TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1106, 17 June 1863, Page 4

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Miss Rye.—On Friday evening last Miss Rye met a number of ladies belonging to the congregation of the Wesleyan Church, Christcliurch, in the School Room, for the purpose of engaging their co-operation in the establishment of a servant's Home in this town. The Rev. J. Buller who was present opened the meeting by reading Deut. viii., and then offered a short prayer. He introduced Miss Rye to the meeting with a few remarks commending her object to the earnest consideration of all present. Miss Rye gave a very interesting account of her past labors on behalf of young women, for many of whom she had found industrial occupation in various departments in England till the great number of applicants suggested the necessity of emigration. She is now engaged in a tour through all the colonies in the South Pacific in order that she may be better prepared on her return to England to induce young women of respectable character and useful habits to emigrate to these lands. Under present circumstances only the most worthless, as a rule, can be expected to commit themselves to such a hazardous enterprise. By the establishment of a " Home," where servants and others requiring it, would find safety and comfort, and ladies who wanted servants could repair to it as a registry-olßce, she reasonably anticipated a very great improvement in a matter so closely connected with public morals and domestic order and enjoyment. A conversation followed, in which several of the ladies present took part. All agreed that the project was of great importance and testified their willingness to promote it. It was suggested by Miss Rye that it would be to the interest of domestic servants if they could be induced to contribute towards the object; it is hoped that it will be successful. Another meeting, it was resolved, should take place in one month from this date. The doxology was sung, the benediction pronounced, and all separated with the conviction that Miss Rye deserves the thanks of the community for her zealous and disinterested efforts on behalf of female emigration. Lancashire Distress. —On Sunday, June 7, sermons were preached in the Wesleyan Church, Lyttelton, on behalf of the distressed operatives in Lancashire and Yorkshire, by the Rev. J. T. Shaw, who took for his text in the morning 6th chap. Galatians, 2nd verse—" Bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ;" and in the evening 6th chap. St. Luke, 31st verse—" And as ye would have others do to you do ye also to them likewise." The reverend gentleman in the course of his remarks very forcibly pointed out our duty on this occasion of assisting our brethren in their time of distress. The sum

collected on the two occasions amounted to £17 12s Id. As collections have or will be made in every Wesleyan Church throughout the Australian colonies for the same object, we trust that a very handsome sum will be realized towards mitigating the distress which still prevails. Singular Resolution. —On Sunday week last, a party of men employed in the tunnel, while on an excursion to the head of the Bay, discovered an old man in a cave in the last state of exhaustion. Having administered some food and a stimulant to the sufferer, he was so far recovered as to be able to inform the party that his name was Miller, and that he had been working in the employ of a neighbouring farmer. Some three weeks since he was taken ill, and gradually getting worse, he resolved to take up his abode in the cave to die. Accident. —A few nights ago, a shepherd from Mr. Rhodes' station oil the Amuri, was riding to Christchurch, when near Brown's bridge, he rode against a wire fence, which has been placed across the old track. He was thrown from his horse, and the fall broke his thigh. Fatal Accident. —An accident resulting fatally, occurred at Rangiora on Thursday, the 11th instant. It appears that a person of the name of Adair, in the employ of Mr. Milligan, near Rangiora, was engaged in lunging a young horse, which was very restive and vicious. After lunging him for some time, Adair shortened the rope, and endeavoured to approach the horse quietly, but he resisted, and and turning sharply round, kicked out with vicious energy. The unfortunate man Adair received the full force of the kick in his chest, which felled him to the ground. He immediately rose to his feet, walked a short way, then laid himself face downwards on the ground, and in less than five minutes expired. The body was removed, by the kindness of Mr. Wilson, into his house, near the Rangiora bush, where it now lies awaiting a coroner's inquest. Sudden Death.—Dr. Coward held an inquest on the 10th instant at the house of Thomas Jones, Papanui road, on the body of liis son, a boy of nine years, who died suddenly on the Bth. The post mortem examination by Dr. Stedman showed the cause to be pericarditis, with considerable effusion into the membrane surrounding the heart, probably the effect of sudden chill. Verdict—" Visitation of God."

Musical Entertainment.—On Wednesday and Thursday evenings a musical entertainment was given at the Town Hall, Lyttelton, to moderately good houses, by a company of performers recently arrived from Dunedin. They do not come before the public with any great pretensions to ability, but with the object of giving a good night's amusement at a moderate charge. So far, judging from the approval of the audience, they have succeeded in doing so. The programme comprised many of the popular songs of the day, very well sung by Miss Beverly and Mr. Roberts. Scotch dances by Mr. Geordie Spiers followed, concluding with a drawing-room entertainment, called " Masks and Faces." Concert.—The Christchurch Musical Society gave their first concert in the new Music Hall on Mondayevening last. The room, was nearly filled. Mendelssohn's Wedding March was the first piece performed by the Society, and, allowing for the roll of the kettle drums and the overpowering effect of the brass instruments, each part seemed to be well sustained. Mr. J. Carder sang " Thou art so near and yet so far," well enough to gain him an encore, when he repeated the song with even better effect. M.M. Poussard and Douay, who were received with great manifestations of applause, then played " Souvenirs d' Bellini," in which they introduced some of the finest airs of that pleasing composer, which were given with all the truth, expression, and facility of execution that distinguish the performance of these talented artistes. They concluded amid a storm of applause that shook the building. The audience insisted upon an encore as usual. Mr. Beaumont sang, " Come into the Garden Maud," with excellent effect, and was re-called, when he gave "Good night beloved," very pleasingly. M.M. Douay's Violoncello solo, " Illusions of Paris," was as usual a great success. He played a movement in imitation of the harp, which was a marvel of artistic skill, and concluded amidst a perfect furore; the audience would have him back, and he played " Home sweet Home " with a pathos and tone peculiarly his own, "Rpb Roy MacGregor" was also introduced with comical effect, the piece concluding with an excellent imitation of the Irish bagpipes. The bacchanalian part-song was given by the society with an aplomb which argued well for the training they had received at the hands of Mr. Stansell. The second part commenced with Marriatt's " Woman in White Waltzes," which were beautifully played by the Band, and obtained an encore. Messrs. Beaumont and Wilkinson's "Army and Navy duet" went off well, and was deservedly applauded. Mons. Poussard's Italian reminiscences were charming, and upon the inevitable encore, he played the celebrated "Carnival d' Venice," with most difficult variations, which ,he executed with perfect facility. " Gentle Nettie Moore," from Christy's minstrels, was well rendered by Mr. J. Foley and chorus, and was received by the audience with great applause. The popular air from Lurline, " Sweet spirit hear my prayer," was admirably played by Mons. Douay. This gentleman seems to have become a favorite with the Canterbury public, who are never weary of listening to the exquisite tones of his Violoncello. Mr. 11. Wilkinson was very successful in "As burns the charger," and his voice seemed excellently adapted for the song he had selected. The concert concluded with the National Anthem, in which Mr. Fletcher played a trumpet obligato with good effect. Upon the whole the concert was a decided success, and we trust the Christchurch lovers of music will not suffer a society which promises to afford considerable gratification to their musical taste to languish from want of patronage. A suggestion by Mons. Douay deserves the attention of the Society; the echo in the hall is too great, and he states that a similar defect hi a Music Hall in Adelaide was corrected by hanging festoons of calico curtains upoii the walls at the opposite end from the Orchestra.

Miss Redmayne gave a musical lecture at the Odd Fellows' Hall, Akaroa, on Friday evening last. The lecture and songs seemed to give great satisfaction to a numerous audience, although Miss Redmayne labored under the disadvantage of a shocking bad piano.