FAREWELL TO ADA REEVE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 11, 8 October 1917, Page 6

FAREWELL TO ADA REEVE

PRESENTATION BY THE'RETURNED SOLDIERS. There was a scene of enthusiasm at the Grand Opera House on ?aturday evening when, alter her patriotic appeal on behalf of the Anzac Club and Buffet, Miss Ada Reeve came _ forward to say good-bye. She ■ was busily engaged in magnetising money from the audience for the soldiers on furlough in London when a quiet little figure in evening dress walked on to the stage. 'It nas Lieutenant-Colonel ,T. 6. Hughe, who apologised for his intrusion, to make a small presentation on behalf of the returned soldiers of Wellington to the wonderful little woman who had done so much for the soldiers in England, Egypt, Australia, and New Zealand. It was an album containing tho signatures of th,e boys, with plenty of room for more, and was just something to show how very grateful they were to Miss Reeve, cs he was sure everyone iu New Zealand was. (Applause:) .Miss Reeve, m reply, said that this act of '-the returned men was a fitting termination to a magnificent week. Nothing could have pleased lio'r more than a book containing the signatures of those for whom she hoped she had fliown by her actions her deep appreciation and love. (Applause.) She had had a deligntful time in New Zealand. Hers had been such a triumphal progress that she did not know whether she was Ada Reeve or Joaii of Arc! (Laughter and applause.) What little she had been able to do she did willingly, and she would go on doing it until tho end. She felt that in doing this work she had been given superhuman strength. She n»ain thanked Colonel Hughes for the beautiful album, and, dropping a tint that her absence from Wellington may not be so, long after all, bid the great audience good-night. ■ The album given Miss Keeve by (he soldiers was tastefully bound in green leather, with a facsimile of Miss Reeve's signature in gold on one of the top corners. It contained somo hundreds of signatures, but plenty of pages for those of the returned soldiers in the south. Before the presentation Miss Keeve was presented with some of the most elaborate and costly iloral tributes (one with a JilO note attached) that have ever been passed- over the footlights ot the Grand Opera House. After the flowers came two beribboned bottles ot champagne from tho Commercial Travellers. Miss Reove at once said that tho travellers must have known v.hat ,slie would do with them, for she intended to nut them up for auction for the benefit of the funds of tho Anznc Club. And up went tho champagne, and the bottles were sold over and over again until the sum of 32 guineas had been realised for them. Otherwise Gome .£4O was subscribed to tho funds by members of the audience.