PANTOMIME CHILDREN OFF THE STAGE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 6, 2 October 1907, Page 3

PANTOMIME CHILDREN OFF THE STAGE.

"Are you the dolls ?" Tasked looking at the sixteen children, who tn that room seemed ■ more' like 32. " We're the dells, arid the soldiers, and the, villagers," they., said ill '.chorus,. • '' The; littlest ones are the dolls, and 'the rest are soldiers arid villagers." ■ They might have added that on occasion,. and in the " smaller , , towns, some of them' were also the hounds. : ■These were the pantomime children, and they play "Various parts., I had gone to the house where' they Sveru staying to call on the lady in charge 'of them, the trained nurse, who having gone through her course at Sydney -Hospital (where she/ was for .a time ■ head nurse), tho South African, war, and '• transport duty on H.M.S. Britannic, now . has charge 'of the -I'J children touring .the Dominion with "Mother Goose." : . r The children had finished lessons for the dayj and were just,settirig ouo for tho. "treasury," which meant th-\t they were going aown to receive their week.'s allowance of pocket money. \Vhilo they waited they came , arid talked in the most frank and _ friendly manner,-with pretty clear voices; and never v a trace [of the Australian Wang. They were enjoying ■ their " travels, .thoy said,: but' it appeared they were . all longing 'to': go home "and settle down/. No ! ' they did not think • they w'otild do pantomime work again. There was somo talk of their leaniiag a new piece, but' they: thought ; tlisy would rather stay, at homo in Sydney, and go to school;; - This feeling, says tlie govenioss, ■ lasts till the children have been homo ' and told their' mothers;jail- their adventures. After that : thc.y very ; soon want; to learn some new' pieces, and go on the boards' again. Most; of them are - very clover at their .work, and will probably ; remairi': 'on the stage long after thi.-y aro too . big for a child's part in pantomime. Tho bigger ones do not liko.to.-.think that they are outgrowing their parts; and that next year ; they will be, too big. They , take a- great. interest in tho whole of the pantomime work, and most of them-can sing Grotchen'3 songs, and the and do,'the grown-up dances. . , , ' ■ : . Their work does not make. them lose. their' interest in their, homes, and.most'of thein write home two or three times a week—very full - accounts of what they have seen on their travels. " And that is a very : great deal. "Their education is not neglected while thoy aro travelling. Every .'morning they do the ordinary English lessons, and,those who learn, music have to practice. In the afternoons tlioy, visit places of interest. , People everywhere are very kind to them, and take them about, and so ,do the adult members of the company. "In fact it would seem that ; the , whole course of their education, Combining, as it does, ordinaly English teaching, a' careful explanation of all the most interesting things to be seen in the towns they visit, with tho drill, and discipline 1 of thoir sta/A work, should turn them out very well informed, and more than ordinarily intelligent and alert.. They look happy and well cared for, an J indeed in their wanderings they come off better than any other' members of the company. They are sent to bed as early as possible, and : they do not have "to get up till half-past , 3 or 9. I; had heard a dreary talo ■>( the' adventures of the -'company (in one Australian town, which happened ■to be 'filled to overflowing when thsy arrived, and, I had wondered how tho ' children came off in that adventure. : " Oh' they were all right,"' raid the governess," thoy had a largo samp o room with eighteen beds made, up in •it, so that it .looked just liko a hospital ward, and while other members of the 'company ', were in difficulties about their lodgings, these .children were so happy and lively that people outside hearing their chatter and laughter thought some entertainment ment was going on irisido, and gathered round to listen. When, thoy are waiting to go .on the stage they sometimes do lessons that were crowded out during the morning, but they are fondest of doing ' fancy-work. They are very clever at this, and got through a good deal in their spare hours. Sometimes they have a ride on the human cavorts around with " Mother Goose ' horse, and that muscular beast which on its back is quite equal to giving three children at a time a rido behind the scenes.

Ono little detail observable as regards finishing touches in Queen Alexandra's toilettes is that Her Majesty never by any chance lends herself to the all-prevailing fashion of ways has a fashion of her own, never wearing things just because they hap--immensely long gloves. This, whether en grancle tonus of an evening or afternoon, at the opening of Parliament; or at a Court ball. At A.vot the Queen, for instance, w.orovpearl gi;ey gloves with rather wide hire!-: stitching on them, showing that in small details of dress the Qiiomi n!pon to be that of the moment, hut solely because they r.p]i;;?l -to' her sense of good tnste in such matters, which is proverbial.