CECIL HAINES'S FAREWELL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2013, 21 March 1914, Page 2

CECIL HAINES'S FAREWELL.

AN ENTEtJSIASTIO GATHERING. Oiio pf the most eiithusmstic fare? wells on record in Wellington was accorded to. Siisa Cecil Haiiips at the Toivn Halt lust evcninKj on the eve of her departu.l-e for Australia. It wa-s semothjng other than an ordinary coiiiplimentj for this, whimsical little s.pri;tb with her wioqest mien .and abbUnding talent has .endeared herself tc the hearts of Wellington andiences in ' quite in extraordinary fashion, and that H«<l- - sympathy and sentiment that she commands wetted up to hign-niitbr mark, culminating in a- s.eeMo cf iiare eßthiisiasm. Every sea,t in the big hall, including the ehoir henftlios, was bc'eUipicd long before 8 o'rfbbk, and hundreds had to be refused admission, much to the regret of the 'cbmniittee' wiiicli manag«d the concert. $he gfcgramnib was (Ibliglitfi.illy suited to the beftasien and consisted mostly of the perform* ances of & group, of ■eleve-r Btti,ochil- : dreti, who have been associated. with' little Miss Cecil Haio.es on and off the platform. 'fJw atte.iitioji was at gripped at the o.pening by the patacte and Kroupiiig of the women arid cliil-' d.ten of '"'Chaucer's Bay," a mo# pib-' tureso/uc spectaelo tha% filled the ejb arid pleased tlip cploup fi.is group was arranged mider thi* d'iifbctioii > gf; Sirs, James Hannah, arid in its Mtli;-! fulness rcflebtbd refilled and artistic ideas. The star, 'performer was naturally the beneflciaire liersolf, arid rarely lias the estfaflfdinar.V talent, of. Miss. Haines be.dri so ebriviiidrigty displayed. Wo have .seen bfir riiatty times ,iri the "Friendly Waitbf'-' trom "ibavid 00-pperlield," in which she • sbores so Jie'avi'ly by tlio manii.ef in ivhicli siiti ■ lives the part, and lier appearance in the scerib ivas received ivjt.li riiiich s fa* ■ vbur. Mr. Herman Aitkei'i Sva? Gspital : as tlio waiter, . Geeil ivas bhariniiig, too, ii.s Alios in the Jriad tc.ai-pafty scene:; from "Alice in Wonderland,'! present--ing the- charactbr with ■.prqeisely that combihatioii 'of. dem.urbrie.Ss and; 'self-:] possession reqiJ.irbd : fbr . tlip part, Shbl Was cleverly supported by ?ilaste,r Eei* . giis Keov'es as ife 3!ad Hatter, Master;, jlaiiiicb Rbbv.es ;as thb Sleepy Eownbuse:, ■ and Miss. l?it.a.:..Clia.p.riia:!i as. the ..March' Ha.T:o. Tlie. liaj.l was 'too I'ai'gb'.fpr'Lewis.! C).arrpll''s Jmrriour to caTry wbll, but'' there was Hb denytog tlip. 'aibilit.y of the talented flli.aftet in tlio quaint sketch-.. as the p;ueer, ■griiljiiy. li'titlb' ' Ma*fc.hionesg ("Old'■'Ou'rioS'jt.j' Sh'o'p'''), ; the 'efevbr, little girl simply eaptrired the ' house. She was. too plu'.iii.p' arid p'reiit.y,. perhaps, to be the ideal' wbb waif tliflt : Sally.Brass vised to thrash daily as a., reereatioii, but the mailner in, Whicli; she conveyed her abject : misejry arid fright, and her wonder at the theatrical rhetoric of the loiiftaeious Dick 'Sifivbi-' icr reflbeted, an ifi'telligeiiob arid insight; into eliarapter far bej'o'nd .heir years,! '-. Mr. J- Ms Clark's elqcutiaiiary stylo' Was capitally stiitbd to the demands bf : Sw ; iyellbi\ Miss Haines also dariced.; g'rac'bfijlly. another bdition of the • elu-? ' ■ siye Argeiitirio tango, in co.riipa'ffy with! Miss Ma.rjerib p'Sliea) ..a bfight Qiid ■ little dancer of tender yearsj ■ grid tripped the light ■faiitas.tip toe to j the vocal' lilt "D.ottn by tlib Mississippi I River Sljo.r.e," plfiasafttly sung 'by Vtt Norraaii Hale?'.' With tbirfc talbritbd cp.medieiwe Miss Ethel .li(ss'abkj Dr.; Sales, appearfid auccosssfeflty in a liumori-^ .ouS skbtch, Little jean. Plinimbr. darieed witli -airy grace,; and 'diowe'd.! SQino pretty haii.d oiid arm movements-: iii a danbo inteided to convey the beau- : ties of Mgndelsspliri's ".'Sprihg Sprig"; Wyoftfte Hayhittifl showed a jiic'6 {ability, i'br tip-tpo«.d'aiicin*; Jli.iii.'za, jlOdgers : : arid iPeg|y''§Jseyes also exnibifed .tlieir,, paces as .juvbuiib. dariceri.,.. Miss: B'ttzeJ.": •Teffery, lc'oking very sivept iii'licr scaW' tot rbb.es of the o'ffl Ve'iietojin Law; [ Courts, dblivbrcd the riier.ey : speeeli of, Portia frpiji "The Merchant sf s SPpnjce-, J t; frith confidence arid uriders'tajidihg.S . ■&■'■' oliantiiiig'' .song was. prettily suiig hy : Master Rodney i ! aiikki.r'st, aiid MasteJ Lebna'rd Pbwor-recited Li The Newsboy's quite, Tlib oiily siiaight-Qut vocal iteni svas .coiitribute'd 6y. Miss Agnes Segrief,. who .sang \vitih refinement and good expression '.*Dowri in the- Fbi'est." As all tlio assisting performers .grpMpbd th.emEeivos An tlip stage, wliilst Miss, 'jjita ; Cliapriiaft ioeitedj with cp.ni'mbrioia.bl.e in* tb'ilige.hbe-,, sbma clbvcr liftes. :dedifiated by Mr. Fraift Morton to littlo 'Cfep.il; jl'aiiios., who was produced at exiibtiy', flip proper moment. .. to receive, t1i0.,; plaudits of tlib Big aud.teiiob. Then. came flo'w'ers, chocolates .galorofpr tlie. gifted, .child, followed by tlye. 'siij'gi'ng-.of : "Aula Lang Syuo" and cheers.'; Meii'' tioii should be made of the .Keats4ikb. decoraiibri of the stage, wliic'h biihari'ced.! tlio scerib to no incoiiside.ra'bib.ex.foiiti .