CALAMO CURRENTE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7002, 26 April 1884, Page 1 (Supplement)

CALAMO CURRENTE.

The crowd at Government House last Saturday was very great, ..Lady Jsrvois was *at home,' the day was fine, and the Lady Superintendent of the hospital was to receive the decoration of the Red Cross. Lady Jervois stood the maroh past with becoming fortitude, and by her courteous manner did much to relieve the trepidation and embarrassment, from which many of those who were ' presented' were obviously suffering. The only difficulty was about the visitors' books. These were placed on a table which stood exactly between the drawing-room and thehall door. The crowd at this place was impenetrable. Once in it, it was equally difficult to get to the table, the drawing-room, or back again to the open air. Truth compels us to say that the ladies were chiefly to blame. A notice had been posted up, asking visitors to write their names legibly, and in their frantio efforts to comply with this request, many ladies spent more time at the table than was their share. To choose what looks like the best pen, to find it writes badly, and then to try another, but with the same result; then to remember that you have your gloves on ; to take these off with proper care, remembering that they have to go on again; then tc begin writing again, and when the feat is at last accomplished, to linger over the book to be sure t&at the name is legible, and finally, to make things quite safe, by going through the whole proc ess again; all this takes up time, and creates confusion. Like everything else, however, it came to an end at last; and we can only hope that the gallant aide-de-oamp will find less difficulty this year in deciphering the hieroglyphics, with which, in spite of all precautions, the visitors'-book is still disfigured.

The decoration of the Lady Superintendent of the Hospital with the Red Cross was, no doubt, a pleasing and interesting sight, to those who could see it. Those who were not in the few front rows of the longroom at Government House saw nothing at all. To many it seemed that there was hardly enough ceremony about the actual investiture. The whole thing was too short; in fact, it was all over before the majority of those present knew that it had begun. The Governor's speech, however, was enough by itself to Batisfy the audience. Combining ease with elegance, and speaking in a style that was at once conversational and full of dignity, His Excellency recounted the achievements of the lady whom the Queen has delighted to honour. In speaking of the work of nurses on the field of battle, he described in graphic language the self devotion with which these ministering angela do their office; and when he painted the horrid gashes and gaping wounds, the raw heada and bloody bones, which are the companions of war, he appealed to the emotions of terror and pity in his hearers in a manner that was truly sublime. With all that, however, neither Miss Crisp nor ourselves have now anything to do, and all that remains is to express the hope that this lady may have a happy and long life in which to enjoy the honours she has so richly deserved.

It was never expected that Mr. Kolleston would get much of a hearing at Christchurch on Saturday last. The claqueurs, by whom the meeting was packed, were only there to give personal evidence of the selfish impudence and political chicanery which are the chief characteristics of Canterbury politics at the presMit time. Mr. Rolleston, however, attempted to lay before his andience his proposed scheme for dealing with colonial lands. This is by far the most important subject that lies before the people and Government of this country ; but the cultivated rowdies who, the other day, oheered the empty platitudes of Mr. Montgomery, refused even to listen to one of the very few men in the House who have shown any capacity for dealing with this subject in a large, liberal, and statesmanlike spirit. In politics, the little finger of the Minister of Lands is thicker than the unwieldy loins of the member for Akaroa, but politios are not what the Christchurch voters want just now; unless it be the politics of coercing the Government into carrying Canterbury grain at less than a fair and reasonable charge, and at the expense of the other provinces in the colony.'

The speech of Major Harris at Otahuhu on Monday dealt chiefly with topics of local interest, such as the collection and distribution of tolls, the state of the Drury bridge, the -R.M. Court at Ho wick, etc. At" the same time it contained something of general interest as well, especially the statementof Major Harris that, in view of tbe probable combination of Southern members, his own vote in the coming session would be with the Government. The speaker also declared .that while anxious to see the Education Act carried out in the spirit in which it was originally designed, he was of opinion that some radical cbange would have to be made in the method of administering the Act. On this subject'everybody, except the existing Education Boards, is now agreed. The determination of a cautious man like Major Harris to support the Government is additional evidence that none but candidates who are prepared to make a similar promise will have any chance of occnpying a seat for a Northern constituency in the next Parliament. Taken altogether it was a useful, sensible, and practical speech.

Speaking at Pscton on Tuesday night, Mr. Conolly dealt with many topics, but said nothing new or of much importance. His suggestion that all bankruptcy laws might be dispensed with, and debtor and creditor left to settle their affairs between themselves, was only an echo of a similar proposal made some time ago in England by Lord Sherbrooke, which, however, received very little support, and came to nothing. That Mr. Conolly should support the resumption of pre-emptive rights over native land by the Government, was oaly what was to be" expected from him in his official position ; but the experience of Government pre-emption in the past gives little ground for hope tfiat the scheme will be successful or practically beneficial. What i 3 wanted is some method which will combine the free sale of these lands with the advantages and rights which the Government wish to obtain, and certainly ought to possess.

Mr. Conolly pointed out that the political separation of the two islands, which is so glibly and flippantly talked about would, bring disaster on the provinces of Westland, Nelson, and Marlborough. That is true enough; but if it would benefit Otago. and Canterbury, what, more does a statesman want? These two provinces have now almost obtained a prescriptive right to have their own interests consulted, if not exclusively, at least before and above those of the rest of the colony. The Attorney-General however might have added that, even if the Otago and Canterbury members were • able to oarry r. Separation Bill through both Houses, this is a question on which the Imperial Government would have something to Bay, and that the Imperial Government would refHse even to consider the question is as certain as anything in politics can well be.

It is not likely that the Queen's new book will be received with much favour by those good people, the teetotallers. Her Majesty, it seems, has a liking not only for Scotland, but for SGotoh whisky, which she confesses to have taken at a christening, at a wedding, at a funeral, and on other occasions. Teetotallers never will make any allowance for extenuating circumstances ; otherwise it might perhaps be urged that the Queen gets her whisky good, in which case one can understand and sympathise with her weakness ; and further, that Balmoral is in a country where, it is commonly believed, the monotony of rain is never relieved except by intervals of 'snaw,' a condition of climate which makes whisky almost one of the necessaries of life. What is a loyal subject to do ? • When both are dear to him, will it not be reasonable and right that he should, at proper seasons, and in moderation, prefer to follow the example of the Qaeen »

• Men act from 'mixed' motives, as in tho case of the Jew who, though restrained from eating pork by a desire nbfc'to shock the feelingof hia friends, was moved to eat it by the desire to Vindicate'.true religious . liberty, combined with a liking for pork. So in the rnatter_ of drinking whisky, a man is impelled in one direction by a combination of high and low motives, arid in another by an impulse that ranks between;the two in the soale. He is anxious to avoid giving, offence to the teetotallers, but oh the other hand he »a a high Bense of his duty as 8- loyal subject, and a natural liking for a beverage

which, if ■ not identical with, is thought closely to resemble the nectar of the gods. It seems hardly possible to reducer the values of these different motives to any common standard, or to form a moral estimate of the conduct of those who are, in either, direction, influenced by them.

The conflict between their loyalty and their love of toast and water is a question of casuistry which the teetotallers must settle for themselves, but it would be interesting to know how the conflict between toast and water and * the club 'isto be settled. The luxuries of a club, its newspapers, its smoking, card, and billiard rooms, its cheap luncheons and cosy dinners, are, it is thought, generally purchased with the money that is made at the bar; for after all a olnb is only a superior sort of hotel, from which the .great unwashed, and none others, are excluded. It is for the sake of accommodating the better class, no doubt, that one club we have heard of possesses a public house in a neighbouring street. The motive is admirable, but what is the attitude of those of its members who are teetotallers towards their club ? Probably, if they are wise, they eat what is set before them, asking no questions for conscience, and comfort's, sake.

The fine weather which we have 'been enjoying for the last few weeks might not unfitly be called a St. Mark's summer on the analogy of St. Luke's summer in the corresponding season of the year in the old country. St. George's Day was as nearly perfect as a bright sun and a cool breeze couldmakeit. Nobody seems to know who St. George was, or how he came to be the patron saint of England. But it is certain that he was not a • myth,' which one newspaper called him. JNot even a saint can be a 'myth' anymore than he can be a 'falsehood' or a ' drink.' -Gibbon make? out that he was an avaricious Bcoundrel, for whom canonisation would have been an altogether unsuitable honour, if it were not that there were so many like him already in the calendar. Probably at first he was only one of the many saints whose chief end, when England was ' merry England,' was to pro vide an excuse for a holiday. This, it need not be atided, is the most nseful purpose that these worthies now fulfil among ourselves. It is sometimes thought that the institution of the Order of the Garter oh this day had something to do with making St. George the national hero, but he held this position long before the Garter was instituted or thought of. What concerns us, however, is not the origin of the fact but the faot itaelf, and most office and bank clerks would be quite willing to celebrate this ' saint' once a quarter, or even at shorter intervals, if they could get a holiday every time by doing so.

The statement that Shakspere was born on St. George's Day is not bsyond dispute, but it is absolutely certain that he died on this day in the year 1616. There is no record of his birth, as there are very few authentic records of his life. In this respect he resembles Homer. It is curious that so little should be known about a man who lived only 250 years ago. We know, however, that he lived in public, in the play-houses and taverns of the Strand; much in contrast with the exclnsiveness and priggishness of some modern barda who neither mix with their fellow-men nor will permit strangers so much as to see their house. Shakspere was not officially ennobled ; but there is a principle of compensation in all things, and his works will be read and remembered for ever, whereas the Lordship of Mr. Tennyson will probably be his only (or at any rate his chief) title to fame. But ' comparisons are odorous,' and to mention Shakspere and the present laureate in the same breath is not respectful to the memory of the older poet.

The Society of Arts are to be congratulated on the success of their exhibition, tt is a decided improvement on those of the past three years. The conversazione on Thursday night was not a favourable opportunity of seeing the pictures, as the light was very bad, and the crowd very unmanageable. The musical contest, too, was a ' discordant' element, and out of place 'on this occasion ;' or, shall we say it was a distracting pleasure? Of the pictures themselves, it may be said that by far the best watercolours are those exhibited by Mr. Gully and the Hon. J. C. Richmond. These are not only better than the others, but belong to a different class. Among the oil paintings those of Gibb are especially worth) of notice. Albin Martin's landscapes are pleasing pictures, and make some appeal to the-imagination, which is more than can be said of the works of some of the artists who are exhibiting. 'A Giant of our Forests,' it must be admitted, ia a failure. To parody a famous saying attributed to Themistocles, '"We have seen the real kauri.' The high price put on this work is probably- meant to be the value of the tree and not of the picture. Blomfield's paintings, in number as well aa in quality, show marks of faithful and hard work. It is the truest kindness to this very praiseworthy artist to tell him what the faults of his pictures are. They are too real. They are copies, and no doubt faithful copies, of the trees, ferns, stones, logs, etc., that are in the places and scenes which he paints, but the pictures do not create in the mind of the spectator - the same impressions which the real places create. A painter wants to paint nature not as it is, but as it seems. He is a painter, not a botanist. His picture must appeal to the imagination in the, same way in which the thing be paints would appeal to it. So far Mr. Blomfield's pictures have failed to achieve this end. He copies nature, but does not reproduce its effects. For instance, nobody but a dealer in firewood could -possibly take the least interest in the driftwood on the shore of Lake Wakatipa. "What Mr. Blomfield wants is the opportunity of studying the works of some first-rate landscape painter, and if he could do this, there iB no doubt that, with his ability and industry, he would become a painter of considerable merit. Examples of a tendency exactly opposite to that of Mr. Blomfield are the pictures sent in by Mrs. Clark. In these pictures there is more imagination than manual skill. In both respects, however, there is a marked improvement upon the work previously exhibited by this lady. If Mrs. Clark will imitate Mr. Blomfield's matter of fact precision, and- Mr. Blomfield will imitate Mrs. Clark's poetical treatment of subjects, both these artists will before long be able to show work of no mean excellence and power. Of the other artists and their work it is impossible to say more now, except to draw attention to the ability shown in the ' Portrait of a.Gentleman by his Grandson'—the work of a very young and entirely self-taught artist. A pleasing feature of this part of the exhibition is the almost entire absence of the pseudo-sssthetic style -of pictures ; milkmaids and strange women yearning after the unreal, &c, with which we were threatened last year.

In the side-room and the corner room there are a few works which may, but ought not to, escape the attention that ib due to them. Of these the most important are two small pencil sketches of cattle by Sydney Cooper, and a study in still life hung in the lower room. This last is by far the best of all the works among which it is bung, and it deserves a more conspicuous place. The pictures in the loan collection are of unequal merit. Not the least pleasing are the two genre paintings by Braun and Putiani. 'Good Morning' is a commonplace and feeble production ; while ' Brighton from the Pier' is an imitation of Firth's latest and most vulgar style. It represents a crowd o£ Cockneys spending a bank holiday on the pier of the town commonly known as the New Jerusalem.

Of the other pictures, the best are two lent by Mr. G. B. Owen, 'The King's Messenger,' and a cattle piece by Chiativa. This, and the picture by Briton; Riviere which hangs next to it, are admirable. A landscape, which bears no other mark of being the work of Crome than the name of that artist (father, or son?) on the frame, and a view of the canal at Venice, to which is affixed a very funny_ notice that *it is very valuable, as the artist has chronic gout, and is now past painting,' are the pictures which, after those already mentioned, -will receive most "and the best-deserved attention. Index.