To the Editor.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 12 February 1908, Page 2

To the Editor.

Sir, — As one of the audience at the Kirmess and Living Whist entertain-" ment last night, I was surprised at two things — the excellence of the entertainment and the comparative sparseness of the attendance. "A first night*'! was, '- the reason assigned in the seats near, me; hut even a first night, in the circumstances, should have been crowded. The cheaper seats were well filled, but C the three shilling seats— a moderateenough figure for seats that canbe re-served—-were painfully empty. Does this mean that the elhe of Nelson consider " the object beneath their notice 'or are they waiting. for a verdict on the performance? If the latter", despite some ' nervousness tn the performers, the entertainment was a decided success, some - of the items being very beautiful and ' the programme had the additional " . merit of being entirely unobjectionable. The Living Whist was very pretty, tha '•- . game being played witfiout. a. hitch., by appropriately costumed, performers - representing the whole pack of cards. ' ■: The children entered with »est intb>the yX' '■ cake walk and other humorous items, x'C--' while the dancing of sonje of >them iii the. X national dances was professional in.; ife-' ;: accuracy and more, than profession*! iiv its graca. The- Japanese dawo-waa particularly good, the tiny .mites of children being so well traiMd that.they looked like little ofcck,wbrk automa- - ta as they.fannod and marched and . kow-towed; their quaint doll-like "ap-^ pearance contrasting with the charming grace of their unaffected childish move- : ments- But your reporter will pro-:, bably have described them and -. other picfc-resejue items better than l : can. My object'ih writing is to point . • out the time and patience expended over !\ this entertainment, and to ..show that.- . -j; the publio should — puttingafconnbMgher- .'-■.■..' ground than that the performers hava - : , gratuitously given their time- and la.* J > hour to a good cause — pay them the cpnW .. pliment, and give, themselves, the plea- V. ■ sure, of seeing them. Then, sir, what is the use of indigna.' - - •■■' . tion at the present system. of piffgin* the helpless old people % a vemin-ijß-, fested Home if: this indignation has not*- ' the- practical, effect" of supporting an — entertainment that has for its object th«j

z^my>i yraßaey/toy rei^roythis it Surely^ forMi^yobject,- ; » ■"-. *J**iSH b ] l .*?**spJ*»fea -young-" -#ai*Miw6uid' ■ A m ; £° l^ A 'itfl^ticket^Liya'v single af-*: * : etaty-ftfythfeCharit-:-:'--*W'--«*^B&^{*6uld^piababiy^i^r Z^^yrmi^^^^'iyife^ZUwr^i^mA A even; if they^uld;:iibt* attend;"' Would: /object- tor: puMtase- tickets Afofj^n enteral teannent -thatf^ oh"", its ftwiirmerite, : is :;-. more * than".^^*w6*Ah*y;of'su^po'rt^ *'^^ ftiv e T, hSye hi^ elnough^ttfky about the .Old People's -H-me'-.-latel^;-:-ii()'W->'is'-ilte* '■: t: ffie-for a little-of the .practical i spirit ',';■ ot Christianity; A "Th<)se:l.whb help iiow: yhelp-more than, twice, yforV;*with : the Uor--vernment subsidy, -every: -three --shilling V ticket- sdldyaß>vet._ thieV- :'expe'ns&;- .will .bring 1 sd^TVam .'.ihfo*^ something-like-7s 6d .totbaitund. - * / " ■y:y:msiter^: z *„* yyyy*,*«yy yr.-y:.AyOKE:(fcyT'mAAmibeNCA