AN EVENING AT THE FAIR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15521, 31 January 1914, Page 1 (Supplement)

AN EVENING AT THE FAIR.

BY ELSIE K. MOBTON.

The long, hot summer day draws to a close; a tiny vagrant" breeze steals in through the portals of sunset and whispers in the tops of oak and pine. The flowers beside the dusty pathway raise their tired little faces to the cool refreshment of floating spray as the hose is turned on garden and lawn. It is the hour when we all unconsciously relax, take a deep breath and offer up thanks for. the reviving coojness of eventide.

Visitors to Auckland's Exhibition have taken their sight-seeing very casually today, keeping as much as possible within shade ,< of the trees. Hundreds still linger; the, hour between daylight ' and dusk. is very beautiful, and where could one better spend it than here, with bright sunbeams slanting down through thick foliage on to smooth green lawns, birds singing overhead, and Auckland city, a panorama of sunshine and blue seas, stretched out beneath? Numerous picnic parties are having tea beneath the tall" manuka; little children laugh and play on the soft turf while materfamilias smiles indulgently from behind the l teapot; an ideal picnicking place this, with its smooth lawns, fern-edged ponds and shady nooks. From the direction of the main building comes the monotonous clamour of an automatic piano; outside, in the Domain Drive you hear the occasional rumble of a motor-'bus, the shrill whistle of its warning. The radiance of sunset deepens; a red light falls on white towers and tall tree-tops, and promenaders make their, way leisurely to points •of vantage from which to view the glory of the west. . . Twilight soon falls and passes, and pale lights leap out and twinkle in the after-glowfairy-lights they look in this hour of soft shadow and still bright sky. -~ The curtains of night are drawn together and against the blue dusk . a myriad illuminations begin to flash arid sparkle arid take life, till the fair is a blaze of brightness. '

The hour o£ peace has passed, fluttered' over the ; horizon with the last wisp of sunset's: gold, and all the noises of the < fair by night arise, ; the x - cries of .tie venturesome in wonderland, the ceaseless fumble of motor traffic.outside in the drive., Entering from the i main drive-ryou seem to be looking upon a i bit of stageland. Towers and main building are outlined in a myriad- sparkling points of -gold; close on a > hundred feet above your head: ; the tower bridge flashes its cordial invitation, "Come right up," in great bright letters of ruby red.. Jl Down by ■ the ornamental ponds ; "• brighWiued ;•"-. Japanese :■ _. lanterns: swing gently amid foliage and ferns' sending long' serpentine trails ; ' f of ~ brightness ; wavering into the dark water... beneath. 1 Paths and terraces are black with people, blithe, irresponsible young , folk:' tripping off to swell the giddy crowd in wonderland, others, elderly { and sedate,making t&eir way to .the ; bandstand. Others again take determined possession' of seats overlooking .the big pond,] awaiting 'the spectacular eveat of the evening; many have responded to . the - tower's; ruddy. vitation arid the bridge above is crowded. At " last .that; for r which we flare '■ waiting comes to pass;' the round pool,' so still and sombre, breaks into life;; a flutter :as of an invisible band roughening its smooth surface,' ;ja sudden lifting/, of «its -waters, then the cry, "There she goes!" as the, fairy fountain begins play; ...The lights outlining'. : the buildings. arid into the darkness a column of silver mounts high and falls in showers of glittering spray. : ; The silver turns to an ex-; quisite shade of green, green in violet and snimmering ."flame-tinted ( amber and iridescent 'hues that you thought-belonged to. rainbows and;dewdrbps alone. ' Yon wonder by what transmutation water, that plain,' colourless stuff that comes out xof a tap,; can be turned into these leaping cascades of crystal, ■ these ; showers of< molten fire. - Coming 1 to a deep hole in the ground to one side of the' fountain, you decide 1 to venture down", to ■■; solve * the mystery'for yourself. : : It seems rather like pulling ah; exquisite-flower to pieces.'to find the,scent; but still, i you' go," and- vanish with' care. down a: perpendicular ladder into a narrow passage.;- ■■.:■■ Beyond lies a little circular room, hot as : the stokehole of an ocean liner and flooded with the whitest, fiercest light "> that' ever burned your eyeballst Blinking violently, you stumble.oyer various pipes and wet places and enter, feeling somewhat like Aladdin venturing into the . enchanted •- cavern? However, the colour wizards below are just two normal," over-heated mortals like the rest of us, and their magic consists of; nothing more mystic than circle.of brilliant arc lamps, i slides of coloured 'glass,•■■ and eight little; J circular 'windows in the ceiling through 1 which wonderful colours are flashed on to' the fairy fountain above. The whirr of an electric fan and noise of a big pump render explanations somewhat difficult to follow, and -you presently leave, feeling very limp aha hot, with, a confused impression of : a hundred-thousand 7 horse-power glare, the vibration ofof—let's see, what I did he say? Oh, a twenty-five candle-1 Eower pump, and r countless .i amperesrofci roiling heat. . • Outside . again, in the i cooler air,, you look on.! the beautiful i fountain with :" a sophisticated,, slightly;; patronising air, as at a quite " simple bit of mechanism that'holds"no further mystery for you. You then move,off in the, direction of the bandstand. The programme is a popular-one ; evtry chair is taken -, so you stand .beneath the stately oak that stretches wide arms out over the crowd.: The band is playing Offenbach's vastly .popular %': barcarolle; playing it*as only the.R.A. Band can play its ■ The audience 'is plainly 'enjoying ib to the v full. -v : The smoke from.:a| dozen different" and « mostly- indifferent "a cigars wafts gently ;to your nostrils; the man behind is humming the tune in a nasal undertone: and two gigglesome slips of girls are chattering audibly, but even their banality: cannot destroy the beauty of the music. A' small boy approaches with, monotonous cry, "Programmes er pen—" "Shut up and clear, out!" snarls a sorely-tried. masculine voice, and the youngster/decamps, while the humming man stops "shortf and looks round - guiltily. The ki chattering, however, goes.on. '.'Tannhauser"rcomcs next, with the stately measure of its "Pilgrims' Chant," quick staccato^ echo of ; the Venusberg conflict ■ arid -clarion < call of the siren. . P Given such an .interpretation as this, the whole story unfolds itself as you listen, and you give yourself up?, to the witchery of music ana night. /_.s No wonder you see the same -.people ; fitting, out there beneath the stars and .rustling trees night after night; it is asif a voice had cried aloud to Auckland, ' ' You know how little while we have toi stay,: And, once departed,, may return no.more. ¥;; Music of a kind yon. can get any: gramaphones and , pianolas are to be found in all the best houses nowadays,'; and in plenty of the othere too, but the; music of a military band beneath the- stars,' music wafted to you on the clean; sweet breezes of ' the night—music such as this is something ,'for which we may well give thanks. We shall hear the great 1812 overture againhear it, please Heaven, without quite so many ear-splitting bangs and bombs— it will .be : long ere, the vibrant call of "La Marseillaise" .rings.out as it did on a.recent evening at the fair. Those there be who clamour for the music: of barrel-organ and bar-room, but. their, numbers are not alarming, and imentime there is always VCavderialßnsticana." fs The storm of hand-clapping dies-down ; the band swings off into the B.A. March, then the crowd rises to the 1 strains of the National Anthem arid you turn to go, feeling that the Exhibition has the en; worth while if for nothing else ; than the music of the band. ... \ ' •' The girl in front sighs and says raptly/ "Wasn't it glorious?' r ' ~; ;. "■ , "Great!" responds her escort cordially; "' Now let's go and, do the figure-eight," - i . -■~ . . t , <__ - 'X J , , ."