Our Wellington Letter.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 976, 14 November 1890, Page 4

Our Wellington Letter.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) November 11. It was not likely that Mr Toole would be allowed to come to New Zealand and be received as au ordinary professional. Consequently he has been feted in every town through which hepassed, luncheons, dinner parties, and supper parties being given ■ in his honour. Wellington has, of course, not been behind the others, and the Governor’s was the first entertaining hand outheld to the famous comedian. Then he was entertained by the Primateand the Mayor, the Hon. Dr Grace, Mr Werry, and many ( other private citizens. Amongst the invited were very often included Miss Irene Van- . brugh and Messrs C. E. Wilson, Billington, j and Lowne. The former gentleman’s mother travels with the company, and kindly acts as chaperone to Miss Vanbrugh. Mr Toole’s goldba snuff box has been in great demand, everyone wishing to see the gift of Henry Irving to J. L. Toole, the initials of whose respective names are inscribed in diamonds on the lid. I think it would be a good idea if Mr Toole filled his snuff box with autographs, so that those who were privileged to peep into it might have some proof of having done so. Mr Toole has given a printed likeness of himself with hiß printed autograph under it, to several of the people by whom he has been entertained. I think no company has has been so continously, enormously patronised as Mr Toole’s. Night after night there is not one seat vacant in the theatre, the extreme sides of the family circle even being crowded and many people standing in dress circle and stalls. On the whole, I think ‘ The Don ’ is the most general favourite of the pieces that have been played, and ‘ The Seiiouß Family ’ comes next in the list. Most of the after pieces are regular screaming farces, noticeably ‘ The Steeplechase ’ and ‘ Off the Line,’ by the middle of which the audience are usually reduced by laughter to an utterly helpless condition. Mr Billington is exceedingly good as the brother Don in the piece of that name, as * Uncle Ben ’' in ‘Dearer Than Life,’ and ‘Captain Murphy Maguire’ in ‘ The Serious Family.’ There is something fresh and breezy about his acting that is very charming, and his laugh is so natural that it is scarcely possible to imagine he is not enjoying the fun as ranch as we a-e. Were I to endeavour to set forth Mr Toole’s perfections, when all the world has for years rung with his praises, ’twould be as useless as attempting ‘ To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a perfume on the violet, To smooth the ice, or add another hue Unto the rainbow, or with taper light To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish To wasteful and ridiculous excess.’ One of his most popular ‘bits’ is in the ‘ Steeplechase,’ when with an umbrella he represents the wheel of a steamer to the very life. Dickens was known as * the inimitable,’ certainly I think Mr Toole is worthy of the title also. Messrs Wilson and Lowne have a remarkably good appearance on the stage, being tall and well-built, and the former has a pleasant voice when he occasionally sings. Miss Vanbrugh lo.ka very pretty in some of her parts. ."She is tall, perhaps a thought too tall for the stage, and has pretty light brown hair and fair complexion. A most becoming dress she wears is composed of mauve material made with an accordion skirt, the sleeves being of the same. Over the bodice she wears a zouave jacket of violet velvet with deep cuffs of the same. Another dress is of mouse-coloured . velvet open at the throat ; the hat worn with this is a large flat one of grey lace straw encircled with a wreath of pink flowers. Miss Elsie Liston wears some becoming dresses, one of the handsomest being of black brocade made in the princess lobe style, slightly trained ; the front is of white silk i draped with black lace, and the side trimI ming 3 are of passementerie lined with white. In this costume Miss Liston looks what she is supposed to be, a ladylike, well-to-do widow. Another dre33 worn by her is of mauve cashmere with robe front of soft cream silk ; with this she wears a tiny violet bonnet. His Excellency has been several times to see Mr Toole perform ; sometimes he comes and takes a seat anywhere in the dress circle, thus obviating the necessity of announcing his intention days beforehand. During the interval he sometimes visits the veteran actor in the green room. At the different performances I have seen the Mayor and Mrs Johnston, the latter wearing a high black dress and large grey cloak with high velvet collar and steel ornaments ; Dr and Mrs Grace, Mr and Mrs Parfitt, the latter wearing a black dress with white silk front; the Misses Webb, one of whom wore a long cloak of terra-cotta brocade edged with fur ; Mr and Mrs Ferguson and Miss Moorhouse, the latter wearing a pale blue dress ; Mr Travers and Mrs Coleridge, Miss Barclay wearing a black evening dress ; Dr Martin, ! several officers of the Curagoa, and many others. On Friday evening the prizes won at the Amateur Athletic sports were presented by Mrs (l)r) Collins at the Masonic Hall. At the conclusion of the presentation three cheers were given for Mrs Collins, and then dancing began. There weie very few , married ladies present, Mrs Collins, Mrs . Werry, Mrs Barron, Mrs Bishop, and Mrs , Elliott being the only ones. Mrs Werry i chapeioned Miss Vanbrugh, who came at the i conclusion of the performance at the Opera l House. She wore a handsome white silk L trimmed with softer silk, and carried a lovely l bouquet of roses. Several officers of the E Curagoa were also present at the dance. I : noticed Miss Brandon wearing a black dress, ) Miss Gore a black and white dress with high , collar, Miss Elliott a figured yellow silk. 3 Miss Cooper a soft pink dress, Miss Fairchild - a pink dress, Misß Nancarrow a pale blue 3 silk ; the Misses George and Barron were , also present. • On the morning of the 10th of November r twenty-two years ago the horrible Poverty • Bay massacre was perpetrated by the Han r Haus. During the dead of night ‘ they came 1 down like a wolf on the fold,’ and by dayi light few of the settlers weie left alive. Amongst those who weie tomahawked was

the brave Major Biggs and all his family. The friendly Maoris performed many brave actions during the war, but perhaps the noblest was that of the old Native who steadily refused to tell the murderous Hau Haus the direction whiob had been taken by tha few whites who escaped the massaove. Upon his persisting in his refusal to speak the Han Haus tomahawked him, when his wife, with as mnoh bravery bat more wisdom showed them the opposite direction to that taken by the escapees, when the Han Haus galloped off, leaviug her with her murdered husband. On Monday a large picnic was held at which Mrs George Beetham was chaperone. Amongst the party were the Misses Izard, Grace, Williams, Buffer, Cooper, Willis, and the Messrs Cooper, Todd, Turnbull, and others. On this day the Military Sports were the principal attraction, an immense crowd of people being gathered upon the Hntt Racecourse. Ignotus.