. Line, left New York on June 29th for Melbourne; Sydney, and New Zealand ports, and is due at Melbourne- about August 18th. •

. In the vicinity of the Round Bush, a well-known landmark on the southern slopes of Ruapehu, a somewhat unusual sight awaits the passing .traveller. One notices skeletons of sheep, hung up, in some cases 4ft. to 6ft. from the ground, in branches of the manuka scrub that flourishes near by. The locality is visited by heavy falls of snow, and the ground is frequently covered to a depth of from 2ft. to 3ft. The . scrub becomes weighed down. The sheep, in strug; gling over the snow, seeking for shelter, are often entangled in the lowered branches, and in their weakened condition are unable to escape. They die, and the snow in melting releases the deadly trap in which they have been caught, with the result that the branches fly back to their original position, takjing- the carcases with them.

Sixty doses of "NAZOL,"^ enough to remove half-a-dozen average bad colds, costs only eighteenpence. "NAZOL" is easy to take, acts quickly, and has no ill effects on the system.—Advt. .

"Rather a suspicious case," observed the Auckland Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr H. M. Skeet) to a Piako settler, who, after occupying a holding for eighteen months, desired to sell out his intei'est at a profit of £800. A wife with rheumatics and the absence of a school for his children were tihe principal reasons advanced in favor of the application. Mr A. R. Harris (who is a member of the Education Board) said that there were three schools in the district, and that the Education BoaraVas doing its best to provide, further educational facilities. Tb this the applicant replied that there was no school within three miles of his place, also that the roads were ankle-deep in mud. The Commissioner expressed the opinion that this was a case of "pure speculation," and <>n his suggestion further consideration of the application was deferred.

He jests at colds who always uses "NAZOL." Nothing s* pleasaiit, so speedy, so sure as <?NAZOL" in curing coughs and colds. Splendid for children. Is 6d per bottle of '60 doses.—Advt.