A LITERARY RIOT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7978, 6 April 1904, Page 2

A LITERARY RIOT.

There have been riots at Athens over a performance of " JDscbylus " in the vernacular, and one iperson -has been killed and eight wounded (says the " Speaker v ). A London mob would not be provoked to bloodshed by literary or -theological questions, and one hardly knows whether to feel contempt or admiration s for. a p«opU that can take them so seriously. But the outbreak is not quite so inexplicable as it seems. A conscientious literary effort is being made both in books and 1 newspapers to write in the style of X-enophon. The vernacular must still be spoken for convenience, but it is despised as tainted with Turkish and Venetian words, the traces of a past slavery, and the patriotic Greek as infuriated by any attempt to enlarge its uses. Two years ago, for instance, the office of a newspaper that attempted to publish a vernacular version of tie New Testament was wrecked. • A CHIEF'S LAMENT. Lady Broome, widow of an ex- Western Australian Governor, tells in the " Cornhill Magazine" of a dance she had with a Maori chief at Christ-church, New Zealand. "It was," she says, " somewhat of a shock to behold tali, well-built, dark-hued men faultlessly clad in correct evening dress, but with tattooed faces. Presently one of the stewards came- to me t and said 1 , ' 'Te Henare wants very much to,, dance these lancers ; I would be- so grateful if you would dance with him^ ' Certainly,' I answered, 'but can he dance?' 'Oh, he will soom pick it up, and you'd ihave an interpreter.' Te Henare now approached, made me a beautiful bow, offered his arm most correctly, and we took our places. I discovered through the interpreter that my partner had never seen a ball or social gathering of any sort before, and 1 that he had learned his bow and how to claim Sis partner since he entered the room. I was fully occupied in admiring the extraordinary rapidity with which Te Henare mastered the intricacies of the dance. He never made a single mistake in any part which he had seen the top couples do first, and when I had to guide him " he understood directly. When the set was over, I told the interpreter that I was quite astonished to see how well Te Henare danced. This little compliment was duly repeated, and I could not imagine why the interpreter laughed at the* answer. Te Henare seemed very anxious that it should be passed on to me, and was most serious, so I insisted on being told. It seems the chieftain had said with a deep sigh, 'Ah, if I might only dance without my clothes ! No one could really dance' in these horrid things!'"