Birmingham Notes

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 47, 17 October 1891, Page 3

Birmingham Notes

[from otjr own correspondent. ] .jgA. highly successful meeting of the Sjf Kiwitea ■• Literary Association, was held the Town Hall, ' Birmingham, ou Wed- ™ nesday. the 14th inst. There was a fair gx* attendance. Let it be noted there was no charge; at the door, the ordinary meetings of the Association being free to members and their friends. The business of the meeting was somewhat late in being started, but the officers oftheAs- • sociation nrast be excused as there was a amount of preliminary work '$■ to be gone through on this occasion. The minutes of the previous meeting = having b*een read and confirmed Mr T. A. Bryce, the president, gave notice that he * would move at the next ordinary meetiiJPS' "That a code of bye-laws as drawn « tip°by the cornniiltee, be adopted by the Association." The bye-laws in question *S were read by the secretary, Mr H. Tolley. The president then intimated that the committee had decided at the next ordinary meeting that after the conclusion of routine business the question of " Is perpetual lease preferable to freehold" would be. discussed, Mr H. Tolley, junior, to open the debate. The next subject to be considered, if time allowed, was " The life of Burns arid his works," Mr H. H. Pitcher to introduce the subject. The nam.es of 14 persons were proposed as members of the Association. This concluding the business of the meeting. The next part of the programme, consisting of musical and literary items, was then proceeded with. A pianoforte duet, Mrs Fowler and Miss Lowes, was rendered in brilliant style, This was followed by a reading from Mr H. Tolley, junr;, the piece taken was "A Christmas Dinner " from " Sketches by Boz," by Dickens, Mr Tolley depicted with graphic effect the various characters assembled on that eventful day, from grandpa, who bought the turkey, to the young cousins who ilhted when the elders were away. Mrs Tribe, from New Plymouth, next delighted the audience with her rendering of the favourite song " Take back the Hearty Mrs Tribe possesses a fino contralto voice and rendered her song yerjfcimngly. The next item, " The Gipsy CountosSfc" a yocal duet, was sung by Mrs Fowler, and Miss Lowes, the item being fipplauded to the echo. This was followed by a recitation, "The sick St§ckndir," from M. 11. 11. Pitcher. The reciter was somewhat nervous at the start, but warming to his work, finished in a style worthy of himself. " Jessica's Dream," was very nicely sung by Miss Kilgpur. I have nothing but praise for Kilgour, who possesses a beautiful voice, tmt I have heard her to better advantaged Tins, concluded the first portion of the entertain men t. After an in- > terval of five minutes, the second part was opened with a lecturette, " How to make the best of Life," by the Eev \V. Birks. Tho Piev gentleman gave a fair sketch of how we should live, but verged very closely on a sermon, losing sight oi the fact that the Association is a secular one. However, the address was an excellent one and was well received. The iiexbitem, a song, -was excellently rendered by Miss Lowes. The next item, " Pviug out tho old, and ring in tho new," a duet, was sweetly rendered by Mr W. and Miss Johnston, of Cheltenham. The last item was a song from Mr H. Tolley, senior. It was a little thing of his own , and quite new, and this will excuse the audience for not joining in the chorus. Mr Tolley's soug contained some local hits which wero much appreciated. A * yery happy meeting was terminated bj the singing of tho " National Anthem." Mrs Fowler playing tho accompaniment. We are having our full share of accidents iv this district, and it will be a * great blessing to the dwellers in the back country when we can send injured men it to a hospital in Palmerston North instead r of "the weary journey to Wanganui which causes so much needless suffering. -Hi Mr Anyon has been appointed local agent of the Phoenix office, of which Mr Sherwill is the District Agent,