GOING TO HEAR MELBA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 497, 3 May 1909, Page 3

GOING TO HEAR MELBA.

THE BATTLE AT THE DOORS. "Am I going to bear.Melba on Tuesday?" asked the'man 1 of experience, "I went to hoar her on Thursday, and lot .mo tell you that it was an oxperienco I shall neper forget. I havo fought with wild beasts in India, I havo charged a furious Boer on top of a kopje, I havo climbed a voloauo as it shook beneath my feet with violent earthquakes, I have leapt into tho ocean and looked a shark in-tho-mouth, I have even attended a patriotic meeting in Christchuroh, .but never have. I been-so horribly afraid as when, having paid five shillings for a ticket, I'tried to get into tho Town Hall to hear ,Melba sing. And never havo I been so badly treated, so mauled about and bruised, as by certain 'Wellington citizens, possessed with souls for music, and five shillings each to spend on it. Not yet have-I recovered from my surprise that I am alive to "tell th'e-rale, and with not even one broken rib poking through my side." • :_ "Was it as bad as all that?" asked a 'ady, r with, horror .written on her gentle countenance.- -.',-..'' s ; "Madamc," said the man of experience, "it was even worse." ..-'.. "Dear m'e,"'said,sho sorrowfully, "then I can never let John go. He is so gentle, you know, he would never get into the hall through a crowd like that. He is so very chivalrous and kind."'. ' '-.■-.. "Is he the sort of man who would scorn to thump a woman, to jab her in tho sido with his elbow, to walk all over her feet with his heavy, boots, to shove her violently out of/tho/way with his shoulder, to crush her. .up against a wall so that he might squeeze into a favourable position, in. tho ball, and .listen to Melba singing an Ave Maria in a voice to make, the angols weep? Is -oar husband that absurdly scrupulous sort of man?" ■:' "Sir,", said the little geatlo woman, for once looking very angry. ' "I'. apologise," said the. man, -"I''.'.inly' ■. meant: to say that such men as your husband .are rare in this-world, and-not tho.ones to fight' ; ,a Wellington music-loving crowd successfully. '.' ..Yes, lam going 'to hear Melba: :but please! don't say so to anyone till I >:ave insured.my life.". •:'.-/ x "What unwarrantable exaggeration," 'said a prim-looking lady as soon as he had gone. Ho ought to bo ashamed to talk in such away.". ,'.,■-. .., ■ ■■■;.., , ■, was a.good deal of truth in it," said another of tho boarders, "I was never in my. life' more furious than with that crowd, and some of tho women were just as ;rough, as some..of. the' men. .They pushed and shoved and butted as hard, as ever they 'could go, and'not a thing.did,tho. police do to restrain them.' 'We went- very early, you know, and when we got there.the people 7ere standing in a queue, four of thorn" in eachrow,,and extending right.out into the.streot as they,:do in London. 'Hurrah,', I said,- . hero's . a "queue,' ■) and the four -.of ■ ■lus. . took up' our position: at .the end, expecting everyone else to follow suit. But nothing of the sort was dono. After wo •had boon.standing there at tho side door for over so long other people came strolling down, and in stead of following'tho queue they took up their position'beside tho people who were nearest to tho door; and as more and more people came they joined them, ready to rush and squeeze the moment the door was open, and, of course, the early'orderly people were right out of it from that moment, and, truly, when the doors were opened thero was a scrimmage. I,really wonder some.of tho women wore not'.seriously'-injured. .'Half the •people seemed to' bo. fighting.for< their lives rather.than for a:seatan'a>oncerthall.'.' .., ! "But what about the poh'ce?''" asked.'johhls'; .wife.' '■' Werethey not there to keepi order ?.".'. 1 "They, were.there,; but why, I do'liot quite know.' When I saw what was going' to hap-'' pen I went tip to one of them and asked if he could 'not mako the peoplo keep in the queue, and ho said, no, he.couldn't; he'had had no orders,, and then later on a rather, gorgeous constable came along, a man with plenty of gold braid about him, so I asked him to do something/in .the matter. Ho looked as though ho would have liked to! make.tho-peoplo:,koop' their, places,.;but 4 :hey too, said he had no power'to do it.' ■ As faras j could make-outj-tho-police-oh--theso-00-'t casions are,simply present to. prevent actual -:-;.; : ;'. : v;. v'-.; ; ,'•'' ; . : ; ■''"-.'■'"'•"' ; '. V.!.i ■!_: "Thon youi-will riot 'gojagahv my''dear," ."said.tho geritle'lady-'nervously;'' .-"Oh; yes, I will., I must hear Melba again. She was.worth.it all." ..