HAPPENINGS IN THE CAPITAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1748, 14 May 1906, Page 3

HAPPENINGS IN THE CAPITAL.

(By Penelope.)

Wellington. Tho Williamson Comic Opera Company lias loft us, with mutual regret doubtless, for it has boon a most satisfactory season from a managerial view point and entirely delightful from tho point of view of the audiencos. Wellington is said to recoguise merit when it comes along. Of courso thoro have been cases when it has been lamentI ably short-sighted and opened its eyes too lato for aught but regrots. I have been at a recital of Dolores when there were only twenty othors in the stalls, and Heermann, the wonderful violinist, had a mere sprinkling of listeners at his concerts. But familiar music sung

' I by good vocalists always captivates, and on Wednesday, the last night of I the season, the Opora House was a sea of faces from roof to floor, and the great audience demanded double encores and roared with laughter at every point. The actors, too, let themselves loose, and Vernon in particular was tremendously funny as the Lord High Executioner. It is said ho is over 70, and yet he sang and danced and made merry like a youngster. A short concert followed, in which Miss Godwin, who has charmed all who have met and seen her, sang. She is tall, slight, and fair-haired, and wore a graceful black chiffon gown all embroidered with jet. Miss De Loitte —who had been one of the dainty trio of Japanese maids—also sang- well, and Mr Bracy, the manager, long ago a star in the musical world, delighted everyone by his rendering of “ When Other Hearts.” It was late when the audience streamed out, but everyone was most enthusiastic. The company have mado many friends. The officers on the Pegasus gave an afternoon for some of them, and attended in great numbers each evening. vVe are now going to undergo a course of molodrama, a severe change |rom comic opera. By tho bye, the Radium ballet so much boomed was a little disappointing, perhaps because one expected color and found only white figures going through skipping exercises very skilfully against a pitchblack background, no lights, except an electric spark on the conduc*or’s baton, being seen in the theatre. Later on the dancers appear in sections, the legs of one and the body of another, and go through their performance. VI any are the theories as to how this is managed, but I believe that luminous paint, applied to the garments desired to be visible, is the explanation. These clothes, when painted, have to be exposed to a strong light for some hours before being worn.

THE WEEK’S “AT HOMES”

No less than three large teas were given last wsek, not to mention a reception by the T.M.C.A. members to Mr Budge, of Montreal, who has been visiting Wellington in the interests of tbo Association. We have here a most philanthropic lady, Mrs Williams, whose money is always ready to help a good cause. She has given us our Sailor’s Rest, a splendid building, end now has donated a large sum for a site for an erection for the uses of the Y.M.O.A. The reception was held in the concert room of the Town Hall, and the speeches and statistics were sweetened by refreshments and a short concert. Some most energetic women went to three functions that day, going from the Town Hall to Mrs Kennedy Macdonald’s on the Terrace, and then on to Mrs Walter Nathan’s at the top of Hobson street. Mrs Macdonald’s tea was a pleasant affair, with fine music, Mrs Donne (who was Miss Jeanne Ramsay), Miss Mills, daughter of the Minister for Customs, and who has a charming voice, and Mrs B. M. Wilson all singing dur’ng the afternoon Small teas are almost unknown in Wellington, whore one knows so many and yet so few intimately, and often two hundred invitations are issued by those who have large houses. Mrs Morice, from Greymouth, who has been staying with Mrs Seddon for gome weeks, was the guest of the afternoon at Mrs Macdonald’s, and wore the loveliest sables on her white serge. Her sisters came with her. Mrs Nathan’s house is exquisitely decorated. The drawingroom is white, with pale green Melton carpet and Sheraton furniture, some charming rose-strewn chintz being used for covers and cushions. The diningroom is a royal red, and the smokeroom blue, the friezes in all being very attistic. The garden, too, is old for Wellington, and will be very beautiful when the skilful man engagod carries out the owner’s plans. Perhaps Miss Nathan’s frock and the cakes divided the honors of the afternoon. The former was of palest shell-pink silk, exquisitely trimmed with motifs bordered with narrow black velvet and

tiny va'onciennes frills, while the little vest and the elbow frills were of finest lawn and lace. The cakes were as admirable. Never have such daintio3 been seen here. Each was a triumph of decoration, and a 3 delicious to taste as good to look at, which is not always the case. They wore made fro n Continental recipes by a new caterer here, and certainly his introductory bow to tbo ladies of Wellington ought to be the prelude to success. Only in Noumea, whore the confectioners are Parisian, havo I seen such delicacies. I remember we bought most enticiDg cakes and carried them on board, only to bo forgotten or thought of wi ll horror whoa wo put to soa again. FORTUNE TELLING.

At Mrs Nathan’s tea, and at a number of similar affairs given recently a fortune-teller dispensed futures to crowds of impatient girls and women. Indeed, they are content to wait outside the closed door of the room where the sibyl sits until their turn comes. Even tea and music have less attractions for them As a rule the fortuneteller only prodicts happiness, a long voyage, money, a dark man’s affection and a present, and tho rocoivor of the fortuno emerges beaming. If one takes it as it is intended, pour passer le teuips, there is no harm in it, But there are many of thoso fortunes

tollers, in Woffington to whom crodtilous women go ready to accept any absurd statement. You may havo your future road by scattered toaloaves, by your hand, by a lady in a trance, by a crystal gazer, and the price differs a 3 widely as tho mothod. A now palmist is ns much run after as a now dressmakor, and somo aro so busy that appointments havo to bo mado long boforohaud. Ono woman hero has tea-cups, with tho fatoful tea-

leaves sticking to tho bottom, sont lior [ carefully packed from placos hundrods of miles away It is marvellous in this ago of unbelief to hear tho say* itigs of thoso modern sibyls quotod and seriously discussed, and fitted with somo incidont that apparently boars

| thorn out. My ono venturo was not happy, and perhaps I spoak from a wounded spirit. The old lady looked in my cup, examined koenly two large tealoaves at one side, and said, “ 1 soo driulc in the cup, madam,” witn pained reproach ! I paid nothing for tho warning, for it was a side-show at a large tea, but it will be a lesson to me. A GREAT PICTURE.

A constaut stream of poople have boon passing in and out of tho Town Frail since Holman Hunt’s great picture, “ Tho Light of the World,” has been exhibited there. Between 1” and 1 on Saturday, working men, their bags on thoir shoulders, errand boys, aud smart ladies, all jostled one another up the stairs and stood strangely silent W’hen in sight of tho picture, which glows like a great jewel at tho end of tho darkened hall. I went with two ladies who had soon the original in Iveblo Chapel, Oxford, and who agreed w.th the artist that, though a roplica, this is much finer, as well as much larger. The color of robe, under-dress, tho fallen apples among the grass, is all exquisite, and tho jewelled clasp of tho mantle positively glitters with emeralds and rubies. The face is liauntingly sad, somewhat German in feature and coloring, and the background of trees against a twilit sky, in which the stars are beginning to peep, is intensely beautiful. As a work of art it is admirable, and according t) Mr Jost, who has charge of it, that is why Mr Booth is sending it round the world. It is not with any missionary idea such as has been suggestod Mr Booth the Hon. Mr Booth, to be correct—is a great authority on statistics about the poor of London, and has written a book on the subject. Miss of Wellington, met Mrs Booth when she was in London. She also went to an exhibition of Holman Hunt's pictures. His portraits are wonderful, for he seemed able to grasp the spirit of his sitter as well as to represent his features and expression. The picture now being shown in Wellington has not borne out the truth of the old saying “ Nothing for nothing get.” Though there is no charge to see it, it has given great pleasure to many. ABOUT PEOPLE.

There are some disconsolate rumors that the coming season is going to be dull. No dances are as yet announced. Next month Government House will be occupied, and entertaining then will begin. Lady Plunket passed through Wellington last week and joined the Governor at Christchurch. On Satur* day Mr Royd Garlick, our physical instructor, was married to Mrs Sefton, an Australian lady. The bride, who is quite young and very pretty, wore her travelling gown of dark-blue with white furs and the quaintest little pill box hat of white fur with a large green bud at one side. Her sister, Mrs Lawford, of Dannevirke, was present at the wedding, and Mr Tolhurst, Inspector of the Union Bank, which Mr Garlick was once employed in, gave the bride away. Two of our pretty girls have just become engaged, Miss Spragg (daughter of the chief of the Hansard to Mr Hamer, son of the Under-Secretary for Mines, and Miss Esme Somerville to Mr Sloman, of the A H.P. Society. Miss Somerville and her sister hive gone to Hawke’s Bay to stay with Mrs Donnelly. Miss Reynolds, from Gisborne, left for Hawke’s Bay and hunting last Friday. By the Rimutaka Miss Rees, who has been nursing Capt. Mayoss, leaves for Home in charge of the captain, if he is well enough to travel. Some Aucklanders are at present here. Miss Walker is a guest of Mrs Russell’s, and Mrs Heapley is staying with Mrs Balcombe Brown. Mrs Louisson has come back from Mel-

bourne and is stopping at the Empire. News has come through that Mr, Mrs, and Miss Fulton, who were in ’Frisco

at tho time of the earthquake, are 3afe. Mr Fulton has gone on to Portland, and his wife and daughter are staying at Oaklands, San Francisco. Miss Palmer’s sisters and

brother have also escaped, and Mr Norman Halcombe, of New Plymouth, was also fortunate.

MASONIC MEMORIES,

This week Lord Plunket is to be installed at Chris:church as Grand

Master of tho New Zealand Masons, and Mr T. Mackenzie, the oldest Mason of the oldest lodge in New Zealand was most interesting concerning the early days of Freemasonry here. The Lodge was instituted in 181-2, and great names in New Zealand were on its register, Featherston, Wakefield, Sir Donald Maclean, and many others. In 1841 the first procession took place on the occasion of laying the foundation stone of the Mechanics’ Institute on Lambton

Guay, At the time of the trouble with the natives a young soldier, E-isign Blackburn, was initiated. Five weeks later he was killed in actio a in

the Hororiwi Valley, and he was given a funeral with military honors, Sir Goorgo Grey acting as chief mourner. Many officers of the famous Goth regiment were members of the Pacific Lodge. This regiment was the “ ikity tiff ’ of the Maoris, who so admirod the officers that more than once thoy refused to fire on them. In 1818 tho lodge-room and furniture were completely wrecked by the earth-

quake, The Masonic Hall in Boulcott street is at this time undergoing extensive alterations and additions.