THE MAN ABOUT TOWN.

Auckland Star, Issue 472, 15 July 1871, Page 2

THE MAN ABOUT TOWN.

No. VII. I sdMEHMES go to the theatres, but not very often. However, tempted by the fine comedy of " The School for Scandal," I went last evening to the Prince of Wales. I enjoyed myself immensely. But I object to actors or actresses —I don't care whether they are "stars", or " suns"—being called to the front in the' middle •of an act: it is a thing almost unheard of, and ought to be discountenanced. My enjoyment of the programme was occasionally marred by two parties sitting behind me, who were a source ok annoyance the whole evening". They kept up a ceaseless and senseless chatter irom-the rise to the fall of the curtain,, and at the end of the play agreed that it : had gone off " pretty well, but the first part was mere twaddle." Just fancy ! Twaddle! These men were evidently born critics. There are many objectionable people at a theatre. There is the man whc leans over the circle as far as possible, and is intensely interested in the piece, but an annoyance to the people sitting next to him. Then there is the man who knows all about it, and stands carefully with his back to the wall describing what is- to come. Then we have the enthu? siastic nuisance who pretends to see all the fine points at a glance, and claps and stamps vociferously to the annoyance of no one more than the actors. We have then the affected languid swell, who can't be bored in following the plot, and amuses himself by tapping his fingers on his teeth, or his chair, or what not— one of the worst annoyances of the whole. Then there are the men who must go out for their glass of sherry, or something stronger, after every act, and who come j noisily in, and stumbling over chairs, ! perhaps, in the middle of the next act, and at one of the finest scenes of the play, to the intense disgust of everybody. And these are not the only nuisances to which , the playgoer is subjected. i

So scrip has come to the hammer at last. Ah, well! after all, it's no more than might be expected. " tip like a rocket, and down like a stick," as Thatcher used to say, and so it has come to pass. My friend Mr. Corkrain was very busily engaged yesterday trying to do a little business; but bidders fought shy. Nearly all present were sharebrokers, aud they very properly agreed that if this selling of shares by auction wern countenanced there was no telling where it might end, with which I perfectly agree. Some interests were parted with at a very low figure notwithstanding. The sharebrokers think that an auctioneer ought to have to pay a special and very heavy license before he should be allowed to sell shares ; but I hope this does not apply to my friend S. C.—for to deprive him of his grazing grounds and his power to dispose of shares at the same time would be very hard. That Dick of mine is a most indefatigable youth. Fov the last week he's been trudging to all parts of the country at & great expense of shoo leather. The fact is, his heart is in the improvement of his adopted country's roads; and he goes to every HighwDy Board meeting within ten miles. On Thursday he was at the Mount Eden meeting, and I'll give his report very briefly ia his own words. Says Dick, "It was a rowdy affair, and no mistake. There was a lot of people present,—most on 'em country yokels, but a few nobby town coves. These, I found, belonged to the Board. The first row was about a large sum of money spent on a private road. The next was a row about some money the Chairman had spent to improve his own property ; and then there was a deuce of a row about the Chairman having about two hundred proxies, more or less. And he voted for himself too with them all, but he did'nt get in nevertheless. About dinner time the fellows got thirsty, aud adjournod to tbe bar for liquors. They then resumed. Old Bay had a good deal to do with tho meeting. 1 wonder if this old chap ever combs his hair, fathor, or is it ever cut. Well, after all had been done, one of the fellows who wasn't elected gets up and says that it wasn't a bad dodge to be on the Board. Hd was very sorry they hadn't elected him, .for-be could assure them he would have apent everything that was possible in improving his own roads. He moved a vote of thanks to the old Board for the noble manner in which they had acted in this respect. He asked them, in conclusion, if they couldn't follow the example of the Mount Albert Highway Board, tack on a small district for a year or so, get their rates, and spend them in improving their own property, and then have the small district cut off again. This motion was carried by acclamation, and His Honor will be petitioned on the subject. This put the meeting in a good humour, and they moved a veto of .thanks unanimously to the old Board, and then moved themselves unanimously to the front bar, when business of a private character, wiih which I have nothing to do, was discussed. I then came hom'*'" '/ And I suppose, Dick," said I, " You didn't go to the front bar?" " Well, you see, father, I had cramps in the bowels that day, and was strongly recommended brandy and port wine, which I took."

Nathaniel Beeswing.