NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1265, 28 May 1896, Page 18

NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

A fortnight ago I copied a paragraph from a Nelson paper in which it was insinuated that tho Faust Family had left Nelson without paying their advertising accounts. Mr J. St. Clair writes mo from Woodvillo to explain that the Fausts paid all accounts due, that the account rendered by the paper in which tho “par” appeared was not recognised, as no authorisation to insert tlio "ad.” had been given. Mr St. Clair further informs me that someone in Nelson sent a telegram to a New Plymouth paper concerning tho Fausts, and that as such telegram contained untruthful and libellous statements, he has issued a writ for libel against the journal in question.

1 am very glad to have this explanation from Mr St. Clair and to give it publicity. Personally I have always found tho Faust Family to honestly pay their way, and 1 know that so far as Mr St. Clair is concerned he acts towards the newspapers in a very straightforward style.

Tho Faust Family have been doing good business in the Hawke’s Bay district. 'Phis clever, compact little company, which always gives an entertaining, smart show, most laudably free from vulgarity, was duo at Dauevirke on Monday last, Queen’s Birthday, for a two nights’ season.

Talking about Mr St. Clair, that gentleman informs mo that ho has been engaged by cablegram to pilot the Royal Comic Opera Company through New Zealand. The tour commences at Dunedin on the 10th June.

It is now close on a quarter of a century since Mr Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan first joined forces.

Pollard’s Opera Company will play a live nights’ Bcason at Blenheim in Jilly, commencing on the 201,h. The same company is due at Wanganui for a four night’s season on tho (sth August.

Amy Vaughan's company commenced a Dunedin season laet week.

St. .John’s Burlesque Company were a] pearing at Inveicargill last week.

I am glad to hear that when the Royal Comic Opera Company visit New Zealand oneof t heir productions will be “In Town,”

the enormously successhil musical comedy played in Australia by tho last Gaiety Company.

According to London Singe, (.'liirguin tho “ White-Eyed Musical Katlir,” who h under engagement for an Australian .season is to receive ALUU a week !

Airs Brough sold programmes in tho audience on tho occasion of the benefit to poor Myra Kemble, and raised no less than £l2.

Wallace Brownlow had a good “divvy” at Adelaide races when tho Royal Comics were in tho “Holy City” recently. He speculated a fiver and got £t!s in return.

Despite the Peart tragedy, Fitzgerald Circus is doing big business in Sydney.

After the dissolution of partnership between Brough and Boucicault, the Brough Coinedy Company will play a Brisbane season, during which Miss Titherage,

daughter of the well-known actor, will make her stage debut.

My Christchurch correspondent writes as follows:—Tho Pollard Opera Company have done record business this week at the Theatre Royal, beating their opening week by many pounds. Miss Lily Everett, who made her reappearance here, after two years’absence, was successful as Girolot in “Tambour Major.” Miss May Beatty, who has rejoined the company, after a twelvemonths’ rest, appeared in her old part of Gianetta in “The Gondoliers.” On the first night she was taken ill, but managed to struggle through the part till the last act, when she had to give in, but sho was sufficiently recovered the next night, and is now quite herself again. On Saturday she appeared as Aunt Ophelia in “ Unelo Tom ” and made quite a hit, Old woman business is evidently her forte, lam afraid her voice training has not done her much good, as she is unable to reach notes now that seemed quite easy during her last appearance with the company. Treasurer O’Sullivan’s face is a perfect picture to look at outside the theatre each evening when those who happen to come late have to he refused admission, and he is trying to arrange with the proprietors to have the place enlarged for their return visit at November. The company leave by southern express on Friday morning for Dunedin, where they open on Saturday night. Master Percy has now quite recovered from his bicycle accident. —Our local amateurs are going to produce “ A Scrap of Paper ” at the Royal on June 4th and sth, in aid of St. Mary’s Home.—The Royal Burlesque and Gaiety Company are supposed to return hero for tho Queen s j Birthday, but up to the present nothing has been done tor the show. They are now appearing at Invercargill, where they finish on Thursday night.

The Rev Charles Clark’s new lecture, “St. Paul’s, the Dome of the Golden Cross,” was given in Melbourne under the patronage of Lord and Lady Brassay. The season promises to be a great success.

Says tho Bulletin: —“Louis Lolir, back from Maorilancl with the hypnotic bogey man, reports a generally improved state of show business in the two islands. Strange to say, neither genial Lohr, nor Edwin Geach, nor Joe Brown, seems to have suffered in health through looking after Kennedy’s unwholesome business. Their livers, lungs and consciences aro apparently all right. No signs of penitence about them.

Professionals of good standing say that the dramatic criticisms in the Synoy Daily Telegraph are tho most thoughtful, just ancl best written in Australia. They are tho work of Air Tapcroll, onco wellknown in Wellington as chief reporter of tho New Zealand Times.

A Melbourne man gravely assorts that

“after seeing that infernal play (‘Trilby’) a follow feels as if he were Svengali. You crawl catlike into your bedroom, tako off your clothes with claws, are surprised at your broad visage in tho mirror, and dread your tub more than over.”

Some straight talk from New York Sun : — “ Few men who write plays have any eloquence in oratory, and most of the men who write plays are entirely destitute of commanding presence. Henry Arthur Jones is a little man, with a red beard, who looks like a green-grocer. Arthur W. Pinero has tho appearance of a bad actor in a cheap company. Vietorien Sardou is a small, grotesque man, tho personification of aches, pains and dyspepsia, ’the author of ‘Trilby’ looks like a priest in a good parish. Henry Guy Carletou is a stocky, square-built fellow' who stutters. Augustus Thomas seems like a cross between a prizefighter and a stage villain. Sydney Rosenfiold is an eccentric-looking person who wears eye-glasses and never combs his hair. Clyde Fitch is a ‘ nancyiied ’ fellow', and Sir Augustus Harris is cocky and intolerable.”

Frank Thornton, whoso “Private Secretary,” “Dick Phenyl,” and “Charley’s Aunt,” were all such successes in tho colonies, is playing a leading character part in a now play, “Tho Sin of St. ilulda,” at London Shaftesbury.”

Dumpier, who seems to have .struck oil at last alter a long spell of bad luck, did well right through Victoria and New South Wales country towns and has now gone on to Queensland.

Mr W. S. Gilbert is now engaged upon a serious play, which will probably be offered to Mr Cyril .Maude and Miss Winifred Emery.

Both Irving and John Hare have del'

well in America recently. Ellen Terry was simply raved over by the Chicago

Mr Anthony Hope (Anthony Hawkins), the author of “ Phroso,” tho splendid romance now being published in the Mail, is to be married .shortly to .Miss Evelyn Alii lard, a beautiful actress who takes the leading part in “The Prisoner of Zenda,” a play founded on Air Hawkins’novel of that name and now being played with great

fn his always readable “ Cigarette Papers” Air Joseph Hatton gossips pleasantly about Alr Henry Howe, whose death, at tho age of 81, was recently reported to have occurred in America, whence he had gone as a member of Irving’s company. Howe treys Air Hatton) had two great qualities—lie was an admirable artist and an eminently modest mail. As a rule, actors are vain and self-conscious ; some of them, even in the exercise of their art, so self-conscious that they mar their work

upon tlic stage. To be modest is not necessarily to'depreciate your own skill, but it enables an artist to bo appreciative of another’s genius. Few actors are manysided, fewer know much of the literary history of their art, and fewer still cultivate a knowledge of the world outside their own imaginary one behind the tootligdits. Even Edwin Booth told me himself that ho could talk of hardly any subject besides the stage; but he was a great actor, a man of sweet and gontlo nature, and lie loved the society of his few friends better than all the social glories tho world was willing to provide hiui. “Lord So-aud-So,” he said to mo one day in London, “catno to lunch with mo ; ho asked me questions about America and its politics. 1 had to tell him that my life was made up of going backwards and forwards to the theatre, and 1 knew nothing of history or politics.” Poor Booth, however, 1 believe, eschewed both very much on account of the figure a certain mad brother of his had cut in history and politics. The tragedy at Washington was the one dark shadow on his life, and it never wholly lifted.

When Howe was in America for the first time, (continues Air Hatton), and with Irving, a chief whom lie level, I saw him frequently, and often chatted with him about his career, and somewhere among the wilderness of Cigarette Papin - proofs there is the story of bis early life. All I remember of it at the moment is tho romantic young Quaker lad obtaining an interview with Edmund Kean. Alodesty does not mean timidity, mind you ; it does mean that a man should not have the courage of his ambition. Howe was determined to be an actor. Ho felt the impulse of capacity in that direction, and lie sought out Edmund Kean. J hat wonderful genius received him, was evidently struck by the lad’s sober and serious bringing-up as contrasted with tho gipsy kind of life he was anxious to lead. He strongly advised Howe to think better of it; and Howe went away somewhat depressed for that purpose. He returned tho next day to keep tho appointment tho great actor had fixed for a final interview. But Howe had not thought better of it; and Kean, who was engaged socially or professionally at Richmond that day, invited tho young fellow to drive with him to Twickenham, where he entertained him right well. And so Howe became an actor. What ho did, where he was born, and what ho played you will have read in tho various obituaries. It; is a melancholy pleasure for one who knew him him well to add this personal testimony to his artistic abilities and his manly worth. He died in in his sleep at Cincinnati on Irving’s present tour; a peaceful death; and if death can he happy at any time, a happy one. r « Aliss Eloise Juno—not unknown in N.Z. in older days —has been touring Tasmania with “The Silver King.” “Trilby” was to be produced last Saturday at tho Sydney Lyceum. Tho death of the unfortunate diver Peart is fully described in the Sydney papers, of course. The sum and substance of tho story is very easily summarised. Hu was nervous, ho dived not more than 45 feet; ho fell a shade short, simply grazing his chest and abdomen, and breaking no bones; ho got up out of the water apparently only shaken a little, and he died very soon of the shock. Here is one of the accounts: — “ Testimony shows that oil this occasion he was exceedingly nervous. Ho got ou to his stand at tho top of tho tent polo. So far it was good. Then he hesitated. No one connected with the circus had seen him like this before, if it was nervousness, he quickly overcame it, and took his dive. "When lie fell ho just grazed the side of the tank. It was not enough to break any of his bones, or rupture any part of his body. There was just a long abrasion on his abdomen. The flesh was not j torn. The skin was not cut. But the shock j to the system must have been tremendous. AVhilo lie was in tho air tho unfortunate man must have known that ho would not strike direct on the water. His custom was to not dive into the tank in tho ordinary way. As ho reached tho tank ho gave a twist to his body, and struck tho water with his chest and stomach. ’1 his was t he reason why he so fearlessly made the leap in Tasmania, when there was only j I ft I 1 in of water in the tank. “After his fall, Heart rose ill the tank. Alany persons thought he had escaped. ! Air J. It. Fitz Gerald, who was sitting near, j thought that he had had a narrow escape, hut teat he was physically unhurt. As! I’eait was leaving the tent a lady in one j of the seats clapped her hands. Peart j bowed slightly in acknowledgment, On reaching his retiring-room, one >f the Alessrs Fitz Gerald said, ' I’ll telephone tor an ambulance,’ Peart answend, ‘ No, no; I won't have an ambulance.’” j jAVe publish elsewhere a .-lightly dif- j ferellt account. I’G• two togelin i DL.lrej interesting reading. Did the circus stop to bury the poor | chap' No, but the eiivu : flags wen- half- | mast, and the performers all wine black. Let us respect, the sympathetic, nature of the circus folk. After that lot us read his career with actually leaped 2-7 leet lor a dive. Here it is:— “ Peart was an Englishman. He was born just outside of London, and was 26 years of age. For some time lie served on a man-of-war. His initial public appearance was made about 1 -SSI J at Birmingham, where he challenged all-comers to a (living match. This he won. ills first leap was 45ft. The late Colonel North, who was a man of keen sporting instincts, took him under his patronage. Tho next leap outdistanced the other by 25ft. Flushed with

J success, Peart proceeded to Paris, downed • four Frenchmen who were pitted in turn j against him, and annexed the championi ship of France. His best dive was 90ft. i Leaving Paris, lie went to Russia, and j before tho Czar and tho Czarina, at Odessa, i ho made a dive of 125 ft., eclipsing all his ! previous records. Tho Czar recognised his i brilliant feat by presenting him with a gold ! medal.

“Thenceforward Peart’s career was a succ n ssion of triumphs, each greater than the other. He defeated the champion of Austria, went off to Morocco, exhibited in the Sultan’s palace grounds, returned to London, did a dive of 135 ft., and travelled once more to Paris. Afterwards ho steamed to South America, and exhibited in several cities there; drifted to South Africa, knocked off the records from the champion of Johannesburg, and got as far as Antwerp, only to crush all his competitors in Holland. Ilis next notable feat was a dive of 187 ft that ho made from tho Tyne bridge. “ January of last year ho surpassed all his performances by successfully accomplishing a venture that brought about tho death of Ben Fuller a few months before. He leapt from the Tower Bridge, London, into ihe Thames, a distance of 227 ft. In Alclbourne he dived 135 ft. This was tho most remarkable effort in Australia.

“Singularly enough for a man who indulged in sensational work of this kind, work above all requiring the koonest sight, Peart was a one-eyed man. lie lost tho sight of the other many years ago, probably when he was a man-of-war’s man in the British Navy.”

Air Anthony liopo (Hawkins), the wcllknown English author, has made a matrimonial engagement ivitli Evelyn Millard, an English actress, who is playing Princess Flavia in Hope’s drama “ Tho Prisoner of Zenda,” at St. James’ Theatre, London.

Air 11. Lingard, an English actor, tho husband of Alice Lingard, died at his residence, Chcrtsov, on April 18th. 110 was known in Australia and America.