ALL NATIONS' BAZAAR, NAPIER.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 19, 11 May 1899, Page 10

ALL NATIONS' BAZAAR, NAPIER.

The Catholics of Napier (says the Hawke's Bay Herald) have in the past promoted very many highly successful bazaars, but oertainly none better or more worthy of support than the All Nations' Bazaar which was opened in the Gaiety Theatre on Saturday, April 29. The Mayor (Mr G. H. Swan) performed the opening ceremony, complimenting the good Sisters of the Convent on the many beautiful works of arb which the stalls contained, and expressing a hope that their efforts would be rewarded as they deserved to be. The Very Rev. Dean Grogan and Father Hickson also made short speeches appropriate to the occasion. The attendance both in the afternoon and the evening was very large, in fact at night the dress circle had to be thrown open to visitors in order to relieve the body of* the hall, and even then locomotion was extremely difficult.

The interior of the theatre, with its moving mass of people, and the various stalls so pfettily arranged, gave the scene the appearance of a gay carnival. On the right as one enters is the No. 1 stall (England), where Mesdames Brophy, H. Barry, Kelleher, and B. ReardDn preside. Beautiful hand-painted mirrors, which reflect one's features with all the improvements that art can suggest, such as water-lilies, kingfishers, mantel drapes of great beauty, plush chairs too dainty to sit in, a wedding cake which only awaits the coming of the bridegroom, and a thousand and cne articles are all to be had in ' England.' The star-spangled banner and a majestic-looking eagle sufficiently indicate that No. 2 stall is America without the name overhead. Here Mesdames St. Clair, G. A. Reardon, C. R. Allen, and Miss Comiskey have gathered together such a collect'on of fine art work as would make any patriotic breast swell with pride. Oil paintings, mirrors, cushions chair covers, artificial flowers, and a profusion of articles too numerous to mention herecaptivatethe eye. A braw chiel, kilted and gowned in tartan surmounts the No. 3 stall (Scotland). His defiant mien seems to claim for his stall the first place in this bazaar of all nations, and certainly the splendid display to be seen here will challenge comparison with any other. Mtsdames Condon, Graves, C. O'Donoghue. and Anderson were in charge of this stall. The next stall (Ireland) shows that we have not yet exhausted all the good things of the bazaar, and Ireland seems no whit behind the other countries in providing artistic nicknacks for home decoration. Mesdames John Higgins. D. Murnane, P. Barry, Mitchell, and Ruston preside here, and judging by the brisk business they did, they must all have paid a visit to Blarney Castle and saluted the famous stone. ' New Zealand ' is the name over the last of the stalls. Our Colony is evidently not considered to hold a high place in the world of art, for no painted plaques, no bead- work mantel drapes, or other artistic bijouterie adorned its counters, but instead were chefs d'aiurres in pastry, dainty cakes and confections, piles of snowy sandwiches, and the ambrosial nectar distilled from the Mooha bean and the golden -tinted leaves of the Souchong blend. Mrs. Malcon and the Misses Malcon and Hunter dispensed the fragrant beverages andiedible refreshments. Dark-eyed colleens in the dress of the Irish peasantry or wearing the tartan of some Scottish clan, or the pretty stars and stripes of the United States, flitted in and out amongst the throng, alternately entreating, cajoling and alluring the small coins from visitors. A stereoscope which took the spectator round the world for threepence, and an Aunt Sally were additional attractions. In the afternoon and evening a number of pupils of the convent school, under the direction of Miss R. St, Ciair, danced an exceedingly pretty 'pinafore' dance, Miss Condon accompanying. Tne school children also sang the ' New Zealand Anthem' at the opening ceremony. Several of the boys from the Marist Brothers' s hool contributed a dialogue arranged from ' Pickwick Papers ' by B -other Brendon. During the evening Piper Helm played a selection on the bagpipes.