HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1363, 14 April 1898, Page 11

HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE.

[By On Dit.] Had I but plenty of money, money enough and to spare, The house for n e, no doubt, were a house in a city-f quare; Oh ! such a life, euch a life, as one It ads at the window there ! Something to see, by Bacchus, something to hear at least Thers the whole daylong, one's life in a perfect feast. —Browning. The sacred concert on Good Friday night was a success, both as regards music and attendance, though the Cinematogiaph was not altogether what could be desired. At any time it is trying to the eyes to look for long at these views, but on Friday night it was particularly so, owing to the vibration and the smallness of the pictures. The movement of the figures is—in all Cinematograph views—curiously jerky and quick, and took away considerably from the dignity of the scenes, but there is little doubt that many of them were much appreciated by the audience, who seemed to be impressed by the terrible realism of the representations of the Passion Play. T heard behind me stifled exclamations as some of the terrible scenes were thrown on the screen. What must it be to witness the acting of it at Ober-Ammergau! The Opera House was almost full, and among theaudiencel noticed that there were many old people who seldom, if ever, go to the theatre or to any entertainmen. Two old white-haired ladies in the stalls sat seemingly enthralled during the concert.

Miss Annie Perry, an Australian visitor to Wellington, sang with much sympathy and sweetness. She is graceful and slender, with golden-brown hair, and she knew how to bow, a rare accomplishment, when she was re-called.' Her gown was black brocaded silk with a wnite satin bodice, cut square, the Joosh front being striped with black velvet. In her hair and on one shoulder she wore crimson flowers. Miss Prouse, who played exquisitely, wore a frock of black velvet with white lace about the low bodice and sleeves, and Miss Gage had a white muslin, so we were thankful for the cheering little bit of scarlet that Mis 3 Perry had brightened her gown with. The more so, too, because a more gloomy audience in point of clothes could not be imagined. Here and there from the general black or drab, a bright hat or a summer blouse stood out in bold relief. Otherwise, it was extraordinary how many persons were in the darkest of garments.

Mr Prouse sang "Nazareth" magnificently, and the finale, aided by the grand piano and organ accompaniments was exceeding fine. Mr Hill's appearance was the cause of the sudden cheering-up of the audience, with whom he is evidently a favourite, and who greeted him with familiar cordiality.

The streets on Saturday morning were thronged with visitors. They could bo

distinguished from the habitues by the things they carried, the debUltory way they sauntered about, and the interest they seemed to take in the public buildings. Many of them went in families, father, mother, and a varying number of children, and, as a rule, though the day was warm and bright, they carried overcoats and waterproofs, evidently prepared for the worst the Clerk of the Weather could send them. They alsq had paper bags of buns and large parcels, the thrifty housewife combining pleasure with business while in Wellington.

Wardell's magic mirrors on either side of his shop gathered a* small crowd. In one you look like an immensely fat dwarf, with a smile about half-a-yard broad, while in the other you elongate to an attentuated giant. Fathers were lifting up little laughing toddlers to see their rosy faces transformed, and tall youths were pushing giggling girls in front of the mirrors. They were an infinite source of amusement to the visitors.

The service at the Roman Catholic Cathedral on Easter Sunday was exceedingly impressive. The building itself is not handsome, but much had been done by by willing hands, and scarlet and white drapery lined the chancel and was twisted round the pulpit. " G-reat palm branches screened the windows, and decorated the pillars, which were also wreathed appropriately with passion-flower. The embroidered gold vestments of the priests, and the crimson-purple robes of the Archbishop contrasted finely with the simple lace-edged stole over the violet cassock that was worn by the boys. The processional entrance and the change of vestments were most imposing. The latter was performed amid the silence of the whole church, the choir bursting into a joyous anthem after the ceremony. The music was very fine, and the solos were rendered with much sympathetic expression.

It teemed natural, after reading the news of the glorious victory in the Soudan over our breakfast ham and eggs, to go off to see our Volunteers. We all felt enthusiastic that morning, and the veriest private had a glamour about him cast by his far-off comrades' bravery. But we were doomed to disappointment. Many corps passed us leaving the camp without much regret, to judge from their radiant faces. They tramped or trotted by us, singing snatches of songs, and we heard spasmodic stanzas of "So say all of us" and "There's one more river" emerging from mouths encumbered with grateful pipes. Our driver, who likewise had a musical i-ose lo the occasion and favoured the passing soldiery with a selection from "Off to Philadelphy in the Mornin'."

We came upon an Assyrian picnic beside the roadside; some of the women had their dark faces framed in silk handkerchiefs, and the little children wore decked in an oriental wealth of colour. We drove along the shore of the harbour until we came to a place slightly lower than the hills around. Up this was a precipitous path, and to gain it you had to wriggle through a wire fence at the bottom. "Climb up there," said the driver, "and you're above the camp," and with varying expressions, vocal and facial, we scramble up, hurrying outsteps as we heard i> fns'llade somewhere V.'fcjund.

A little pull up a grassy brae, where the tops of hats and parasols showed that from there something of the sanguinary contest below could be seen, and then the camp lay below us. But so many had left that it was a disappointing sight. The white conical tents with their piles of yellow fodder were clustered together. Near them were the larger concert tent and the mess tents. In the open, "Volunteers, in obedience to a bugle-call or a hoarse order, were charging an invisible enemy, and discharging much blank cartridge, which from where we were sounded like popguns. Close to the battle and the charging' soldiery were the spectators; in fact, there seemed as many onlookers as volunteers. We strolled through the tents, admired the fine stalwart horses, noted the substantial portions of beef and " spuds " the men were carrying away in their big tin basins, listened to the strains of the Washington •Post wafted from the concert tent, and climbed up the hill again. It was an exquisite day. The blue sky, with an occasional &eecy cloud that bufc accentuated

its blueness, bent down to the curving hills. Throttgh the gap by the golf-links the ocean lay still and sparkling, and the soft, sweet, hay-scented air seemed to impress upon us how delightful Wellington could be when it chose.

A great concourse of people attended the j Druids' sports that same day. The hill and grandstand were a mosaic of faces, surmounted by more or less bright hats* with an occasional scarlet or green parasol. It depends to a certain degree upon your personal knowledge of the competitors whether you take a deep interest in sportsAs a rule, to me, an outsider, they have a deadly sameness, save when there shines out a delicious gleam of humour —generally unconscious. Perhaps the sack race was the most amusing of all. The knowing ones choso their sacks most carefully, and took little preliminary trots up and down the grass. Some leapt like kangaroos, others tried the Japanese mode of progression, while others again attempted a combination movement. They were blind-folded and started. A good many fell over, but picked themselves up with difficulty and went on. One man we noticed had gone off the straight, and was heading for the fence, far away from the tape* Spurred on to renewed efforts by the encouraging whispers of a man who ran alongside, he jumped on and on, over the cycling track, amid the yells of the crowd, long after the winner had touched the tape. At last he was stopped by the fence. He certainly took the joke with great goodhumour, though he was seen afterwards looking energetically everywhere for his falsa Mentor.

The Ladies' Cycling Race had only two entries. Very brave the girls w ere to face such a crowd. The end of the race was an extraordinary one. _ The girl ahead—- " Heliotrope" the crowd yelled at her, because of her blouse —thinking she had passed the winning-line, got off her bicycle, and was preparing to rest after her labours. Iu the meantime the one in pink who was far behind, came creeping up. The excitement was great. The first girl made an unsuccessful effort to get on her machine, and gave her rival renewed hope. At last she got on and covered the two yards or so she had not ridden over, just in time, for the girl in pink was close behind and came in, after all, a good second.

"The Strange Adventures of Miss Brown" is funny, very funny, but not so funny as "The Private Secretary." Echoes of the Rev Robert Spaulding are continually occurring in this play, which throughout is acted with any amount of verve and gaiety. The German music-master is a delightful piece of grotesque acting, and Major O'Gallagher capital in his comic pathos. The large audience came to laugh and laugh it did, heartily, one man behind me with such vigour that I feel, snre he must have injured himself internally. The heroine looked most charming in her first frock of white spotted muslin trimmed with lace ruffles, and waistband of white satin. A dainty hat, something like the old-fashioned Polly Varden, with tall white feathers and white roses, was tied down over her ears with satin strings. She is slim, and little, and dark-haired, and made a most piquant married school-girl. Her oth9r frocks were both green, one patterned with a darker tint and trimmed with pink silk sash and ruffles, the other pale-green, with a tiny bolero and belt of black net. With this she wore a wide, crinkly-rimmed hat of pink and black. Miss Romney's costume was most wonderful, and her caps and bonnet terrifying in the extreme, so grim and uncompromising were they. For those who want the tonic of a hearty laugh I prescribe one dose—taken before bedtime —of "Miss Brown."

The latest fad in entertaining is "morn-

ing tea/' Ido not mean the simple eleven o'clock cup y which many take, and which, though loud in its denunciation, the lord! and master is ever ready to participate in . Some men are so brazen-faced as toask for it. But nowadays people are entertaining their friends in the morning, and sending oufe invitations to somewhat the same dainty repast as afternoon tea. This is another custom that is likely to be taken advantage of only by people of leisure, for it is apt to waste the golden hours of the morning, that time which the thrifty housewife calculates upon to mend and make and do the thousand and one little things that need a mistress's eye and fingers.

There was a pretty wedding in Christchurch last week, when Miss Mabel Radcliffe was married to Mr Locke Partridge (of Sargood, Son and Ewen, Wellington). The bride wore white pearl-embroidered silk with a chiffon-covered bodice, and carried exquisite flowers. The bridesmaids were gowned in white muslin over green silk, and wore white felt hats with green.

This winter the Wellington lady golfers are to play an American tournament atMiramar. Each player meets every other player, and the one who wins most matches wins the competition, Some of the matches have already been played. A gold and pearl brooch, presented by Mr E. Pearce, is now being oompeted for by the lady golfers.

Miss Marchant, of Wellington,; has left for a visit to Christchurch, .Dunedin and Lake Wakatipu. Mrs and the two Miss Edwards are on their way Home, via San • Francisco, for a six-months' visit.