Palmerston North

New Zealand Tablet, 11 March 1920, Page 28

Palmerston North

• (From our own correspondent.) ■r' '.:.'.'"'■.' . , March 8. His Grace Archbishop O'Shea was here on Sunday, when he administered Confirmation to a large number of children, and he also preached in the evening. Palmerston has been establishing quite a record for quick work. Some little time ago it was apparent that funds must be raised somehow to finance the orphanage at the Upper Hutt. Owing to the war and the epidemic throwing a much heavier burden on the Sisters of Mercy, who are responsible for this institution, the need was urgent. It was so apparent that Mrs. Maurice Cohen, who visited the orphanage during a holiday in Wellington,": offered the use of her beautiful gardens for a fete, in order to help so worthy and pressing a cause. Our parish priest, Father McManus, in spite of the many calls which have "been made upon his parishioners lately, made an earnest appeal for help, and so inspired the people that by the co-operation of priest, people, and nuns, a noteworthy success was achieved. In exactly nine days the garden party was organised! and a sum of £250 was cleared. The convent pupils staged a fairy operetta last week. Over 300 children took part in the performance, which was prepared in the very brief period since the opening of school. The Opera House was not large enough to hold the audience, and numbers wore ""turned away, so it has been decided to repeat the performance at a later date. The dressing and staging were quite original anil effective, and the solo vocalists were a particularly strong feature. Miss Barbara Evans was "Will-o'-the-Wisp," Miss Rose Palmer "Queen of the Marsh Spirits." Miss Doris Rickets the "Lost Maiden," and Miss M. do Rosa "Fairy Queen." About 80 small hoys, as the naughty black elves, disported themselves with much enthusiasm, their acrobatic turns being singularly effective. In the Fairy Court" scene a number of solo dances were contributed, the performers being Misses Diana Tabor, Eileen Trask, Dorothy, Mona, and Babette Rodgers, Phyllis Torphy, Kavanagh, Zaloum, and E. and A. Rush.