MISS DALEY'S BENEFIT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3209, 20 July 1878, Page 2

MISS DALEY'S BENEFIT.

TO THE BDITOE OF THB STAE. Sic, — Hitherto your journal has avoided that censure which has been so richly merited by, and that the public have awarded to, certain other sections of the Christchurch. Press for then* ur"eJ ; able, partial, and inequitable theatrical criticisms. It was, therefore, with some disappointment the patrons of Miss Daley's benefit found in your issue of Wednesday last so meagre a notice of a performance which drew together the largest and most brilliant house that has ever yet assembled int the present Theatre to do honour to any actor or actress that has been before ue. It has become a notorious fact that, whenever Miss Daley has distinguished herself by the able portraiture of any part, certain of the Press studiously ignore her and preserve an ungenerous silence ; and if that lady should have to undertake some part not strictly in her line, and not acquit herself in a thoroughly unexceptionable manner, then they make a. savage literary onslaught- in depreciation of her efforts. However, as ifc is now pretty generally understood from whence all this paltry persecution arises, and its object, ifc has become powerless to harm, and is regarded cum grauo sails. "The Daughter of the Regiment" will again be played to-night to a good house, as many of those who could not gain admission on the benefit night will attend, and as a> large number of those who were present on Tuesday evening are anxious that you should publish a just criticism on Miss Daley's i>cvformancc of Josephine, I hope in justice to that lady you will do so. A thirty- five years intimacy with the ablest and brightest ornaments of the stage has enabled me to point out excellencies and defects, and to fairly estimate the value of tho former and the gravity of the latter, without being offensive to the artist or malicious in tone, and it is my opinion that Miss Daley's Josephine w' 11 . compare very favourably with that of the late Lady Don or Julia Matthews. Whereas, in point of vocalisation, both of these lat 7; es were inferior to Miss Daley, fop neither were educated musicians, nor were either of them gifted with that flexibility of voico which forms so charming a feature ia> Miss Daley's singing. Let me, through your columns, impress upon Miss Daley that such a splendid house on tho occasion of her benefit (money turned from the doors) may be looked upon as an unmistakable proof, that the public will nofc sympathise with any depraved sections ef journaVsm, who will prostitute their columns, on the one hand to promote private friend* ships at the expense of truth and common sense, or who will, on tho other hand, indi^ge in a vulgar, covert vindictiveness to satisfy personal animosities.— l am, &c., AFAIECEITIO*