Our Wellington Letter.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 978, 28 November 1890, Page 4

Our Wellington Letter.

(from our own correspondent ) November, 24th.

To the end of their season the Toole. Company remained as popular as at first, and seldom was there a seat to be ohtain&d by late arrivals. Mr Toole’s performance of Caleb Plummer in ‘ Dot ’ was undoubtedly one of his cleverest pieces of aoting, but, unfortunately, the more true to nature the acting the more pathetic it became, until ladies in all parts of the house were furtively wiping their eyes, while the gentlemen were suddenly attacked with severe colds in their heads. But iu an instant the scene would chaDge, and the whole audience would be convulsed with laughter at the absurdities of Tilly, who was personated by Miss Eliza Johnston. ‘ The Weavers,’ which followed * Dot,' was very amusing, Mr Toole and Mr Billington—the latter 1 like immensely—being the principal characters. Mr Toolo’s costume in this was intensely absurd, and when he tells that his shirt front is only a * dicky ’ pinned iu you can imagine the laughter that followed. Mr Billington’s acting in this was worthy of a better piece. Miss Van. brugh wore a pretty soft white evening dress with bibd bodice. Her part was very small, but she acted it very gracefully. ‘.Paul Pry’ was the play to which most people had been looking forward, couse. quently the house was filled to overflowing. From the moment Mr Toole appeared till the end of the piece there was scarcely a moment’s cessation to the laughter. When I have seen the play before Paul Pry has been dressed as a gentleman with silk stockings, buckled shoes, frilled shirt, and so on, bat Mr Toole appeared dressed more as a villager with hideous straw hat tied with green ribbons, and other exaggerated articles of dress, so that his appearance alone was mirth provoking. I think most of us'are acquainted with people who ' were just passing, so they thought they’d drop in,’ consequently this remark prefaced by * I hope X don’t intrade,’ never f»iled to take. The After piece, * The Birthplace of Podgerß,’ was equally funny. Mr Toole had completely sacrificed himself to his' part, and a more realistic, uoßhaven, horny, handed son of toil could scaroe be imagined. In this Miss Vanbrugh wore a very becoming dress of moss green with Zouave jacket edged with embroidery and lemon-coloured silk sash at the sides. Her hat was a felt one of the Spanish toreador shape, in fact her whole dress bore a faint resemblance to the style of dros3 worn by that class. Mr Toole made an amusing speech in which he referred to the kindness which he had received from the Wellington people to whom he should much regret to say farewell. If any of them were to go to London and visit his theatre, they would receive a most hearty welcome if they sent in their card with Wellington upon it. At the conclusion of his speech Lord Onslow sent down a most gigantic basket of flowers with long streamers of royal blue ribbon depending from it. During the season the Governor has been a very frequent attendant, usually occupying the seats nearest the stage. On various nights I noticed the following ladies and gentlemen enjoying the acting of the veteran notor ; —Mrs Russell, in a handsome Indianlooking opera cloak, Dr and Mrs Grace, the latter in an art blue silk with handsome brocade trimming, the Misses Grace, Dr and Mrs Macgregor, Mr Levin, Mr and Mrs George Beetham, the latter in a crimson dress and cloak, Captain Baldwin, Mr and Mrs Rawson, the latter in pale blue with handsome dark blue plush opera cloak, the Misses Webb in black toilettes, Mr and Mrs Duncan, the latter wearing a crimson plush cloak, Dr and Mrs Collins, the lady in a delicately tiated wrap edged with white fur. Mr Travers gave an afternoon tea at wbioh many of the Toole oompany were and at an afternoon tea at Mrs Worry's Miss Vanbrugh recited. The general opinion at the end of the season was, that the pieces were not worthy of the actors. At Wanganui the company was again f6ted, and Mr Krull took them for a picnic up the river and drives about the pretty little town. Madame Burton was very unfortunate in following so close upon the heels of Mr Toole ; for had she come at any other time I am convinced there would scarcely have been standing room, whereas there were frequently too many empty seats. The company was a perfect constellation of stars, two of them, Madame Burton and Monsieur Poussard, being of dazzling brilliancy, Madame Burton’s voice was the richest and most cultivated contralto that has ever been heard here, whilst M. Ponssard’s violin playing was simply phenomenal ; the audience completely lost their heads at the conclusion of his pieces. Madame Burton further accentuated the charm of her singing by choosing songs which appealed to the popular fancy, snoh as ‘The lost ohord,’ ‘ Alas 1 those chimes,’ ‘Three fishers,’ ‘The banks of Allan Water,’ ‘ Darby and Joan,’ ‘ The summer shower in the North Countra,’ ‘Twickenham Ferry.’ The simple ones were usually sung as encores. Miss Col-bourne-Baber’s singing was also very enjoyable, as well as highly cultivated. ‘The old and the young Marie,’ ‘Orpheus with his lute,’ and ‘ When the heart is young,’ were amongst her Bongs. Mr Stockwell sang well as nsnal, but he strains his voice too much to make his singing as enjoyable as it might be. A few pianissimo passages in the tender voice which he nan assume would give his songs the necessary light and shade, which they lack when sung fortissimo from beginning to end. Mr Bradley, whose pianoforte playing was much admired here when he came with Mr Santley, has lost none of his popularity. Altogether the company is far superior to anything we havehad foryears, and again and again people are heard to remark ‘I would Dot have missed those concerts for anything. It was a musioal feast.’ Madame Burton wears some very handsome dresses. One of them is a cream satin, with magnificently embroidered front; another is a pale pink silk, veiled with spangled net, low bodice and &horfc sleeves* Miss Colbourne* Baber wears a pretty long trimmed robe of pale yellow, also with low bodice and short sleeves.

The Germane hare at latt arrived, and

have been greeted by balls and 'great gnna,' and many are the people who have * speered ’ after them, bat all this has been in quite other than an offensive or defensive sense. For the first day or two the air continually resounded with the booming of guns, as the Governor or some of the consuls visited the Admiral on the Leipzig. The other vessels are the ‘Sophie’ and the ‘Alexandrine.’ Close beside them lay H.M.S. Curagoa. It is strange to think that these warships are respectively under the rule of a grandmother and her grandson/ The English vessel has certainly the advantage in appearance, her black paint making the dull greeny white of the German’s look very washed out. I daresay though that in the time of warfare the German colonr would be an advantage, for its dull misty colour would soon be lost in the sea vapour. The streets are teeming with German sailors, most of them puffing large cigars, but all of them as sober as judges. lam afraid this caunot always be said of onr Jacks when ashore. On Thursday the Governor gave a picnic yt Pigeon Bush, at which were present Admiral Valois and many officers of the squadron, besides the officers of the Cnragoa. The train left town about 10 o’clock, and arrived at Mr Tringham’s residence, which had been placed at the disposal of the Governor, at about half-past 12. An excellent lunch was prepared, and very shortly after the train returned to town. Amongst the ladies present were Mrs Grace, Mrs and Miss Bussell, Miss M. Grace, Mrs Thompson, Mrs Mantell, Mrs Kohn, Mrs Williams, Miss E. Williams, Mrs Fahrenbacb, the Misses Cooper, Mrs Gillon, Mrs Menteath, the Misses Webb, and others. The Mayor, and Mr Krnll, German Consul, were also present. On the evening of the Bame day the Mayor’s ball was held at the residence of Mr W. Johnston. The room presented a most brilliant appearance, such a large majority of the gentlemen being in uniform. One or two extras were played before the arrival of the Governor, at whose entrance ' God save the Queen’ was played, and a set immedi ately formed, in which were the Governor, the Mayor, Mrs C. Johnston, the Admiral, the different Consuls, Messrs Krull, Castendyk, Pearce, and Monsieur de Loatalot, Madame de Lostalot, and Mesdames Bussell and Castendyk. The Governor during the evening danced with Mrs Johnston, Madame de Lostalot, and Mrs Bnssell. The piano back was draped with a union jack, whilst over the dais other flags were hung. The verandah was closed in and illuminated by large Chinese lanterns, and another space eaolosed was carpeted and easy ohairs arranged about it, bo there was always plenty of sitting room. The supper was a most excellent one, as was the entire ball. Mrs Johnston wore a soft black trained dress, with brocaded sash of pale yellow ; Mrs Bussell was also in black, with panel of orange veiled with black ; Madame de Lostalot was in pink, oovered with spotted muslin ; Mrs Castendyk was in pale blue, brocaded with delicate pink sprays, Zouave fronts opening over soft gauze waistcoast ; Mrs Grace wore a magnificent dress of pale grey brocade, with panel of satin worked with beads in the most delioa.e tints of pink, blue, and green, the bodice was trimmed with lace, and the sleeves were of the same, a diamond necklet and pendant and other ornaments of the same stones were worn with this dress ; Mrs Buckley was in a most becoming toilette of pale pink, trimmed with crystal net; Mrs E. Riddiford wore a pretty green net, with bodice of a darker shade ; Mrs Menteath was in striped white satin with green front, veiled with pearl lace ; Miss Bussell in brown net, with yellow laoarnnm trimming ; Mrs Newman in in a pretty mauve net; Mrs T. C. Williams in grey satin; Mrs Napier Bell in a handsome long-trained dress of mauve brocade ; Mrs Fergusson, from Ducedin, in long trained dress of_ white striped satin, with soft net front trimmed with Lilies of the Valley j Mrs W. Moorhouse in mauve satin, with trimmings of gauze ; Miss M. Grace in . white net, with wreaths of mauve clematis; Misa C. Webb in a black dres3 with low bodice ; Miss Izard in white net, with the front flecked with snowdrops ; Miss Brandon in pale pink, with trimmings of daisies ; Mrs Gale in crimson net, and Miss Duthie in white net. At about two o’clock a most enjoyable ball was brought to a con. elusion.

The following morning and Saturday a number of people weDt to the races, amongst them Ur and Mrs Newman, Mis Levin, Mrs Collins, and Mrs Bennett. The Admiral and a number of German officers also went. On Saturday afternoon the Mayoress held a most delightful reception at her own house, where a band played upon the lawn. Mrs Johnston received in bonnet and gloves, and afterwards passed on to the lawn, where a very pleasant afternoon was spent, a very large number of people being present. Ignotus.