FEILDING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 728, 29 January 1910, Page 10

FEILDING NEWS.

■}'■*"■'■'" •' '; ; ; FEllpiNG> ;>: ; '-';: : :It is surely midsummer madness.that prompt's folte at this->season .of the yearto'piirsuo: the cxerciso of dancing.' We :have'-,had.'an; attack-of it up hero at Feildiiig.; 'The".invitations' said:■■'■-.■" Cards, , jntlt an :d,ccflsionaU:dan'bo.". But tlio re-'sdlt"\vns-all':3ancing, arid no cards. And the:temperature away''■;'.up:■ to ' ,split-the-glass'height 1- Tho geiitlcmori .were sen-, .siblb.:y»Tliey.,camq'.drcfsed in flannels'and 'airas'sffmedismllb.'i; Tlie'y recognised that, .this was madness..; But.the ladies—why, they, wero out to enjoy themselves, dressed in Mr certainly, had rio.fioasojHW.ibej ashomciWof their- mid- 1 .su.m^)cr : ?nTa<me|^..jr j .; ;^;',;;!:.. :;.,;„'. . '■ ,' ; Our"farmersyhavo ceased active opera-, 'tiohs.on thpir'fnrms for the moment, in order to devote themselves '.to ,tho interests ■bf-tho soventh Summer,. Show._.of.; the Feilding. A; and:. I'. Association,- to be The committee . of; management", and. tho stewards, 'a goodly.':crowd of, .men,. are' ''represqirtafciyXydf thb vwhblg:;of bur rich countryside/ and- they. l ,* have- bent s their ■energies to the -.furtherance of the interests J_.-j .;,.,'; .'i; Mrr-;D V H.:Guthrie; jM!p.| ;■'fori ■■■ Orbua, [.who.'was 'residing ;bri his' farm, away 'back JW :bbxond'iiii'"tho; ; lluah'ino:. ! district when •called/"tb sttcbepd ; his':Mehd, Mr.' Frank lQthbridge,!.«in.i.theyHo.us'.o,i,.is. tailing up; ihisiferni anentj-jesi.denie, jjr Eeilding. from. :neitvree'fc : -;This will,be':E..yery convenient :'cphtre.'for','attending"to'tho. needs of; a. "iridb' eleotbr'ate. 3 '!; - -:-»i ■.'■' ■;'■> Mr'r;A:'.E.='Maybi tbb'.leadirig -orchardist . along'-..this coast;:-," who "v/as -.one !of : , the original Crown, settlers -in"'the -rich region .of-the Aorangi,- three miles from .Feilding, 1 made on original'' at this' .week's meeting:.of-'-.flie .Kairanga. County iG6iin6ilj":'of.'which';-he is ; .a.mpmber.i Tho : 'cbuMiliwas' niiriff--the.':statutory.', half-. holiday.-'(Wednesday)";/;' Councillor Mayo, moved, that it Should: bo, observed on Monday mornings, : "so as'to give the folks' a chance- to.;go.'away.',:over Sunday."-. Al-' •tjlougl) ho h,ad:.Wo 1 supports,; tho Peilding 'man's' suggestion", was,', not -adopted.". '.:•: Last 'night' Feilding- had, an experierico -rimrrue-ih'-the-history-of--tHo-'dramft' in ■ Australasia.'/.-It has witnessed : tho production of;.two;/playc t v "Her Castles in Spain" ■; (a: two-scone.''-. comedietta); -"and .'|Ngaib" (a ",tliree-act MaorHdrama), wrifc l-teniand;-produced Ay: lo'cal--talent: for; a I local'.ljause; .The., author of..' the two plays'-.''is. ;'■ Mr.', ,T.,:.Scoble ...Cbrriish,- a . gentleman;;;farmer, vwho', has.*-, a ;, slice• v o£;:;-'land.';'out. ,iiL'-tho;;Kiwitea: couh : * try.; "-He^'c^me'^'from'./'England'.quite a;ih'umber;'df ! -:years-:ago,' and' hhd ! a ruri ; in';.the,;Beaconsfield" district ling hearer'to; iPeilding,'in; the;. Kiwitca. He:has:written''giute : a number!of playrlets,.';.:which: /hayoV-been.r.producad by :h'imself ;andi friends'.'in 'spine;.of: our couh;try;hbuses;:;;;lt:;w'a's;the'[success.of "Her :Castles ; 'in -Spain,"(When, so/'produced, ; that Mr,; Cornish to higher; flights;.- and'.,;"JJgaio;"".;: which, : ;; like; the. cbmcbUetta, "■■ has ./literary.'-.merit,'aiid :"reads";'!weH,-[was;:the result. ;.;'When ah appeal was''made throughout ;the district'/by .tlie.---'iHospiral-.Board for funds, Cornish .saw,', an.' opportunity for; ■testing : his ; 'dramatic'''skili;before tho:pub-, lie;, and helping a,good::oause at thb' same time';.:;: A- company :'bf/amnteur. players from ;all ,:pafts ..of the.'countryside,, arid frdni'Hhb toivii'-'df .Peildihg;'readily came:, tb ;his-assistance, .and,'-despite! the : fact: : tnat':;the"''players! ' Kad' : to; , travel many miles; to 'rehearsal during the /months ; of' .prppara^ibnjtha-results;have ; been highly. Satisfactory "both" to' tlid.'cbnipany arid '.to the/ cause that ;,needed - assistance. /The ;bpbltihg~ for": the■' /production .of, "Ngaib" ;,syas easily.i>:record;for.-Feilding,whereas' "rijrnlo/bdbking 'is'''ribt'/ much' indulged: in.; Th'e/Jpatr/onS : ,.in;cluded',7,visitors;, from.;. a. widb'/'nrea "pr/ cbrintryjr'frbm :■ Wangariui -in; tho, north-,to:.[Palinerstdh-in ;andiitho/cas&a9 •'■;.'•: .'- Mrs,; Biversdale.';..;....;;;.Mrs.' Cornish.'.;. ••,Betty;.Eiyersdale,;.,,MisS:-M. .Campion'.:.:, /z'Gweri" Hivei , sdale.;:[..;..Miss':Baddeley.! ; ■'' -'-.jJlis3;;Rnridolph''-'.\;...'.V<'„:/.'iMiss "'.Taylori '■■:'■ :i;Brii%;DDnglasi'Lv...,;f.,'.Mrs; 'Wallace."';,: :v|jJnno^..'.iji;-a,;„;i,;ii..-i;,;Mrß;':'J.'''Perry;y' v :■',':. Count; Sbq'uani /./....Mr;Percy'Taylor;; '/'■ ?■'■ James;:;..:;..w;(«;;.VMr.v;.Scoblo !CBrni'sh.'i';

. They-aro Mrs. Rivorsdale's castles in Spain, - and tho delightful .surprise in this [bright littlo tragedy-threatening comedy is.that tho castles eventually materialise—but only at tho very last moment of tho' eleventh hour. Mrs. Eiversdale is really an impecunious widow, although she poses as a.woman''of-' wealth. .Only her butler (James) and her daughters know tho truth,' but James "plays the game." Tho widow has a mania for, marrying her girls well, so that they:may have a,'better' life than she is having. ... When Count Seouani comes .upon the'seerie, she supposes that ho is -aftor Betty, who is-already satisfied With Captain Douglas.' The surprise all round -comes.when 'the Count, de-clares-that .ho,;h.as crossed-tho : sens for the [mother;'not thb'. daughter; and' he confounds all the widow's female enemies by proving, through- her' 'marriage'.; withhim, that she has her boasted'goldmines in Mc.ticd and.-.her. cnstles'ih Spain. The charm, of a bright 'curtain-raiser ; was the clever acting of Mrs. Cornish... •". ,;; ■ The cast of ."Ngaib",.(a.J[abri',Play) is as follows ;;~/ .;'''■;':[: ;. J :': [Ngai0..,,..;..........;.";..'.[.'.'.'/A Maori Maid •' /.-1.'.,-. ;;-. Mrs-Cornish...-. [■- ■ i['l " Mrs.■',/Sherrington:,.-;..,- : ;,:;.-;-..: . .: : '>;:'.-,. : . //••■Wealthy:.Merchant's Wife.,/. ./".'".;",-[■'-;• Mrs."J. Perry.-,'/'- "'",' -'/..- , Eria ;,..;.........i... Miss; Mary. Campion ; .F1drrie;;........[.".......... Miss K. Cprnish /Raukanga [,;.\'.'.'.'.'.!;.L, Mriori 'Warrior / ';,[■ 'Mr. Percy. Taylor, r: .:':';'/. ■ Capt; i,efargiio..'.Of Hor'Majesty's 65tK'-, j; './■.'-,■ '-': 'Mr./J./l'erry. [ ;',; '/ .. Mr. :Pox Eaton"[' /:, ~:'• ; Impecunious Adventurer■;•: /[[ /Mr. Scoble',Cornish'.' ;' , /'\ . Mr. Newchamp. ............ "Just Out" , ;."■ • <~ i/CMr. Grimwade., '.■/:;' - ■—• , Mr.. Sherrington.;.AVealthy' Merchant. . ;,[. /, Mr. ;W. Gibson./* •/-•';■-.-■' Mr. Sharp ... Privato Inquiry Agent ;, ... : ,, . Mr. Curtayne. , '■: ";■ ' '[Tohunga. Eangitawa-.'. -~/,.••; /-Of- the/Ngati Eaukaw;a. : ;; v ;/' : ;. ; Mr; 'Wnllace;; ".'.'.• '■'."•. ./■ Commander-in-Chief ... ofN.Z Forces ■'; ; ! ./.:,!.;//:/;■■ Mr; E./.Perry. - ;;[;/ ;;,Ta Paea :.'.:..[;.'......;: The/Maori"Bride..[. ..'■'„•;■' .Miss E. Palmer. ~.■.;'. ..The central thenid of ;"Ngaio".is: tho 'self r sacriflcirig love of a Maori maid.and tho' supreme ■ urisoifishness ,6f■ an English •officer towards that inaiden. Each, is in lovbWith the other, and;tho dramatist; works outi the theme to; a' very natural biid.so: that there' is the air pf ; reality in::a[.purely, imaginative wbrk.. In. the I'end,": J\'gaio returns -to her i own- people,' giving 'herself to:'the : warrior, EaiiEanga, of/tne. Ngati Eaukawas;-/and: Captain Lefargue Secures' the. hand' of. Ena Sher-' rington. . Tho.plot. is simple,''' arid tliomelodramatic elements are . conspicuous by; ;their; absence. .Fox Eaton; plays /the ■double": part/of traitor to 'the' British/by botraying'-'thcir plans- to the '-Maoris,.-and seeking/to .get control of the /wealth': of the -.Sherringtohs through 'their/daughter. Euai' who for /ii while is.' caught 'by/tho glamour -of -tlio adventurer. 1 - ■ But- he l-eckons.'Withoiit. the'beroiuo,/Ngaio,; who 1 is.ablo'tb confound the villain and rbmovo .a: stigma-put; upon -Captain Le-, fargue by. praducirig r docunidnttiry[evi: derice at', the'i'psychological;mdinbrit.,. A very, even[prbductiori; was .given, which. 'is. • not,- to ■ be ; very; much; .wbhdore'd' a't,' for most' of:.tho'[parts:,jyere specially written for the players, who ''delineated thbiri.:Mr. Grimwade's ;' Representation of ■ a "■ "new chum" was- that: of one to-the:,mario'r : born; Mr.; -Wallace had ■ a; very fair' idea, of./a Tohunga, and ;Mr. Cornish: scored heavily as the villain of the piny. These .were tho outstanding/ characters, /and Mrs. Cornish'realised tho subtle .nature [of the-Nativein.a/raarked;degree. Tho period-of the drama is. some sixty years ago,'when the British troops were operating: agairist thb Natives. ;The: : first and third. acts.. take: place ' iri: apartments in Auckland,' and the second: act in, the pah' at 'Ateamuri. pf:'skilled poi dancers ■■from'-. Maori settlements -near Feilding.was■ intrpduced. with great.effect," the girls giving a, fine/display. ' Mr. Toxward-W T oodmass r [who /was ■ii.' /charge.' of ;-tho;''orchestra,^arrarigedniusic ■ appropr.iatb to "Ngaio's" theme.,, //.After/ the. performance, Mr. and Mrs. Cornish ■ eritertriihed'- the "fficttlbers "bf - tlio' company and. some'others atsupper.in [the Denbigh 'Hotel.."[[ On behalf • of/'the guests, Mr. -Ered Pirani made a capital . speech,: in; thWplifßS-.ifff n¥hicbrlic? , "tmlo-'

giscd Mr. Cornish as a dramatist, and thb work of Mr. Cornish and his fellow- . players'on- tho stage. A meeting is to be hold in Mr. A. H. Atkinson's office on : Monday at 7.30 p.m. for tho- purposo of forming-a. branch of tho Navy League-in "Feilding. : ■ At the meeting of: tho local branch of the Church of England Men's Society this week it was stated'that' the Eev. H. S. Woollcombc, who is touring tho Dominion as-the : representative of tho society in England, will bein Feilding, on Sunday, April-17. A special committee was set up to make arrangements to receivo Mr. Woollcombc and to 'prepare for his meetings. A-letter to tho president of the local branch stated that Mr. .Woollcombo preferred; to address .men's meetings, in public halls rather than in the church. It is. probable, therefore, that the Drill Hall will /bo engaged for the meetings. The .meeting last night also set up a Tcmperanco Committeo and - a Purity Committee, the latter being recommended to consider the. advisability of forming a branch of thb White.'Cross League in Feilding. . . ,-.:.,'...; .• The promoters of the garden/party in aid of tho funds of the Manchester Band havecvery reason, to,be satisfied with ■ thb; result;. It. is-.understood, that as a . result of the fete over SiO .will be avail-able.for-the .band's, funds. The management.'of the preliminaries of. the' whole affair devolved mostly, on Mrs. A. James.