A COMPLIMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 229, 16 January 1877, Page 2

A COMPLIMENT.

The Castlemaine Representative relates the following incident in connection with Mrs. Scott-Siddons' final performance in Melbourne 1 " When Mrs. Scott-Sid-dons left the theatre by the back entrance in Little Bourke-sireet —a most unsavory neighborhood by tiie way—there were crowds of the gallery boys waiting there to bid her farewell. They swarmed : but they were quiet. There was no rude jest. 110 loud laughter, no coarseness, 110 jostling, only steady waning to say 'goodbye.' Then the lady, in her modest pro-menade-dress, came out to get into the unpretentious waggonneite. The boys then crowded up a bit to look at ii.tr. With her good nature and kindliness she shook hands with a few oi the nearest —I saw one boy kiss liis own hand after it—and just as the cub was going away a small fellow said, ' give me a flower, please.' The cab was stopped, and the bouquets thrown by the dress-circle were divided as far as they would go among the throng. ISTot one asked for a penny, but all asked for a bud or bl->ssoni, and when thev were all distributed, and the vehicle was going oil', a tiny shrill voice gave tiie word, and three cheers for Mrs. Siddons

wore given with immense heartiness —11 not with accurate time —and many of them ran after the cab, calling ' Goodbve 'as far as the Town-h;dl. This was an evidence of genuine feeling, regard, and appreciation, and, be it remembered, was obtained, not by any appeal to the lower tastes, but to the higher of the class of persons who are popularly supposed to care only for ' breakdowns ' and a liberal display of legs."