WELLINGTON LETTER.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 60, 2 July 1908, Page 2

WELLINGTON LETTER.

ABOUT PEOPLE. Mr and Mrs Heaton Rhodes have arrived for the season, and have taken a house in Hill strout. Miss Stevens and her father, the member for Manawatu, are also staying in Hill street, and there also Sir William and Lady Steward have rented a house. Mrs Watson, from Invercargill, is staying with her mother, Mrs Mcnzies, who has been nursing a sprained ankle. There has been quite an influx of visitors from the Wairarapa, with the double object of hearing lvubelik and witnessing the test match., Among these are Mr Macgregor and his son and daughter, from Masterton, Mrs Meredith, from the same place, and Mrs Palmer and her sister Mrs Boyd, from Featherston. The. Speaker and Mrs Guinness are installed in their, at present, somewhat uncomfortable quarters in erstwhile Government House, now Parliament Buildings. ■ Word _ has been received that Mrs F. Haybittle, who left with her family for Home three -months ago, has been successfully operated upon, and is on the road to recovery. Mrs and Miss Meredith-Kayo, of Christchurch, are in Wellington at present, and Mr and ; Mrs Hugh Beeves, who arrived from Australia last week, have left for Christchurch.

THE BRITISH FOOTBALLERS' Though the Encounter is in port, the noses of her gold-laced officers are quite put out of joint by our football visitors, who have been decidedly the heroes of the week, and had almost an overwhelmingly good time, and one it would be imagined hardly conducive to that keenness of eye and perfect condition necessary for success. Nevertheless, and notwithstanding the severe loss the team sustained in the recall of Jackson, they played a line game on Saturday, of which more anon. Various entertainments have been given in their honour. Mrs J. E. Fulton organised a bridge party, to which Mr Harding and nine of the team came, the first prize, appropriately enough, falling to the lot of the gallant captain. It was, too, something lie would appreciate—a greenstone tiki to hang on his watch-chain. Mrs Wilford also entertained the captain and a number of the team at a very jolly afternoon party, when all sorts of amusing gained—with prizes for the most skilful—were played. There have been, too, many dinners, two dances, and other gaieties, the consequence being that the team leave many new-made friends behind them when they, start for Napier to-day (Monday;. They are—as far as J' have had the opportunity of judging—a quiet, well-mannered .set of men, grateful for attention, and enthusiastic over the attractions of our country. Mr Jackson, who was recalled for an alleged breach of the Rugby regulations, and whom I met several times, was a splendid-looking man, with a strong determined face, thick Mack curls, and a magnificent physique. lie was liked by all the team, and I heard there was quite an affecting scene on the wharf, some of the team being actually overcome at the parting. Mr Jackett, who has played with Mr Jackson for seven years, was particularly cut-up, and perhaps his grief and indignation got vent on Saturday, when he played a magnificent game, and received huge applause from the dense crowds. He has a calm, seif-eontaincd pleasant manner, and is as cool on the Held as the proverbial cucumber, but he is absolutely infallible in an emergency. When the ball was living towards the goal-posts, and a score seemed certain, Jackett a r -ain and again saved the situation by his brilliant play.

I MUDDY FOOTBALL. iSatui-flavT—■whon the test match was played—was an utterly hopeless after- , noon, dreary, wet, and miserable, its I only redeeming feature being an absence of wind. The ground was a quagmire, and we picked our way to the "reserved chairs/' reserved for friends of the players, with immense care, knowing well a heedless step would land us on our backs amid the derisive gaze of thousands of unsympathetic eyes. Our chairs were stationed—one long row—on the muddy turf in front of tho stand, and quite close to the line. It rained at intervals, and we were utterly withI out cover—tho crouds behind objected in no measured terms to our putting up our umbrellas—we sat with our boots on an island of plank above tho mud, and enjoyed ourselves immensely. It was, for n mere woman, a unique view of a match. We were so close to the play that the muddy ball soared at times over our heads, and ■thru; times hit our skirts, leaving a goo-1 deal of its covering behind. We could hear tho British captain, .Harding, calling out encouragement and praise, and see tho uniforms, so trim and spotless, gradually become so muddy that it was almost impossible to distinguish one side from the other. The mud was horrible, in its most ghastly stage of viscidity, and one man slipped in front of our chairs swam with outstretched arms towards our feet along the slippery surface amid roars of laughter. Our seats had, however, one disadvantage, for we had all too close a view of the casual ties, and the groans of injured men, even if they are only wounded, are not pleasant to hoar. The marvel was—m the face of the state of the ground and. the keenness of the play—---that someone was not killed in the furious rushes that formed a horribly exciting feature of the game. Time and again as a struggling mass disentangled itself into muddy units, wo drew long breaths of relief to see the men get up and resume play. There were several casualties, but we hear only V&ssad, who sustained slight concussion, feels any serious after effects.

H was a great ,niateh, for the .score kept up the excitement to tho last : ; (vomi, and the play was trememluotisly keen. There was considerable enthusiasm for the Britishers, and a great gathering of tars from the H.M.S. Encounter Bat on one of the

interest to the football team: and the Governor. The latter we have not seen for some time, and his arrival, with Mr Waterfield—more than usually tall and slim in an astrakhan trimmed overcoat—and Captain Bingham, was greeted with some cheering, and Sir Joseph and Lady Wjard also received a round of applau e. Very soon after the match began, it was not easy to distinguish between the men, so smothered were they in mud. Tt seemed incredible to believe- these terrible ruffians, mud to their eyes, and with the fiercest looks of determination on their faces, were the amiable., courteous men in evening dress that one had danced with and talked to two evenings before. Harding, especially, dons a tremenduously, bull-dog expression, and wore a most ridiculous likeness to a mud-bespat-tered Mikado. Jackett, probably, was the hero of the afternoon, but ''Ponty" -Jones and Morgan got great applause and deserved it, and Wallace for the New Zealandcrs, played magnificently. On the whole, the opinion is that the British had the best of the match, and, but for hard luck, would have won.

OUR FREE KINDERGARTEN. • This is occupying considerable attention at present owing to the fact that the three years, which the funds were to_ cover, are up shortly, and an appeal is being made for more money. It is a splendid scheme, and doing great good in the poor neighbourhood where the school is situated. Homes are more cheerful, men and women more friendly, and the children are vastly improved since it started. The police have nothing but praise for its influence. Hie head teacher is a Miss Kirk, who is most enthusiastic over her work, and loves her babies, so that it is a real grief to lier when they move on to other schools. She speaks charmingly with a tenderness and fire that many male orators might envv. Indeed, at the meeting last week, the three women speakers— Mrs Ilislop, iMiss Richmond, and Miss Kirk—far, in graceful diction, humour, and fluency, outclassed the one man who spoke—Mr Hogben, InspectorGeneral of Schools. The meeting was held in the Mayoral Chamber, and women in frills, furs, and feathers filled the chairs of the civic fathers, while Mrs Hislop occupied the lordly seat of her husband the mayor. It wag an enthusiastic gathering, and tho Kindergarten seems likely to get considerable support. A pretty little incident was a donation ' to the fund handed over by tho little baby of .Mrs Stanton Harcourt.

PARLIAMENT IN GOVERNMENT HOUSE. There is any amount of growling over the inconvenience of the arrangements, though really wonders liavo been' accomplished. Perhaps, later on, members will become more reconciled to their changed and restricted surroundings'. The opening of Parliament, which takes place to-day (Monday) is shorn of all picturesque detail, and then; are no tickets issued at all, there being only room for necessaries and not luxuries—in the form of womenkind. The same afternoon Mr and Mrs Prouse arc giving a reception in honour of the great violinist Kubelik and his charming wifo so the day will not ieel so e{npty to those who have been accustomed to grace the opening of Parliament. There is to ho a. ha-room for politicians and (heir womenkind, so there will be re-unions there, if there is no room in the House. At present, I understand, the one Speaker's gallery is to be devoted to Minister's wives. Ihe bridge across Sydney street connecting the old and new Parliaments is a weird structure, and entered by a very steep flight of steps that may dam-i ..<> a \ene ab!e legislator in a hurry to record his vote. I shall be able to tell you more about Parliament in my next letter.