CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 40, 3 October 1891, Page 442

CHRISTCHURCH.

Dear Bee, September 15. The air is seething with amateur performances—dramatic and operatic—minstrel entertainments to rescue the operatic party from debt, who in the meantime are busily rehearsing ‘ Pinafore ’; performances for the Hospital Lady Visitors’ Fund, and for the churches all round. The latest is a gipsy concert for St. John’s. People are nothing if not original now, and this certainly will have the merit of being that, and ought to be pretty. All the performers will be in gipsy costume, and the stage their camp. I am afraid to stop and speak to a friend I know. They will ask me to buy a ticket, which I really did on my own account for St. Michael’s the other evening, and was well rewarded. ‘ Dream Faces ’ and ‘ A Morning Call ’ were put on in the schoolroom there, and were well done. In the first piece the performers were Mrs F. W. Thompson as Lucy ; she wore a pretty pink gown with moss green plush trimming ; Miss Rose Seager (Aunt Margaret), in black velvet and chiffon, with chatelaine at her side ; and Miss L. Kimbel), the maid, in pretty cap and apron, and neat dress, all looked particularly well, and so exactly the part. Mr Thompson and Mr Guise Brittan were excellent in their parts too. After some good music by the Septette Band Miss Rose Seager and Mr Brittan gave ‘ A Morning Call ’ very well indeed. Miss Seager wore a charming tea gown of French grey, with front of white lace with pink ribbons, and Mr Brittan was in hunting costume. The room was crowded. I saw there Mr and Mrs Bevan Brown, Mr and Mrs George Roberts and Miss Mcßae, Mr ami Mrs Scott, Mrs and the Misses Winter, Mrs Willock, Mrs Bruges, the Rev. C. and Mrs Bowden, Messrs Alpers, Marsh, the Rev. W. Harper, W. Day, and others.

We have been occupying ourselves very much with a good send oil' for Mr and Mrs E. W. Humjmreys, who sailed in the Rimutaka, after all, with our old friend, Captain Greenstreet, who, I hear is to change ships after this voyage. One evening he entertained a few friends to dinner on board ; amongst whom were Mr and Mrsß. Wilson and Miss Gladys Wilson, Mr and Mrs Kimbell, Mr and Mrs and Miss Ronalds

Mr Hall, and one or two others. Everything was in perfectorder, and a very enjoyable time was spent. There was a little dancing after dinner, when Mrs Wilson kindly played. The Cambrians met in the Oddfellows’ Hall, and had a social evening for Mr and Mrs Humphreys. The hall was nicely decorated, and a programme of Welsh items of music and recitations gone through. A most pleasing part of the ceremony was the presentation of a gold ring of unique design—two leeks —and a Cambrian inscription to Mrs Humphreys, for which she returned thanks very prettily. I suppose ladies will no longer allow themselves to be talked for by their husbands, and with the franchise looming in the distance, feel they must be up and doing ; but in this instance it was painful for Mr Humphreys to talk much, owing to some trouble in his face, from which he was suffering, and about which he has gone home for advice, I believe. Among those present were Judge and Mrs Denniston, Mr and Mrs Wynn-Williams, Mr and Mrs Wilding, Mrs Baker, Miss Macfarlane, the Mayor, Messrs Acland, Corbett, and others. Tea, coffee, fruit, etc., were handed round during the evening. Mrs R. Wilson (Compton) had a large musicale, when Mrs Wilding, Miss Burns, and Miss Trauman (of Ashburton), the guest of Mrs Denniston, played most delightfully. A banjo and guitar duet by Miss Gladys Wilson and Miss B. Loughnan was much appreciated, also a banjo solo by Miss Wilson. The singing was in good hands when I tell you the performers were Mrs Burns, Mrs Westmacott, Mrs Scott, Miss B. Loughnan, Mrs Leonard Harper, and Mr Deane, one of the officers of the Rimutaka. The tea table was exquisitely arranged, the centre being erumpled white Liberty silk with mirror, and dainty little white pots of ferns and low’ glasses of violets among the daintiest of cakes. Mrs Wilson wore fawn-coloured cloth with white panel embroidered with gold. Among the guests were Mrs Denniston, Mrs Loughnan, Mrs Murray-Aynsley, Mrs H. Murray-Aynsley, and Miss Murray-Aynsley, who wore a very pretty dress of electric green with vest of pale pink edged with steel embroidery ; Mrs J. R. Campbell, a handsome dress of embroidered cashmere and striped plush ; Mrs Alan Scott wore her pretty three-ouarter grey cloak lined with pink silk, bonnet to match ; *Mrs Burns was in grey, hat to match Mrs Kimbell, Mrs Harper, Mrs Baker, Mrs Cholmondeley, in black ; Mrs E. W. Humphreys, navy blue with large plaid faintly showing in crimson ; Mrs Westmacott wore electric blue cloth with fancy pattern. lam sorry to hear Mr and Mrs Wilson are likely to go up to Nelson to live for a time. They will be much missed here among a large circle of friends.

Mrs A. M. Ollivier gave a party for little children, beginning about five o’clock, and lasting till between eight and nine. They looked so happy, I’m sure they enjoyed it immensely, and the barn dance was sweetly pretty to watch. Mrs Ollivier and her aides-de camp—the Misses Thomson, Strouts, and Kimble — were most succcessful in their efforts to make the little ones enjoy themselves. There were about thirty present. For three evenings the gentlemen of the Amateur Opera Company turned themselves into ‘ niggers,’and gave real Christy Minstrel performances for the benefit of their society, and I hope they made a little money. The performances were good, but it is rather a come down for the • Lord high commissioner of everything ’ to black his face and earn a few ‘ insults. ’

Mrs Wilson (Compton) gave a farewell dinner to Mr and Mrs E. W. Humphreys aud Captain Greenstreet. The following day Mrs Humphreys was entertained by Mrs Baker at Chilcomb, when a number of friends came to wish her good-bye, as they left the next morning. Miss Ethel Harley is to be married in a few days to Mr J. B. Milton ; it is sure to be a pretty wedding. The spring is a most appropriate time to be married I think, and the flowers are so lovely. Mrs T. Rotheram has been here on avisit from Wellington, and was the guest of Mrs C. Hill and Mrs I. Gibbs. Mrs Hill gave a large afternoon tea, when some very nice songs were sung by Mrs W. P. Townend, Mrs Garrard, Mrs Lane, and others, and delicious tea, cakes, and coffee fully and freely discussed. Some of those present were Mrs and Miss Kiver, Mrs Gibbs, MtsE. Deacon, MrsTewsley (Auckland), Mrs Fisher, Mrs and Miss Croxton, and several more. The pleasant weather we are having is tempting walking parties out, and the Misses Helmore and Beswick,'with about twenty others, walked over the hill from Lyttelton to Sumner. Mrs Bruges took tea for the party and met them in Sumner, and which was all temptingly spread when they arrived after the walk, and needless to say, much enjoyed. Among the walking party were Mrs M. Campbell, Mrs Worthy, Mrs Harrison, the Misses Campbell, Delamain, Clark, Sanders, Worthy, Hennah, Messrs Corbett, Blackburn, Mainwaring, Clark, Fenwick, and R. McDonald. Mrs Ollivier chaperoned another party, who went by tram to Sumner, walked up to Mount Pleasant, thence to the Heathcote bridge. Mrs Stead has a niece staying with her just now from the Cape of Good Hope—Miss Palmer. She came over in the lonic, and is likely to make a long visit.

Dolly Vale.