TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8962, 28 November 1894, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

What a Hobart corresAn Earl poadent describes as as a probably the most reBallet Dancer, markable theatrical entertainment ever seen in the Southern Hemisphere took place in that city some ten days ago, when a number of local amateurs, assisted by the Earl of Yarmouth, gave a performance for the benefit of the funds of two charities. The Earl, who arrived recently from England, and is staying with Lord Gormanstou, Governor of Tasmania, is the eldest son of the Marquess of Hertford. He is twenty-three years old, and has a great liking for the stage, his strong point being, as will be seen, his ability as a female impersonator. The announcement of his appearance on the local stage created much- interest, which became. intense when it was rumoured about ; that the " Mademoiselle Roze" who was billed to perform the famous serpentine dance was none other than the? Earl himself. After this, it was only to bd expected that the house would be packed with a fashionable audience, including a strong contingent from Government House. The programme consisted of several one-act farces aud a number of miscellaneous items. In the first farce, " A Pair of Lunatics," his lordship took the part of George Fielden, and, the piece iB said to have gone with great briskness. " When in tbe course of the dialogue allotted to him the Earl of Yarmouth asked, with feverish impatience, ' Have I been making altogether an ass of myself ?' some of the audience seemed to detect a hidden point of some kiud and applauded rapturously." In the next piece, the Earl appeared as John Crumley, a huckster. Later on he took: part in a third farce. In this he appeared as an injured wife sitting up for her husband, who comes home late from the club, and was appropriately voluble and emphatic. He was dressed in "a loose white wrapper, with blue ribbons, and a flowing wig of soft brown hair falling below his shoulders, and when he rocked the baby in a cradle, and alluded to himself as a poor ill-used pother, the. audience applauded heartily." The versatile lordling next appeared as a song and dance bis costume being a daplicate of that worn by his lady companion, and consisting of "much abbreviated skirts reaching _ j ust below his knees, black stockings, dainty shoes, and a large white sunbounet." He seems to have given everysatisfaction and "kicked as high as tbe most exacting ballet mistress could desire." Then came the piece de resistance of the evening, the serpentine dance. The orchestra struck up a waltz, the. stage was darkened, and suddenly in the centre, in a circle of limelight, was seen the Earl, clothed in the white silk flowing draperies affected by skirt dancers, with golden curls falling j down his back, and most artistically made j up--"- ' ' " ' :

" The limelight man was fully equal to the' unprecedented occasion, and his lordship, whirling his drapery in each h.nd in the most approved fashion, -gyrated before the astoni.ned throng in one wild blaza of kaleidoscopic colours, and danced with unabated vigour in aid of the f auds of the Girls' ludastrial School and the Dorcas Society." •'■■.■".■_"• *

After a time the limelight man "began to project pictures upon the whirling skirts ofthe noble earl," •'■Bubbles" being followed by portraits of the Prince and Princess of Wales the Duke and Duchess of York, Lord and Lady Qormauston. At the end of his dance "thunders of applause and several large bouquets" were showered upon the almost exhausted nobleman, who had still enough go in him to respond to an encore.

'* He gathered all his energies for one more effort, and the curtain fell npon the unique picture of a portrait of her Majesty the Queen- depicted on a bollet-daucer's skirts worn by an Earl in the presence of an audience who had paid 3s, 2s, or Is. according to the position of tbeir seats, for the privilege of witnessing tbe spectacle."

According to *■ Debrett " this young gentleman is a lieutenant in the Black Watch. He may be a very good soldier, for all we know to the contrary, but it certainly looks as if he bad mistaken his profession. One canndt help thinking what an attraction he would piove if he were to join'Mr Tom Pollard's Lilipatien Opera Company.

We mentioned yesterA Specimen day one of the chief of causes which have led China's Forces, to the present humilii--. ating position occupied by China, namely the corruption of tbe officials, who have converted to tbeir owu use the revenue, derived from taxes, which should.have gone towards equipping the Chinese army. . It appears that the recent calling out of the Pekia Field Force showed, in a striking manner, the hollownew of

China's pretensions to be considered' military power. About half this fon_! 8000 men, were called out and were to ir ' left the city on a certain date, butrainh ' made'the roads impassable for the" ba waggons. Their departure, says the correspondent of the Standard, Waß | fore deferred for a week, and a viotorvT Corea was invented as the reason foAi postponement. This Field Force isa*,! paratively modern uflair. lt was enrolled* 1860, drilled on a semi European nl * and provided with firearms and field m It is supposed to represeut the elite of ft* Eight Banner Corps of the Imperial GqJi' ard on account of the regular pay l*_ emoluments the Pekiuese regard itasa!k? linction to belong to it. They however, says the writer, but a u V spectacle, and the whole corps is el_qn!? of the state of China's military tion, -

" Slovenly old men and boyg, dreaudi gaudy rags, armed with ji_g_l 8 audtDatA lucks, anil absolutely unprovided wir,h *'. of the requisites of moileru warfare, elite of the Imperial Guard goes to jw the disciplined army of .Japan—so mSffood for powder. Perhaps not, howert? Their orders are to eucamp in thenelaj. bourhood of the cap tai, and itismoteifito probable that at the first serious v ß j,»[j? dauger every man will take the nearest hy ta his own home—such ut least is _? opinion of their friends and neighbours »S remain behind. It were far betier so tonl that they, should attempt to fight J? matchlocks that require two mea to firs shot, or with flint guus of which 'the"eft?" tive range is about seventy yards."

The question which suggested itself to tki correspondent, as it will to every rs»d» was, if this be the pick of the Bannentuj,' how must the rest of the force appear vrW ready for active service ? And yet reckons some hundreds of thousand! of such soldiers as regular and effective aim. batants!