An Incident ia Miss Geneviere Ward's Career.

Otago Witness, Issue 2263, 15 July 1897, Page 59

An Incident ia Miss Geneviere Ward's Career.

" FOHGET-BIE-NOT." Forget-me-nob ! That is perhaps the greatest ambitiou of the player/ and Miss Gsnevieve Ward has done more than most of her contemporaries to secure that remembrance for whish the actor strives. It was Herman Merivale's play of that name that secured her the larger hope of the simple phrase. Mist Ward has had a widely varied career, ia different countries, in private life, and on the stage ; bat one thing for which she will always be remembered is her enormous success as Stephanie de Mohrivat in "Forget-me-not:," which the created at the Lyceum during the " iuteroalary " season of August 1879, and which she played over 2000 times iv every English-speaking country. When she first appeared in London 36 years ago it was not as Miss Genevieve Ward, but; as Madame Guerebella. The why and tbe wherefore of that is nob the least -interesting part of her career. As a young girl she was married to <# young Russian nobleman, the Count de Guerebel. The marriage took place ia Italy by civil contract, the ecclesiastical ceremony being postponed until it could be performed by a priest of tha Greek Church, which alone could make ifc binding in Russia. The Count took advantage of this fact, and being desirouß to marry a rich bride repudiated the civil contract which had made him the husband of Miss Ward. ' With the indomitable spirit which haa characterised her whole career, the young actress followed him to Russia, and obtained an audience of the Czar himself. With such forca did sbe plead her case that she obtained a ukase which compelled the Count to forget her not, but to marry her according to the rites of his church. When the ceremony was over, Miss Ward, now the Countoss de Guerebel beyond a doubt, allowed the Count to accompany her to her carriage, and then left him foe ever. — English Illustrated Magazine. Almost Incredible. There is always an abundant supply of stories of the expertness of Hindoo jugglers and acrobats. One who moVts about perched upon a single long stick is the latest novelty. This performer is mounted on a bamboo pole about 15ft high, the top of which is tied to a girdle worn around his waist. A small cushion is fastened a few feet down the pole, which acts as a leg-rest. The acrobat hope round a large space in tho liveliest way, uttering cheerful shouts and accompanied by the tapping of a curious drum. He also executes a sort of dance. It is a marvellous feat of balancing. To walk on a pair of stilts as high as this would be a performance worthy of exhibition on any variety stage ; but to hop round on one is quite another thing. The same man can do many other wonderful things. Ho appears absolutely perfect in the art of balancing. He can balance a very light stick on hie nose and a heavy one on his chin, and then throw the heavy one into the air with his head and catch it on the end of the lighter one. When balancing these two sticks end on end he will also make each devolve ia a contrary direction. Auother of his feats is to put one hand on a fiat circular stone, throw his feat up into the air, and balance a stick on each of them. At the same time the acrobat revolves rapidly oa a pivot formed by his arm and the stone. Second Best That Time. A FATHER HEAXY STOKY. This is, perhaps, the best story Father Healy, the late famous and popular Irish prießt, told against himself. He bad settled snugly down one dark winter's) night to his dressing-gown and slippers and single tumbler of punch when a little girl tapped at the door and said he must come infctantly, for her father was "doing wild work." The good priest, who knew Jim Flanagan for a drunken, violent ne'er-do-well, with many muttered imprecations on his head, put on his boots and walking clothes, and splashed through the darkness to the miserable sinner's cabin. Everything, however, was quiet there, no particular damage done, and Jim was stretched upon the bed moaning and groaning from the effects of one of his usual drinking bouti. Father Healy, who, though indefatigable in parish work, had a thorough appreciation of creature comforts, was naturally furious at having been calied out for nothing, and stood over Jim's bed and vented his firat wrath upon him with every epithet that the priestly vocabulary could at such an emergency run to. Jim remained cowering and silent. At las* he could stand the good priest's " slating " no more, and in a feeble voice proteated : " Ah, go away, your riverence. I'm in no fi* shtate to listen to yer holy voice." The first, wit in Ireland confessed that upon (he whole he came off second best in that en* counter.— QasaeU's Saturday Journal.