SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 895, 15 August 1910, Page 11

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

What;the Ward Company Did, : -Anyone".knowing'- staid, sober,, u'nemo- . iioiial commercial Wellington, had they ' becnHn the streets oil Saturday: morning';,' as nearly everyone was, must have feltjiiiclined to rub their eyes and .ask,' -.themselyes,-''.'Whero bo. I, and-what bo; ! Ij adorn'?''.'•'■; Such.scenes, and such enthusiasm' as was being displayed;.,ouco 'Mid,''.for- all confuted the idea that it was.'a-.citv of hard-headed, tight-fisted, self-contained' inhabitants. Despite the ipburing r rain that, heedless of the cause fthat ..was being so ...energetically worked ifor;! pelted pitilessly down, the' memjbers of.'the Hush Ward Company gaily jtouredytho citv on their : motor lorryy Hyith .'ithoir attendant following of car* jand; collectors, and- blithely gavb their 'entertainment .for. sweet Charity's sake.. iDiscomiort there must have been, and jmuch'bf it, as'well as weariness, but it -was.' not: allowed -to interfere with their jentnusiasm.; With rain trickling "down /their.>faces, "running down their necks, and'-anywhere else it could possibly find a.crevicbj'thoy appealed to :the public for;the, children,"and their appeal mot with a wonderful rosponso. Nothing was thought; or but the object which was ihtthe/minds: of all, and a thorough" re? cognition'-of • the splendid that were being' made by these: visitors to ourJcity. Nothing had been needed to make-'i the Ward Company known and liked in 'Wellington—they had always been; favourites in'the public estimaJtibn, but after Saturday.they will ai-j-wavs meet: with a special weicomb in vWejlihgton, and leave behind them a 'very :special remembrance '. '.-■'■''■'■■'. . 'Nothing could daunt: their : gaiety, iand;: equally "it seemed >s though northing "'that ■' people had , was; withheld, .Those who had'no scarcity "of money rupon thorn cave.jfreely, and those to iwnom their little meant so much also (gave even more freely.Toil-worn lookling with facfes all "aglow with in-' jterest; and.the: desire .to help. on. the. (.work,, women, children,. especially., the fsmall' boys' to iwhonnthrowirig '■ is ever a joy,'all. helped to swell the .sum that by-and by will ; do. so much to brighten thevlives-and decrease the suffering-of those' ■:.,.whom ;■ everyone-' would - do. .so •-.■■•'much''■■. to ""keep ■ from!, pain. iWhich'; ;■, is .' the..i»: r mostv„-.... : pitiable,-, , ahildren or dumb ; '~ s uffering v ~''ani- ' rials,''it is .impossible to say. The unfortunate thing: is that so far thoani-. .mals have tn snffer and die—and that -.'iiß'all about it,.yet.,----'! ■.• ■. ■.-.- ■ .*ln,the afternoon the same eagerness ■and; animation pervaded cverybno at tho ' the Opera-House. : Nevbr -was. there an oudienco so willing to bo' i (pleased, and surely 'never a .company who'tried to please them as this ono. How, they could display, suck life, such zest; ; 'after the strenuous morning they had.passed thrbugh;was wonderful, and BPeaks volumes for their-courngo." and obliteration of self. Only in their voices jat first.was weariness at all evident,.but !after ; -;a:-few. moments it was /not ■ ob'l sbrvable.'.' ,Tho-tremendous-welcome,''or irather.fdvation, -.that was accorded ■ Mr. \ Hugh - Ward and Misß Grace Palotta i must >have told them something of the ■appreciation-that.they. and. the mem- . bers; of:.the'Company were held in by Wellirigton.people,'for their tremendous . iseconding .of the .Mayoress's scheme for .suffering .children.,- The presentations l^yVwere. so spontaneously, made are tmementoes that;Mr; "Ward ; and .Miss Pilotta/will-'. surely, always.- be able -to look pleasure, as. reminders of/.the added brightness brought" into ■tne.'lives.of'the' little sufferers in this ■ cityi';- : '-'v- '...•-..■ .--,;.

•Weilding at Patea. ■';"_; ''■;-.. A:- very largo number of .people n »- : f^b'ed ■■■in-S^-,Georgß's-Chnrch ) -Pateai-Jast-.Wednesday afternoon to witness the.marriage of Miss Evelyn Geary and ; Mr - D.'Pownall.: The ceremony was ■performed by .the . H; : L; Dearie* . Ihe.-bndo "wore a very/charming hand-, , somely.; embroidered white' robdj / and ■■: wore.;'thß iisual veil 'and wreath- of orange blossoms. :Sho was attended by two sisters as- bridesmaids,- Miss Moiui ;,, Geary, wearing a.dress'of green ninon ■ ovor,grcen- silk, and- Miss Maisie Geary, .' ■'•S??™k' a ; dles3 oftlio palest pink silk. ; the.bridegroom's' presents' to the brides-' "-■ maids-W;i-e-.-a gold bracelet to >: Miss . and a'pony-to-Miss.Maisio Gtary.; ? At'lcr tlid ceremony u'ieo'ep- • iL 0Il: fr a3 • b y tho: bride's parerits-'atf thfi.Masonic Hotel,-where a-large number: of. fricnda assembled.. AMeature'of the; wedding .was the. largo-'number" of Maoris who were present, fully 70 ac- . ceptmgan- invitation ,to attend it "A' ~ most .interesting, -speech . was made .by < Mr.',okina Brongbtoii (Opnnnke), who' expressed-. m dignified Maori tho - Pleasure, it gave them in being present ■ at tho .pakcha wedding, and thanked . Mr.,.and,-Mrs.-Geary,for;-tlieir invito-' . tion.,;. Ihe speech' was-interpreted: for' the benefit of t!n>. European guests by Mr. • Piki. Broughton; Several hakaa were given in honour of tho cvwi'tj'and later on m the afternoon Mr. and Mrs ■ Pownoll.left for the south..' . .

. Mrs. Burgess, of '.I'icton,. is'■ visiting friends in Wellington. . ; ■ '

Tho attention of tho directi esses </f each ward of the recent flower pageant is directed to tho request that six flowers out' of each ward should join in the chorus of tho new and original song, compoted by Mrs. Bainbridge and to'bo siiiig by Miss B. Ward, at tho performance of.''Caste" this evening. .Tho poppy children, or at least a number of them, are already engaged to take part in it, but it is thought that if otlier flowers join in, the effect will be still moro attractive. Those who decide to take part in it aro requested to be. at the Opera. House to-morrow afternoon at half-past four (not in flower costume), and again,' on tho night of tho performance at half-past seven in tho costuino of tho flowers they represent. Tlioy will not be need-, ed for tho other nights of tho performance of "Caste."

Miss Evelyn 'Doyle, referred to In a cablegram on Friday as having mado a successful debut at a Melba concert at Harrogate (England) is a Brisbane girl. She is the daughter of Mr. James Doylo, who for some years was. lessee of the Ulster. Hotel, in' Edward Street, Brisbane..- Some years ago.she was fortnnato enough to .catch tho ear of: Melba, through whose'generosity and interest she:has been able to study under the best teachers at Home.

■At the..performance of "Caste" . this evening, a new. and original poem, entitled; "For 1 cho- Children's Sale,'' is to bo recited by Miss Mary. Butler. Tho poem is her.own composition, and this .will be,the first time of its appearance, ■in. Wellington or elsewhere.■• It: will" immediately follow/ the "production of Mrs. Bainbridgb's now song.