Parua Bay.

Northern Advocate, 25 June 1910, Page 3

Parua Bay.

(Own Correspondent.)

BIRTHDAY DANCE. For the first time in the annals of ( the district, a coming-of-age dance i was celebrated in the Hall on Fri- : day, the 17th inst. The host and hostess were Mr and Mrs A. W. Thorburn, and the dance was in ; honor of the twenty-first birthday j of their eldest daughter, Miss Ethel Thorburn. About one hundred per-j sons availed themselves of the mvi-; tation. The night, though bitterly j cold, was good for dancing, and the hall had been most tastefully decorated with evergreens and lilies, and looked exceedingly pretty, the usually bare walls and gallery being completely hidden. Special attention had also been given -to the floor ! (a most necessary business for comfortable dancing,), -and it had been j polished up to perfection. Dancing was commenced about 8 p.m. andj kept up until the streaks of dawn were making themselves apparent over old Manaia. Interspersing the the dances, songs were rendered, and one item, performed by a person who Was announced as "Professor" Johnson, caused son c amusement and wonderment. Remarkable sounds were I produced from a home-made instru-| ment, which I would t.Tm, a "kcro-'i pin ne." It consisted of half a kcro-' sene tin, with the handle part of a|

violin inserted, and strings. I believe the gentleman to be. one of the minstrel troupe which is- to perform shortly. About eleven o'clock a most sumptuous supper was handed round, and Miss Thorburn personally distributed her birthday Cake, which was partaken of by afl, and during the evening fruit, etc., was passed round between the dances. After supper, on behalf of those'present, Mr Squire thanked Mr and Mrs Thorburn 'or the pleasant evening, they all bad enjoyed, and wished Mrs Thornurn many happy returns of the day. The music for dancing | was supplied by the following lad-j ies and gentlemen:—Mrs Hogwood* (piano), Miss Hogwood (violin),; Miss Hills (piano), Messrs Timpcr-j ley aud Johnson (violins). The fol- j lowing gentlemen contributed vocal! items: —Messrs Lassie, song, "Sleep,! Sailor, Sleep;" B. Welsh, song, "Every Nation Has Its Flag, but the Coon;" duets, Lassie and Ritchie "Massa's in the Cold, Cold Ground," and "My Old Kentucky Home;'' S. R. Owen, song, "Vanity."