ENTERTAINMENTS AND MEETINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11347, 16 April 1900, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS AND MEETINGS.

DIX'S GAIETY COMPANY.; TnE usual crowded audience witnessed the change of programme given by Mr. P. R. Dix's Gaiety Company at ; the City, Hall on Saturday evening, there not even being standing room downstairs, v The naval first-part, " High Life on Deck," was presented for the last time. New songs were rendered by Miss May ■ Mariow (who seems to be growing in public favour, and Mr. Walter Rivers. The audience were kept in a continuous state of hilarity by Mr. Frank Yorke, and . the Williams Sisters and Lenuon Brothers were, as usual, most successful. Misses Annetta.Bodin, Ruby Williams, and Mr. Johnny Collins also gave pleasing turns. In the second part the Lennon-Hyman trio created no end of amusemeaL.ind admiration by their clever act, " The Chinese Laundry." The Williams Sisters repeated their clever - cycling feats, and Miss Flo Williams received an em-, phatic recall for " While London Sleeps.' As a new finale " The Sharpshooter" and the farce, Dissection ' highly tickled the audience, who wero thoroughly pleased with the excellent entertainment. To-night , the first of Mr. Dix's holiday attractions, will bo given, including a new military spectacle, " On Guard," in which a number of young ladies in khaki- will-go through & march and various military evolutions. It is notified that day sales and reserved seats will be available at the City Hall to-day.

THEOSOPHY. Last night Mrs. Draffin gave the second of her lectures on "Buddha and His Teachings." There was a very fair audience. Mrs. I Draffin commenced her lecture by explaining that last Sunday she traced tho life of Buddha to the point where, conscious of the suffering in the world, ho mado it his business to seek for the enlightenment which should enable him to help all that suffered. Tho lecturer then dealt with the temptations of Buddha, and comparing them with the temptations of the Christ, pointed out that underlying the external form of each was the same principle to be found. In the lives of all who have been the saviours of humanity wo find similar incidents, and though she was unable to explain why this should bo so, it was, nevertheless, a fact. The lecturer concluded by saying thero_ has been hatred in tho past between Buddhism and Christianity, producing between these two mighty religions suspicion and doubt, and so few endeavour to bridge the gulf. Yet the teachers of both belong to the same brotherhood of tho White Lodge of Adepts. Why then should the followers of ono teach and send missionaries to convert the followers of the other, who follow a religion as lofty and a** noble in its teachings? The results in the lives of Buddhists are as satisfactory, if not better, than the results of our own. Why exclude Buddhism, which moulds the minds of a third of tho human race, from our sympathies? Wo can benefit as much from tho teachings of the Buddha as wo do from those of Christ. Let us echo the words which close the account of his passing away:— , ~ ~ „ Bow down with clasped hands; hard hand 13 a Buddha to meet with through hundreds of ages. 1