"WARNING!" SHOALS AND QUICKSANDS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 20, 25 January 1911, Page 8

"WARNING!" SHOALS AND QUICKSANDS.

PROMISING PRODIGIES. Madame Dolores arrived from Australia to-day. It was in June last that she passed through Wellington on her way from Europe to the Commonwealth. She i has- been travelling there ever since, from North Queensland right round to Perth and beyond in the west. "In your travels you must have met the promising prodigy, the young singer or player of whom much is expected?" Madame was asked by a, representative of The Post. "But, certainly," sne replied. "Ah, there are in Australia, and as I have seen before in New Zealand too, girls with God-given voices. They have a& toni. K hed their townsfolk, who, rightly very often, believing that there is in them some spark of genius, would fan it into flame. And so they raise money to send such girls to Europe for teaching. Now that is a common practice, is ft, not? Well, but three among other essentials arc necessary — voice, intellect, and " opportunities for culture. Do jou find all three combined? Rarely. More still is required — means, ample' means to support while the girl is studying." "And tnen?" "And then? Well, when she becomes a finished singer — and how many reach the point of excellence ?—sße? — sße must live, she must have work to do, engagements. Now, look you. She is one among hundreds of hundreds of finished artists. All are seeking luc%live engagements : all are in quest of fame. Dazzled by some great star shining in the firmament of world-fame they ask : If, say, Melba, why not I ? But then they do not know, granting that they are really artists, how hard the singer's life can be, or rather to what self-discipline she must subject herself." "It is liot all box-office ancl bouquets?'" i " No ; by no means. But let us take a common case. It .is typically Australasian, for you find no such kindness shown to girls in Europe. A young girl has a fine voice. She shows rather more than ordinary intelligence in its use; her friends interest the townsfolk as a whole in her welfare; they organise a. benefit ooncert and raise funds to send her Home. They feel justified by the ffirl's gift; they are stimulated, too, not by their natural kindness only, but by the fact that the girl has sung before some transient artist of repute, who has spoken well of her and strongly advised her to go to Europe for study. What does study mean in that sense but to achieve greatness not entirely free from commercial consideration? "Eh bien ! The girl goes Home. Alas ! I have met some of them, poor things (New Zealand girls, too). They have left a warm-hearted people, a .fair land, and sunny skies, to dwell among reserved strangers and under gloomy skies. Their teachers flatter them, they continue fees until all their students' money is exhausted — and then " "They come back?" "No, .no. They are too proud for that. Can you censure them for it? How fair was the wind when they set j out! Shall they return with black and torn sails? No; they struggle on and on. Oh, they, some I have known, suffer terrible privations. They suffer hunger and want — some bravely ; some, their money gone, perhaps utilised for the most part in paying to sing aomewhere. paying to make an appearance. You hear they have been engaged. What is true is that they have paid to be engaged. Well, their last shilling gone for bread, mark you. I do nob overdraw the dolorous picture — their last shilling gone, and alone, and friendless, among a hundred others who can surpass them in their art, what can they do? What have some done to keep body and soul together?" Madame supplied no answer to her question. " Yes, yes, it were better,'' she concluded, "that such poor girls remained in their own sunny Australia or New Zealand, worked hard, learned all they could, enjoyed life among a warmhearted, kindly people, taught for their living — where teachers are wanted, and, if good, are not badly paid — and then, whep fr'red of the teaching, married a good man and settled down in their own country. I tell you the truth. I will not flatter . It is cruel for artists to do that and lead poor girls astray by filling their heads with preposterous stories. The road to success for the successful artist is hard, hard, hard. What can it be for les antres? No_, the girls should be warned. I say. Will they need it, do you think? I trow not." Pressley and Gibson, the two men who were injured througn a box of butter falling on them while they were working in one of the holds of the Corinna yesterday — have been able to leave the hospital and go to their homes. Some difficulty was expected in discharging the Union steamer Wanaka's cargo of cement from Wellington to-day. It will be remembered that the court decided that the workers should not use hooks tn handling cement. The men, it is reported, were determined to use Ifcooks or not handle the cement at all. The difficulty was got over by the use of hooks being permitted. «• Messrs. A. L. Wilson and Co. insert particulars of a sale of furniture fhey arc holding at the residence of Mr. B. Green, Queen-street, Lower Hutt, to-morrow, at 1.30 p.m. On Friday, at 1.30 p.m., the firm will sell furniture at their rooms, 26, Brandon-street. The catalogue includes an upright grand piano by Bohm; also the contents of seven rooms sent in for convenience. An auction sale of the contents of the Exchange billiardrooms, Lambton-quay, will be held by Messrs. Hal-court and Co., on Tuesday next at 2 p.m. To-morrow, Thursday, at 2 o'clock, Mr. W. L. Robertson will sell by public auction in hia rooms, Manners-street, ladies' and children's boots, shoes and slippers. The Painters' Union will hold a special meeting _ on Friday for the purpose of considering the holding of a picnic and the consideration and adoption of bal-ance-sheet. Messrs. T. Kennedy Macdonlrt, Ltd., insert a preliminary' advertisement of the eale by auction of a shipment of highclass Irish linens, damasks, napery, sheetings, etc., to be held at Baker's Buildings, opposite the Union Bank of Australia. The goods are to be sold in lots suitable for domestic and household requirements. Messrs. Lees and Church, Cuba-street, anuounco the arrival, ex Athenic, of 1000 pairs of their "Wearwell" kid gloves. The Public Works Department calls tenders for the Big Hill Tunnel contract on tho Lawre,nco-Roxburgh railway. Tenders are invited by the Commissioner of Crown Lands, New Plymouth, for the supply of grass seed. Messrs. \V. H. Turnbull and Co. advertise a sale of thirty-eight sections atDay's Bay. The sections aro described as being close to the wharf, in sheltered positions, and close to the fine nature scenery for which Day's Bay is famous. Plans and full particulars may be obtained on application to the auctioneers. The Swifts Swimming Club will hold its annual carnival at Te Aro Bath* on Saturdaj .afiemojn.