ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6829, 17 April 1890, Page 2

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

9 [Feom Our London Cobbkbpondbnt.j London, Feb. 22. PERSONAL. Mr Froude has let his house in Onslow Gardens, and betaken himself to Devonshire. He is busy on two new books. Sir William des Vcaux is coming Home to recruit. The climate of Hongkong has not agreed with him like that of Hew Zealand, and it is said he wishes he had never gone to China. Sir Arthur Gordon is writing a book, ■ but not, thank g6odneas, of reminiscences. I The work will be a memoir of his father. Lord Aberdeen. Nothing further ha? been heard of the peerage which Lord Salisbury, it was semi-form ally announced, meant to bestow on Sir Arthur. Mr William Spottißwood Green, whose "High Alps of New Zealand " you all know so well, has a new work, entitled " Among the Selkirk Glaciers," just ready. Lord Augustus Loftus has returned from the Riviera, in order to be nearer the materials for the volume of reminiscences he is compiling. Mr E. S. Willard has signed for an Australian tour to follow his American season. He will " star," of course, as Cyrus Blenkam in Tho Middleman, taking with him one or two leading members of his company. A ladies' fashion paper avers that the wonderful costumes built by "Worth for j Mrs Brown-Potter to wear dnring her Australian and New Zealand tour, would draw large audiences to the theatre without any play at all. Sir Charles and Lady Halle (Mdme. Norman Naruda) have taken passages in the Valetta, sailing on April 4. Their farewell chamber concerts at So James' Hall are crowded. A new and cheaper edition of Mr , William Senior's Australasian experiences , ("Near and Far") has just made its ( appt-arance. Mr Deane Brand, who has not been fortunate since he and his pretty wife, ' Kate Chard, returned from Australia s some years back, in going to " elevate the ; masses " by singing at the Eoyal Music » Hall. Massive Miss Emily Thome has returned ' from Australia juat in time to bid her old 1 manager (Toole) and hiß company bon • voyage. Sue seems to have enjoyed a good . time in your part of the world, and looks , delightfully jovial and robust. Professor Druinmond, of Glasgow, is going out to Australia shortly, probably 1 by one of the direct liners from the Clyde. ) He will be accompanied by his wife. I In his " Leaves of a Life," Mr t Montagu Williams goes at length into the . circumstances of the Euston divorce suit. Sir John Pope Hennessy is going into ' } Parliament as a Home Ruler, but- declined . to become a seif of Mr Parnell's. He pro--3 poses, in fact, to depose the Irish chief. b APOTHEOSIS OF TOOLE. j t The apotheosis of Toole came to an end with the big banquet at the Hetropole on Wednesday evening, and yesterday niornp ing the victim of over-much hospitality i 5 left with a grateful heart and a disordered i digestion for the Eiviera. You have had > so much of Mr Toole lately, that I think j I shall be doing you a favour if I cut [ short the accounts of the "kettledrum" J last Friday afternoon, the last night of » the season at "the genial comedian's" - theatre, on Tuesday, and the going-away j scene afc the station yesterday. Of the , first-named, at any rate, it is only neceE--1 sary to say that Miss Ellen Terry, in a ' ravishing tea-gown of sage-green silk, with > rose-pink lining, received the company, ) and the t*o veterans, Mrs Keeley and Mrs . Stirling made a tour of the rooms toge- , ther. The ladie3 of the profession mus- . tered in great force, the most conspicuous ' absentee (save Mrs Langfcry, Mra Bancroft ' ■ and Airs Bernard Beere, who were ill,) ; beinp: Miss Nelly Farren. None of the » Gaiety Company, in fact, put in an. appearL ance, a circumstance which, owing to the guest of the day having at one time been J . a member of the troupe, excited some ' remark. Possibly, however, the skittish darlings felfc they would be out of place solemnly drinking tea with the "upper suckles" of the profession. Fraises auchampagne at the Continental, would be more in their line. Sir Saul and Lady Samuel, however, were present, so were the Lord Mayor and Mrs Isaacs, Mrs Maxwell (better known to fame as Miss Braddon), Lady Hardman, Lady Monckton, Miss Wallis (in black velvet and priceless sables), Mr 3 Henry Loveday, and many others. Mr Bancroft came to apologise for Mrs B.s inability to be present, and Miss Eosina Brandram represented the Savoy Company. The farewell banquet at the Metropole on Wednesday evening, suffered somewhat from being only one of a series. It was, of course, infinitely the smartest of the numerous Toole valedictory functions, but almost all the present company had already, on several previous occasions, drunk the same toasts and expressed the same wishes. Nevertheless the affair went off briskly enough, and when Sir Edward Clarke proposed, with appropriate solemnity, the health of " John Lawrence Toole," we all sprang to our feet and, waving the dinner napkins on high, cheered frantically. Truth compels me to atate that the speeches of the occasion did not reach a high level of post-prandial oratory. They were of the sort which sound well at the time, yet read but indifferently afterward?. Toole's own drolleries made us shout with laughter. As, however, I cannot reproduce j the comedian's inimitable manner, I think j I had better perhaps leave his matter ' alone. Clement Scott's verses, recited with appropriate fooling by " friend Irving," were as follows : — Farowolll but not Qoo'-'ivq! let no despair Mar tbe nieroorinl of onr lovo to-night ! Fill up the S'irrnp Cup I Luck fill tbe air That gently «&\ta to waft you out of Bight ! Hot from onr lmarta— there over you remain Enshrined, tho soortt's ours of where or when. We part, alas ! but wo shall lueot again Tho trueas Conirado, and tho heat of Men ! Man of the marry hotrt 1 how we shall miss The kindly orew with whom you've cheered life's stage, I The peeping Pry t sweat Caleb's gentle kiss ! ' | The youthful Hpri<Kins! Garner bowed with age! How we shall long for ono more grasp of hand. When fades tlm ship, and cheers in distance die! God sreed you, Johnnie ! to that lovely landl We lend our beat 1 Farewoll 1 but not Good-bye ! Farewell ! but not Good-bye I Bemember well Though fate may sever, time cau still restore! The Parting Hour has come, its oruel knell Will olnsh iv Weloomes on yon f ri( nUy shore ! Onr loss, when wo are parted, will ba gain : To hearts in hundred-, i^o aw at to greet '. Our King of Kindliness t White biiowh of Dam : Will molt in flow'rs of friendship at yonr feet ! Bound Fng'.ißh hearts like ivj yon have oinng • 1 Love ) as no teat 'hut hag not found you true f < Gray time, that -whitens heads, has kept you ' yotmr, I And grief, that bows men down, has chastened ! ' you! : j One Bumper mftreat parting, brimmed with wine! { The vo'oo may falter, tews may dim the eye. I ] One Song of Friendline>s ! for AuM tang Syne ! ' Farewell, old friend! Farewell! but not Good- 1 bye. £ Amongst the Anglo-Colonista present i may be mentioned Mr Heaton, M.P., Mr ]

A. P. Matting Mr Haddon Chambers, and Mr W. M'Arthur, M.P. Our 'Enniker'g face was a picture when the Chairman announced that, owing to there being " nt> Australian of sufficient importance present to couple with it," % tbe toast of " Our Colonial Empire" would not be replied to. THE PBINCB OF WALKS AND TOOLE. Though the Prince of Wales failed 'to persuade the Queen to command Toole and Company to Osborne, H.R.H. graciously put in an appearance at. the popular comedian's farewell performance on Tuesday evening, and btought the Princess with him. What ia more, the Royal couple Bent for the merry little man betwen the acts, and wished him " Godspeed" and "good luck" in the kindliest manner. Mr Toole himself, despite rumours to the effect that he was unwell, seomed in the highest Bpirite, and played Spriggins for, as he said, the 4765 th I time with as much unction and vigour as though it were a first ni^ht. And now, one last word about your visitor. Do net let all this feasting and fine talk mislead you into expecting to 6ee a greater comic actor than has ever beforovißited Australia. Toole is Toole, and as much a part of London theatrical life as the Garrick Club. It is the man we know and love and respect quite as much as the actor. People go to see Toole just as they go to church, because it is reputable and usual and tbe proper thing ta do. They laugh directly the well-known voice is heard, and applaud delightedly as each familiar joke recurj. Viewed, however, by the cold light of a stranger's hyper-criticism, I am by no means sure Toole would seem specially droll. Americans can see nothing in him. His humour is Greek to them. They <ai no more comprehend Toole's broad farce than the average John Bull can appreciate Artemus Ward's dry, chippy humour. You, Colonists, however, if you don't expect too much, will heartily enjoy Toole. He is a very similar comedian to poor Fred Marshall, whom you all liked so.