NORTHERN FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2242, 18 February 1897, Page 39

NORTHERN FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

By Sve.sgau.

Auckland, Februarys. Dear Pasquin,— The Dauoll Dramatic Company conrludtd their season at the Opera House on ;-a.tm<Jny' night before a tairly luge audieiu'c. "Trilby" was staged, and a sm-i-ei. j fiu rppiesrntation was given, with G»-o r (Ce Uartvll as hveugali, Mr Jt.hiioton WeirusT.iity, and Miss Ada Langttm iv Hie naiiie part. Mr J. F. MacMahon has been doing fair biz throughout the week with hia cineiiiutograpbe'iit the City H^ll The season terminates on Saturday night He goes on to Corotuandol this w«elf. Tlie popu ar musical comeily " My Sweetheart" will be produced atthe Onehun^a Hall ou the ]2(h inst. by the SwettJieart Corumly Company, under the management of Mr P. 11 Dix. The Auckland Amateur Opera Club, in coniunotio y i with M. Ovi<(o Mnsiu's (iuiniiauy, jnti ml producing the eaulat.i "Hiuernoa" at an earij Uatp. Mr Fieri Vance' i> Coniedy Company opens at tho Opera House to-mght in tbe eoniedv-clraina " Hans the Boatman," assisted by a fairly stiong company. Messrs Sutherland and Mathews, the wcilknonn wrestlers, have bt-en givihg exhibitions or' wrestling (assisted by the (Joiinor Bros., ucrubaH, Ac.) around the Thames (.liitrieU. Dining bis holulays, Her Edward Fcbarf, of tho Musin Company, annonnres hia willinguedS to accept a limited number of piano pupil*. Mr H. Kountree lias composed a new piece of music entitled "The Auckland KxMbition Barn Danee 1 ," and arranged by iMidtj Claire Delmav (Mrs Gerald Shaw) Tho composition is .said to be a bright and tuneful one. Mr Grntran Itigfis goes io the Hot Lakes for a couj)le of weeks. Albert Lucas, supported by local talent aud pupils, opens at the Opera House on Thimr'ay next; for a short season of three nights. Hettie Howard (late of Dunedin) will be in the cast. "Hamlet" has been chosen for the opening piece, with a change evory evening. Mr and Madame (Vlusin spend a sho.t holiday iv the Hot Lakes district. ,*ji "Tiilby" at the Opera House on Saturday night was tendered as a benefit to S*.r George Uarrell. C*rl ileviz will open his New Zealand tour in Auckland. A 'niatographe and a btrong company are additional attractions. The Auckland Amateur Opora Club held a pleasant picuic recently at Lake Takapuna. George 1 ignold, who opois in Auckland mxt luonth, will play "Henry V," "Gulled Bhck,' "Toimny Atkius," and " C'he^r, Boys, Cheer."

The Pollards appear to be doing good biz at Calcutta. Poverty Point is strongly represented in Auckland at present. Tbe composer of "Hinemoa" (Mr Alf. Hiil) is an old Auckland boy.

of the General Election in New Zealand," and the Rev. F. W. Isifc 4 -, who dealt with the same subject from a prohibitionist's standpoint;. The book of the me nth is Ruyartl Kipling* " Seven Seas." Taking it all through the number is quite up to the standard, while in get-up and general uppearacce it has been immensely improved. The February mirabsr of tbe Austral Ligh'-, tho Australian Catholic magazine, contains, in additiou to articles of interest only to Catholici, a continuation of " The Coke County and Hot* ib Wer.t," an extract from which appears in thin week's Editor's Wallet ; the fust of a, ?ezios of ar'icle.3 entitled "Ensfcivar.l nnd Westward Ho,'' bdng narrativei of early maritime advectures in Australian waters, with reproductions of some of the quaint portraits «nd pictures of the sixteenth coutury ; book noticeß, poemp, &c. The magazine is creditably got up, and wo trust ib will have a successful career. " The New Heresy," by George Bailey. Tho doctrine of prohibition is " the New Heresy " against which the writer of this littlo paiuphleh directs his argument 1 ?. Not content; wi'.b ovuryday argumtn^ gathered from tbfs prni'tioftl experieutes of roodc-rn life, the author iia* hecu faring enough to raid the armoury of rbo prohibitiooista themselvef, »nd confronts «ln>m wi'h nearly 300 quoiationa from the Holy Bible in connection therewith. In his preface iVIr Bailey points oul thut " tho gain in moral t\bvß by voluntary pocepnal Abdtinonce is even than th« ai'-va'itftge of Doing removoti from liability to fail into excess " He aho (<i7.»iders it, «omewhf.t. unmka.ble that, though {.very other aspect of the prohibition question has Ixeu UitVihcd out, very little altmipfc has been made, to discover the real trend of Biblical reaching on such a vital point. AVith modest diffidence he proceeds than to lay before ua th« i<.»ult of following Cbci3t's suggentiou to tho K"?«er, '"Wlm*. is wriitstt in the l*w ? Ho\r rendett thou ?" A very rortdftbla pa^e oc two of introduction brings no to tho gist of thw m;*t*er, »nd »re embark ou i.he seritH of Biblical quotations, intelligently and in many CR«cn very,, luterohtuigly annotated, v7hich forma tt,e lino ot Krgunjeitt. From tho tirsb chapter of Genesis to tho Irs« of Hcbrowb w« are supplied with references, iojuaotionK, and command* as to the use and abuse of wij.c, aud -we feel bound to nbstrve tbM Me BaiUy niakos out a capital ca3(j I'ol- the moderate use vf alcoholic beverages". i*'or oui-selvea *c confess to a certain a?wount 0* pleasure in eeeiug tho prohibit.ionisfc party fought with their own weapons, nor could we restrain an appreciative smile when we reached the ingenuous summing uj> of the concluding chapter, fcjpacti forbidß our quo Mag Mr Bailey* patting dedActious aud wuroings, buc we commetifl them to all those interesred iv a subject which will be a political and moral war ory in the future as it has been iv the pasc.