Sossip from Sydney

Free Lance, Volume XVI, Issue 849, 13 October 1916, Page 5

Sossip from Sydney

Dear Cksltstabel, |L GREAT and mighty rain is Jylk falling into our water catchment area. For the last six months or more, it has apparently rained with great Enthusiasm everywhere else. Now w;e are getting it in the right place, though the Australian Jockey Club may not think so. ■» * " » . , For them, there was the minor misfortune of having to postpone the first day's race meeting. Then came the second and bigger tragedy (for the A.J.C.) no races on the holiday, EightHours Day. No one is very worried about it except the punters and., the "bookmakers. Sydney ; was ; looking a water fa-mine in' its thirsty face. Ana a. shortage of water such as our reservoir promised a fortnight ago, during a semi-trooio summer to . come, was apestilential future.

Now we can laugh—tra! la I la I For three months to come, anyhow, there will be water in the morning bath tub. Suburban gardeners, who had to watch their roses and. cabbages pine away because a hose was forbidden, can afford to be merry. Even the angry old gentlemen, on v the Water and Sewerage Board, have ceased hurling bitter _ reproaches at the taxpayers—who. had to bear the blunders of the aforesaid authorities. ... _

The Governor-General, who was expected here this week, had to stay m Melbourne. A general row in the Federal Parliament. Of course, it's the vital question- —shall we be mean enough to shelter behind the conscript armies of Europe, or hunt the shirkers off the street corners? They'll fight all right, when they get the gutters.

Lady : Helen Ferguson will —weather permitting—open a Y.W.C.A. Conference fete, the end of this Week.. _ It's to be a big pageant in the grounds of "Cranbrook." A : few months ago it was ' the residence of the State Governor. Now,, the Government scarcely know what to do with it. Local property owners must have brought pressure to bear on the Cabinet. The original idea! of turning it into a cohvales-

cent home for soldiers lias lapsed "Pruppetty" got alarmed, and the idea hung fire. « iS" «■ » Meanwhile, Government Hous is full of gaiters and bishops. A gathering of Anglican clerics includes Bishop Thrower. He, poor man, has a-cure of souls somewhere in the north of Western Australian sand dunes. I know it's heresy to say so, but there are Wise Men in the East, who see a day when our empty tropics will have to be assisted by indented coloured labour- —or ? Well, even a not over-wise woman can see what's going to surprise White Australia some fine day. When .that comes, the fighting won't be in the North Sea.

The opera, still draws like a magnet. With one or two exceptions, its principal singers are delightful. An indifferent, chorus cannot quell the public enthusiasm to hear Cappelli, Balborni, Cacialli, and Signora-—or is she Signorina—Gonsalez.

Perhaps, we were all a little warweary and ready to be cheered by the old-world romance of grand opera. Our fine old . Italian citizen, Div Marano, for many years a good Australian, is constantly in a box on first nights. So is the Consul-Gen eral for Italy, Chevalier Elas (Melbourne) whenever he comes to Sydney on a flying visit. Ben Fuller is making opera pay at popular pricesthanks to the size of the huge theatre now known as the Grand' Opera House. One hopes, however, that if the company play a return season here, more attention to the dressing, and a chorus worthy of the chief singers, will result. » #• »

Mr. and Mrs. Grocottj who have been here on a visit, have returned to . Auckland'.

The Actors' Association gave an afternoon "At Home" to meet Miss Madge Fabian, who has made such a hit'in the rather mawkish American play, "Romance." A sharp, little Cockney voice', and a listless manner—perhaps the company was not to her liking-—soon chilled even the most stage-struck visitors.

Still, it was a very_ happy gathering. Several of the Italian opera

singers were guests, and' made themselves as agreeable as is possible to travellers who didn't know one word of English. An interpreter helped, and they sang, besides, in the most goodhumoured fashion. Signor Scamuzzi, a young baritone, who is immensely popular with Sydney audiences, was the lion of the party. The little —very little- — lioness Madge, sat back in her chair, and ate an ice or two as her share of entertaining the visitors.

Mrs. Curlewis, known in two hemispheres as "Ethel Turner," has just been operated ooi by Sir Alex. McCormick for appendicitis. At date of writing, she is progressing favourably. Mrs. Curlewis, unlike most professional women, (writers, musicians, and artists) has had a very happy domestic life. A girl and boy, and a devoted husband (a well-known Sydney barrister) make up the sum • total of "this dear little woman's happiness. Fox* fame, and the rewards it brings, she only cares in a secondary degree. ;

Full and joyous as "Ethel Turner's" life has been, success bias only added honey to her sweet nature. Since the war, she has been tireless in her efforts to promote the comfort of our men at the front. Her, recent illness was so sudden that it was hard to realise that her apparently flawless health had .such ( a close call. ' »59 . © Mrs. Russell, a New, Zealander, passed through Sydney to Melbourne this week. . j;. g There are various visitors from the Dominion. "Whether they will give up waiting for the water-logged Hand wick races „ and hurry home is not mentioned in their prayers for fine weather. From Auckland- are: Mr. and Mrs. E. Bull and Mr. and Mrs. Goldwater. Mr. and Mrs. Tom Brown, of hilly Duaedin, are here. :Mr. A. Martin is from the same New Zealand town. Mr. J. H. Parker is, from Auckland. . <» « •» * Is Melba again - on /the wing? It seems so. Mrs. Hugh Ward, a friend of ou,r great singer, is, according w> a local paper, expecting to see ivJelba in New York; The opera season opens there shortly. As Mrs. Ward expects to be back in Sydney soon after Christmas, our ever-restless Nellie must be already packing up. Of rourse, she is liable to change her' mind quite twice a day. She has a Napoleonic ambition to get out and climb fresh teights—if there are any left for the MeJbas of the world. " * < ' *, » * * :.The well-known actor, Mr., Stanley McKay, has left for the, great fight after some months' training. Mr. Guy Hastings, the nice-looking young English actor in the Bert Bailey Company, is also in khaki. He is in the early stages of c the goose-step. There is a rumour of Frank Harvey —also a well-set-up young actor—contemplating the same manly, course. , ■: Prime Minister Hughes addresses the wofnen of Sydney, or as many as can squeeze into the Town Hall, on conscription. The text of everything, he says, is, briefly, "We must put aside every other interest to win the war — nothing else matters?" * * *- ' . * ' Miss Helen Barnes, the General National Secretary of the Y.W.C.A.. has been a good deal to the fore of late. The present big Conference of that body anves point to her opinion that the war has brought out the, best in the Australian girl. Miss Barnes comes from U.S.A., and is, therefore, not given to flattery of our Australian so-go-easy ways before the enemy shook up the Universe. Whether the Y.W.C.A. builds up the feminine character, or moulds it into a rather rigid type, one cannot say. ■ft . #. .» • . That this Association—except in rare instances —is a sheltering .wing for young women who are alone in strange cities, may not be questioned.

Personally,'lioweveiy.. I think it doesnot, in its dealing with girls, concede quite enough latitude to the buoyant spirits of youth, and; a tendency; .to hypocrisy is occasionally an ugly weed in the Y.W.C.A. pastures. Meni understand men in a more forgiving spirit than women deal with women.. For this reason" the Y.M. ; C.A. has become a world oower for good; since the war. But the young women's beatitudes have not expanded on l the same broad lines; •

Mrs. Charles Orr, of Auckland, has been staying over here with her sister, Mrs. D. Brace. ' ■ *- • -i .. .

Fasliions ? It. is still raining, but we had one almost fine race day. Taffetas ixi dull shades of bronze, dark -peacock blue, and dove grey predominated. ' The vivid shades were in a minority. Black velvet coats, rather short, .were worn, with some of the new spring frocks.. But a chill wind made it essentially a day for the .-tailoisbuilt'vgii:l.'-.v-

A famous painter once gave the world a picture of Tennyson's "Gardener's 1 ; Daughter.'' A lovely creature with.,,a-flower-like face under the brim'lof a? large flat straw hat, caught with. a single rose on; the low crown. Strings of black : * velvet tied under the round, white chin. That is' to be the favourite millinery this '■ • summer ~ Sydney. Therefore, even Kke; ; horse marines, will, probably.' adopts the Gardener's Daughter's hat, as. soon as the sun peeps'out-. ■ / "V.'

Tours discursivelv.-. - - HONA.