MEMORIES AND SIGHS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20490, 15 February 1930, Page 1 (Supplement)

MEMORIES AND SIGHS.

glimpses of other days.

BY 31. A.H.

Such a little thing sometimes suffices to bring back the past—not the remembered past alone, but that richer, more pathetic, past, that is just passing away from any living human memory. The far past is so remote that it is unreal; our own past, short or long, is a part of ourselves, so woven with the present that it scarcely has a separate entity; but the past of seventy, eighty, ninety years ago has a meaning of its own. It is near enough to be bound to us by tender ties of recollection, reminiscences told to our parents by their parents, or their grandparents, little family histories passed on from mother to daughter, old photographs preserved, here and there a relic carefully kept, a brooch, a shawl, or an inlaid work-box.

If you want to breathe a little of the sweet, faded perfume of this intimate past of ours, spend a quiet morning in the rooms at tho Art Gallery, given up to relics of old colonial days. City noise is not troublesome there, nor will you be jostled by a crowd. First of all, find an old poster, which will bring you right back to the birth of the theatre in Auckland.

What an evening that must have been in the quaint, brave little town, just taking shape and leaving its canvas-town clays behind. It was a Monday, the twelfth of February, 1844, for which was fixed thd opening of the Fitzroy Theatre, whose management presented it with pride and confidence to the people of Auckland. The price of admission was two shillings to the pit, which the proprietor expected to be the most popular part of the house, and four shillings to tiie dress circle, which he promised families patronising it would find " select in every sense of the word." When the curtain rose at eight the whole company were to sing " God Save the Queen"—not the venerable Victoria, but the young Queen, proud, happy wife and mother, whom some of the audience had, perhaps, seen driving in state through her capital the year before. Then ithe " prize opening address" was to be spoken by Mr. Thompson.' I should like to have found out more about Mr. Thompson. I wondered was he young and nervous. I expect he had given much time to the preparation of that address, and that it was in quite good style, if a little formal.

Varied Entertainments. The best musical talent the Colony could furnish was to give the overture to the "Caliph of Bagdad," to be followed by the great piece of the evening, *" The Denouncer: or The Miser's Fate," drama by T. Wilks. Esquire, which had had a highly-successful run in London. The characters were Adolphe de Breaucourt and Gusta-vus, his friend, Claud Darnaud (the denouncer), Simon Siggel (the miser's man), Mynheer Hans Hoogfidt (a Dutchman), Signor Matteo Magleo (an Italian). Master John Brown fan Englishman) and Victorine (Darnaud's daughter), besides soldiers, townspeople and peasantry. Then was to follow a " Musical Olio," including a celebrated nigger song by Mr. St. Clair, an Irish song by Mr. Harold, and " Nothing," by Mr. Buckingham. The whole was to conclude with the laughable farce, " Crowded Houses: or Crossing the Line." Now, that was a good, varied evening's entertainment. Bravo attire was donned then as now - for the gala night. The glamour of the footlights quickened tilt: beating of young and happy hearts. Some few stately, exiled crinolines swept in with tall, bewhiskeml escorts. The pit would be full. What men mingled theresoldiers, traders, wanderers, hopeful settlers, venturers all of them. The play done, they go along the rough road to their little houses, down near the beach or 011 Shortland Crescent. Eleven years afterwards, on another Monday night, was given a farewell dinner to Sir George Grey. You may see the toast list for yourself. The dress of the diners would be brightened by many a brilliant uniform, for in 1355 Auckland was a garrison town, the headquarters of the 58th and 65th Regiments, the " Black Cuffs" and the " Tigers." After the Royal toasts " Colonel Wynyard and the British army" were honoured to the air of "The British Grenadiers." (Nearby you may see an invitation card, to a subscription ball to Colonel Wynyard and the officers of the 58th. That would have beon a brilliant affair.) Sir George Grey is toasted next—" A man's a man, for a' that," and Lady Grey—"The Bonny English Rose." His Honor the Superintendent, of the Province of Auckland—"the man of our choice;" Prosperity to the Agricultural Industries of Auckland—- " Speed the Plough'' (and well has it sped) : The Trade and Commerce of Auckland —" Gloomv Winter's now awa'," quite a good toast to honour now.

Belies of Daily Life. Many little glimpses of quieter daily life can be obtained here also. Here is a willow pattern plate, and hero a flowered jug and plate brought to-Xew Zealand in the twenties. Here is a candle mould for making candles, here some oldfashioned snuffers. You . may see, an elaborately-made white shirt and tie stitched by hand many years ago; you may see even an old sampler. There is an envelope whose address was written seventy-five years ago. It was posted in Nelson on July 14, 1355, and reached Auckland on August 7. You may see an example of an official reprimand, in wfiich" it was found advisable to draw the attention of members of the public services to "the necessity of treating with the utmost civility and attention all who may have business to transact with them. This is the more necessary where natives or emigrants of the humbler eiasse:; resort for information, and ignorance or tediousness on their part is no excuse for short replies or scant attention." And the memorandum goes on to point out. that in future an indispensable qualification for appointment or promotion will be a reputation for "habitual urbanity."

The Unobtrusive GrAat. " Be not (lie slave of words." says Carlyle. "Is not. the distant, the dead, while I love, it, and long for it, and mourn for it, here, in (lie genuine sense, as truly as the floor I stand 011 ?" So need we never lose (he past, nor the. past lose that, immortality that is the deep desire of mortal men. Besides tho ciiy of to-day that is our pride, wo may possess other Aucklands of days gone by. The changing shape of the city—the changing shape of life itself —is like a moving picture. We seem to ourselves so secure on tho stage to-day. It will he such a little while before we, too, are part of the pust, and tho street scene, the. play, the dress, the manners of to-day, subjects for the speculation of our curious posterity.

Whenever I read the words of Ecclesiasticus, " Let us now praise famous men and our fathers that begat us," it seems to me that the most touching part of that memorable passage is this: "And some there be which have no memorial; who are perished, as though they had never been; and are become as though they had never been horn; and their children after them." With some of these we seem to touch hands wnen we look at the relics of everv-day life in Auckland long ago: not those who formed the procession, hut tlioso who watched it pass; not the man chosen for office, hut those who voted for him; not the founder of a great business, but those who passed in and out of his first humble shop.