(Specially Written for the Otago Witness.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2258, 10 June 1897, Page 39

(Specially Written for the Otago Witness.)

Dear Pasquin.— Miss Maud Digby, one of the third scries of Players of the Present Period," now playing a stock engagement in the English province*, and who made her first appearance in public when a mere child in Australia as accompanist to a concert party, is a native of Jersey, and has as sponsors no less than Victor Hugo and Georges Sand. Concluding her engagement with the concert company. Miss Digby joined a burlesque and opera-bouffe combination, with which she remained six months, playing principal boys and singing such parts as Serpolette in " Las Cloches de Corneville," Mademoiselle Lange in "La Fille de Madame Angot," ths Plaintiff in "Trial by Jury," and in " Box and Cox " In 1879 Miss Digby, under George Coppin's management, supported on various occasions Mr George Rignold, Mr Wybert Reeve, and others, appearing in "Henry V," "Tho Woman in White," and "No Name. 1 ' In an interview with a representative of London Era, Miss Digby tell* that during a long tour of Maoriland, with George Riguold and William Creswick, she played auch parts as Helen in "The Hunchback/ Hecate, Lady Alworthy, Hero, Celia, and Lady Teazle. She supported Mr George Darrell during a short season of melodrama, played Lady Maggie in " Pink Dominoes," and Horteuse in " Jo," with Hisa Jennie Lee. Rejoining Geoige Rignold, Miss Digby played ffivo in "Youth," Hetty Preene in " The Lights o' London," Lura Lee in " The Romany Rye, Lady Olancarty and Susan in " Black Ey'd Susan"; joining Signora Majeroni, she played " seconds " in "Marie Antoinette," "Marie Stuart," and other plays, also the Countess O1r» in " Fedora." Her next experience was in farcical comedy, playing Mrs Featherstone iv "Snowball"; also appearing in "Oonfu3ion" and in 'Fourteen Days." She played tho name part in Young Mrs Winthrop," Goraldino in "The Green Bushes," and also played Romeo to the Juliet of Miss Jefferies Lewis. Miss Dieby's flrßt appearanco in England was in 1886, with. Marie de Gray (who was through Maoriland in 1885). She succueded Miss Rose Leclerc<i in the heAvy part in " Jane Shore," also appoarinc in "Lord Mai-pie's Daughter." Subsequent engagements were with Jennie Lee and the Hasbury-M;itthew» Shakespearetm Company. Miss Digby took up Misa Eaatlalw's part in "Good Old Times," on tour. During four consecutive engagements in Glasgow and Edinburgh she played such parts as LadyIsabel in "East Lynne," Anne Chute in "The Colleen Bawis," Oiairo Ffolliot in " The Shaughraun." Esther Eccles in " Caste," Diana Vernou in "Rob Roy," Miami, and others. In a mominß performance of Saintsbui-y's one-ant piece "Betrayed by a Ttips," produced at tho Opera Comique on May 5, 1891, she supported Mias Loie Fuller, and in a performance of "White Roses" at the Parkhurst on December 14 of tho same year she once more supported Mr Saintubury. When Mi- H. 0. Arnold took over "A Million of Money" Misa Digby was the Mary Maytborne, a part she played for threo tours In the auUimn of 1894 she again joined Mr Frank Harvey for a piovincial tour with "Shall Wo Forgive Her?" and when this play was reproduced at London Adelphi Miss Digby played the part entrusted to Misa Julia Neileon. In " The City of Pleasure," produced at the Prince of Wales's Theatre, Birmingham, April 22, 1895, Miss Digby played Zelie. She was at latest fulfilling a stock engagement at the Princess, Glasgow. Little Olive D'Elroy, of the clever team D'Klroy and Lynne, is to be married next week to Harry Shine. Miss D'Elroy (perhaps better known by her correct name, Lydia Breakwell) was first through Maoriland with M'Lean's Young Australians in 1892, \yhen she played :— Zobeide in... " Selim and Zuloika " Grace Selwyn ... n ... "The Three Hats" Mabel h Not Guilty" The TiUnstrel "Patchwork" Julitt » ... Romeo and Juliet. 1 Other members of M'Lean's company at that time were :— Miss Vi Murray (" Babs >f ), who played the principal boy Selim in the burlesque, Mons De la Tour in "The Three Hats," and Mercitti". in "Romeo and Juliet"; Miss Bella Adair, who played Romeo ; Ethel Waller, who did doubles with Miss Bri-akwell (the team was then known as Waller and Breakwell) ; Arthur Glynn, Johnny (Peter) M'Convilla, Frank (Bosco) Lynch, and Miss Lillie Rodman. ,In 1893 Misses Waller and Breakwell toured Mnoriland with Bris's Empire Minstrels, when they doubled as D'Elroy and Lynne. Mr Harry Shine was through Maoriland with Frank M. Clark's Alhainbra Company iv 1894.— Your truly, Poverty Point, May 22. Bis.

■ The Triad for June^tves as it« supplement j z reproduction of Lube Fildes's Royal Academj picture " The Doctor." Among the oisber illustrations are a portrait of Johannea Brahms, sov«»ral pictures of Maori curios, a bush scene in Auckland, &c. Ths reading matter is bright and interesting as usual. j Mr John M'Gowau, Commissioner of Taxes, is gazetted Valuer-general under thf> Government Valuation of Land Acb of 1896, and Messrs William Duncan (Auckland), Albert Barns (Wanganui), Tfaos. Kennedy Macdonald (Wellington), Arlhur Pyne O'Callaghan (Timaru), Andrew M'Kerrow (Hampden), and Hugh Carswell (Invercargill) are to be supervising valuers. During the hearing of a case in the Napier Court it transpired that Maori belief ia witchcraft is not exbiHßuished. A well-known chief taineas, Arihu Te Nahu, accused a Nuhaka Native of charging her with causing the death of two children by witchcraft, in consequenpe of which she went in fear of her life. The accused denied making the charge, which he stated was brought by others. Ultimately the | case was adjourned for a month, the accuied I promising to leave Arihu's p* at Te Houka ia the meantime, she being content if he did so. He was trying to tell thorn the story, It was broken by coughs and by spits, And the points of ifc came very slowly— By starts, as it were, and by fits. And they said, " You should take something for it— Something that is wholesome and pure." And he said, " I'll be all right to-morrow, j For I'm taking Woods's Geeat Peppeb* MINT CXTBV "