WOMAN'S WORK & WAYS

NZ Truth, Issue 817, 9 July 1921, Page 2

WOMAN'S WORK & WAYS

[[ (By SALLIE). j -S3? I went to Mr. A. Warwick's entertainment last week. Remembering this production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," it was somewhat disappointing 1 . The play for children was certainly the best on the pro-, gramme. The characters were wellbalanced, and the whble effect artistic and romantic. The Irish fairy play of Yeats, "The Land of Heart's Desire," was largely marred by the lack of any noticeable Irish brogue in any of the characters. When a priest is in ..such evidence as Father Hart is in' this play, one does look for" the rich brogue that is rounded off into quite the tender musical resonance which training and education usually give. Claude Moss appeared unsuited to this part. His make-up was for. too youthful a person, giving one the feeling that he needed a larger acquaintance with Molloy's " Father O'Flyn " before he "could coax on many, if any, of his flock. In "The Bishop's Candlesticks," Bishop Miriel (Mr. Phipps Williams) and Jean Valjean (Mr. Warwick) were excellent. Persomme (the sister of the Bishop) seemed afraid to let 'iierself go. Marie, the Maid, was surely de-mure-and submissive enough even for those times, not at all stagey, and this scribe believes she could sustain a j more important part if called uponThe programme gave special mention of the music (under the direction of Mr. Li. A. Braund) in the following little request: "The audience are asked to keep strict silence during the entr'acte numbers as they are intended to assist in obtaining an atmosphere suitable to the works presented." It would be interesting to learn if Mr. Stanley Warwick was satisfied with the orchestra's efforts. The musical items certainly created an atmosphere, but not the one desired. If "Billy Elliott" had stepped on to the stage and asked us to listen to one of his "great secrets," all would have been in order, we were quite ready for him, after the commonplace jerky stuff that hact been dished up by the orchestra. Waltzes and rag-time,, played perhaps a little slower, will not pass muster for any and every kind of entertainment. ,

On Sunday night, at the Empress, Peter Fraser, m a. capable address on the Irish question doubtless disillusioned many listeners who were under the common error that the difficulty m dealing with the question was mainly a religious one. He gave a long list of non-Catholics who had spent their lives and made great sacrifices m the hope of freeing that, unfortunate country from British rule.

What interested this writer largely was the emphasis he placed on the fact that when the Protestant plot failed to put Lady Jane Grey on the British throne, and the secure enthronement of Mary was consummated, nothing'more was done under her for Ireland than was subsequently done under the Protestant Queen Elizabeth. Mr. Fraser quoted, among other authorities, Havelock Ellis as having said prior to the war that Ireland stood at [the top of the lftat among the nations of the world m its Immunity from crime.

Last week we had something to say about the crushlng-up process to which ushers at all our places of amusement subject habitues, with special reference to the Opera House, during the advent of any big show. "Sallie" is afraid that she over-shot the mark, and paid, a compliment, where none was intended. Of course, she knows that the usher who acts as she and a correspondent complained of, is merely, doing his duty. His business is to squeeze as many people as Is humanly possible into the circle. The higher the average of people he nightly squeezes into the circle, the better he does his wwormk — m the «yes of his employers. The latter naturally look to the box returns and direct the usher to put as many people Into the circle as is possible m accordance with public safety. That the usher does his work well "was evident to those who read "Sallies" par last week, and. if there Is no abatement m the bunch-ing-up business, she hopes the usher will get a rise m serew — he deserves it, for the way he does his work m the box-office interest.

s: :: :t When a woman was charged recently m a London Police Court with stealing glasses from a public-house it was stated that thousands of glasses were stolen every year from licensed premises m that particular neighborhood, and that last year the publichouse mentioned In ,the case had lost over 500 glasses, costing Is 4d each. In the same paper appeared an extract from the Comptroller and> Auditor - General's report to the effect that on the vacation of the Hotel Majestic, Pains, by the Peace Conference delegates' claims amounting to £25,000 were tabled by the proprietors m respect of damage to furniture, "loss of plate," linen, etc. From which it would appear that Kipling is right — "For the colonel's lady and Judy O'Grady are sisters under their skins."' .We m this little Dominion have no knowledge of the hotel manners of Peace Conference delegates and their friends, but local licence-holders have had bitter experience of the individual who not only empties a glass; but pockets it. The purloining: of spoons and cutlery also Is"a never-ending worry to restauranteurs. including the "swagger" ones; and then the, "taking" manners of our bon ton impressed us very much during the Prince's visit — especially those of Wanganui. Wonder if this habit of "looting" In the latter case had any connection with their calling their streak of silver from the hills, the New Zealand Rhine? Wonderful thing association, you knowl ■ t! II I! Womenfolk up Napier and Hastings way never care to venture out alone at nights these times. The terrible happening at Hastings when an old woman was done to death and foully outraged was enough to make the women of the district anxious, but when this was followed by- several cases of assaults on young women at Napier, the fear of venturing, out at night, except In the company of a reliable male escort, became more pronounced. • Two further outrages have been reported within the last few days, so that the fair folk of the district have been reduced almost to a state of terror. .' ■ ■ The more serious of these two recent happenings occurred* m Cameronroad. Napier, on Wednesday of last week, when a young woman was set' upon by a man and so brutally handled that she was knocked nil but unconscious. Her assailant left her lying m a semi-insensible condition by the roadside and here she was found some time later by three men ■' on their way home. She was too dazed to give a coherent account of what, happened-. That her assailant did not escape scot free was evident, however, from the several handfuls of his hair which he left on the roadside. Even m the girl's insensible hands were found tufts of her attacker's hair. About the same date another young woman was attacked m Napier and was brutally handled, half of her clothing being torn off- The police are having a busy time following up the various clues. One does not care to, indeed one deprecates all suggestion of returning these brutes' brutality m kind, but human nature can only sta_nd so much.. and then the break comes. Then some poor devil, probably not so cunning nor so culpable as some of these vile ' creatures the police have so far failed to track, will be made an example of by the incensed fathers, brothers and male friends of his victim.