HAPPENINGS IN THE CAPITAL

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2117, 27 June 1907, Page 1

HAPPENINGS IN THE CAPITAL

By “Ponelopo.” "Wellington. • THE MIDNIGHT WEDDING. 1 Harcourt Beatty lias taken the ) placo of Julias Knight at the Ojiora House, and is drawing tromejulous houses. On Saturday evening the Theatre was packed, hundreds standing throughout the play, which is a romantic melodrama, abundant in all the points that appeal to the heart of the British public—especially to tho feminine section of that body. The hero—and Harcourt Boatty acts the hero with an entrancing swagger anti grace—is a. Prince who forogoes his rank for the sake of his love, and tho heroine, a Princess, who loves in spite- of social desparity and the trifling* drawback that her husband has weUriiigh killed her brother in. a duel. The tender nassion in these romantic plays is volcanic in its action, springing suddenly,into full life at tho first meeting, and triumphing over all difficulties. In the Midnight Wodding the.finale, is not seon in the . first act, but the interest is sustained to the very end and even then the hero .does not do what you expect. Harcourt. Boatty makes a charming lover, though, like Julius Knight, he is by no means of commanding figure. But ho is slight, graceful and quietly intense, and wonderful at swordplay, which craft figures loudly in tho story. All accompaniment of martial music threads the plot. The dresses are beautiful, particularly those of Miss Congdon, the leading lady, who appeared in a white net entirely embroidered with silver and crystal, in tlie first act another of her lovely gowns was a pale blue satin, with a fichu of old laco clasped with roses at the breast, and a huge picture, hat with lace draperies and a wealth of roses inside thc'brim. All her frocks, as well as tho beautiful mushroom colonial cloth coat with black velvet braiding that she wore in tho last act, were made in Empire style. A notable feature of the play was the intensely amusing acting of one-of tho trio of red hussars, Bobo, who was tho darling of. the galleries, even when lie never opened liis mouth. Tin? Fatal "Wedding, :with its famous Tin-Can Band of youngsters, is the second play that company puts on. ; SOCIAL NOTES. Mrs. Stopford, wife of Dr. Stopford, of Auckland, to whose skill Mrs. PrOnse a/icribcs her restoration to health, is staying with Mrs. Prouse at present. Miss Whitson, from Dunedin, who has been in Rotorua for the last two weeks, is with Mrs. Malcolm Ross. Miss Lorna Rathay, on her way from Gisborne, where she has been a guest of Airs. Frank Williams, stayed a week with Mrs. Fulton. Miss May Seddon’s marriage takes place on the first Wednesday in July. The only bridesmaid is to he Miss Ruby Seddon, who puts her hair up oil the occasion, and is to , wear a most exquisite crepe frock, and a white hat' with an immense white drooping plume. She will make a lovely bridesmaid. The wed- , ding is to take place from the Aides- , worth street house, and later on the family move into the new. residence. , Miss Margaret Waldegrave, from Palmerston North, is with Mrs. Anielnis _• Smith. • By the Aloeraki, Airs. Esnio . Dean, daughter of Airs. Edwin Dean, 1 returned from Sydney. Airs. Bonai'j ; wife of the lato Hon. Air. Bonar, is , staying with Mrs. Butt, on her way j from Australia to the West Coast. lieutenant and Airs. Pickering and' , their little soil leave this week for> * England.' Aliss Willis, from Alarton,! is with her sister,: Airs. Duncan Alen- ■ zies. Another open breathing-space ( in our congested city is being built j over, Mr. Robert Lconi sold his large . house and land aboiit it to Mr. lan ■ Duncan, who has cut up tho garden ( facing Hobson street into small sec- j tio'iis on which houses are already being erected. Mrs. Tweed has moved into a house in Hobson-street, and r Dr. Bell, who starts for Canada this ■ week, lias lot liis house to Mr. and 1 Airs. Robert Sinclair. Air. • HallJones is much better; indeed, lie and, Mrs Christie, liis married daughter, took -a walk along to tlie Botanical 1 Gardens at the beginning of this week. He will probably go away tor * a change soon. Mrs. Pomare 'and ' Miss Woodbine-Johnson have gone to ' ■ Gisborne to escape the winter. j VARIOUS GAIETIES. ~ Mrs. Prouse gave a notable tea lase week in honor of her guest, Airs. < Stopford, from Auckland. Alost de- 1 lightful music was giyen by Aliss i Prouse, her father (who was in fane ( voice), and Air. George Prouse. ihe latter, who is a hard-working student i at "V ictoria College, has a charming ■ voice, intensely sweet and expressive, t and he plays his own accompani- I ments. Indeed, no member of the ( family is without musical talent, it was a raw winter afternoon, and the l bright warmth and delicious tea were keenly appreciated. Exquisite, tall r white lilies, narcissi, and autumn leaves decorated the table oi the handsome dining-room, which, is remarkable for , its fine mantelpiece o: ] beaten copper. By the way . apropos . of beaten coppers, I hear Air. Don- < nelly has given, a commission to an j artistic Wellington man for a quan- 1 tity of fittings in this beautiful ban- : dicraft for his new house. A rather 1 unusual type of evening party, was given last Wednesday by . Airs. J. G. < Fulton. • Guests were asked to wear < masks and dominos, or masks and < fancy dress, so that their identities i might be hidden, one of the pastimes of the evening consisting in guessing * who was who. ■ Consequently, most 1 disguised themselves not only as regards person but also in regard to i voice, with most amusing results. Tlie 1 host wandered about, masked as a. Frenchman, speaking broken English, and few discovered who he was till the unmasking before supper took place. Tho small committee gave the prize for the best and most effectual disguise to Airs. Alaclean, who was u sandwich man, and kept up the character to the last, to the mystification of her dearest friends. The prize for tho men fell to Air. Jack Stout, son of the Chief Justice. Quaintly enough —when one remembers the strict temperance principles of that' household —the award happened to he a silver corkscrew! The whole scene was extremely amusing, for each masked guest was making frantic efforts to find out who was his neighbor, generally with little success. A Dutchman wandered about, stout and stolid,, with his hands in his pockets, and notliing but a grunt ' for conversation. There was a magnificent Alan-

claim- —a really beautiful, dress—a monk, cricketers, a brawny Highlander, various courtiers, and. a baby with flaxon curls escaping from a little round linen cap. The successful ones at guessing- the " identities wero Aliss Chrissie Smith and " Air. Rex Bridgo. Progressive bridge formed the attraction in one of. the rooms—Aliss Sybil Nathan and Air. • Harold Harcourt were and in a little room near the roof, made mystic by draperies, dim red lights, and- dark foliage, a masked fortune-teller dispensed varied fates to a stream of curious guests. , A NEW ZEALAND KATE GREENAWAY. This is no-new title for Aliss .Bendall, who this weefk is showing some of her delightful pictures of children. Aliss. Bendall has the gift of drawing ■ young children to . perfection, and making pictures, of their graceful poses and quaint ways." .Two of those exhibited illustrated ■ Robert Louis Stevenson’s fascinating - verses for children. One represents the little girl “going to bed .by day” .in Summer; in the other, tlie fat little "hoy is busily 'engrossed dressing—ln winter— by Candle light. Nearly all the pictures are sold and many' orders 'have. flowed in. Aliss Bendall, who,is. not only artistic, but extreme ! v Ipretty. and a most ’cleft needlewoman and housekeeper,'- the-strangest - r f combinations,-. could well in -Sydney, where for a time she was, and -where she; would be made welcome again.

' OUR PUBLIC; LIBRARY. Important, additions have /been made to our library which has'proved all too small for tho growing population of tho city, Tho newspaper room is worth a visit, holiday, or week day, it is always-full, and' oiio can imagine - what a great boon it must' be to the flotsam and jetsam of the city, old men past;work, or strangers, not- to mention undosirablo characters sometimes ,who may feel inclined for. current literature. -Tho rows; of tired, old, careworn, or hardened faces form a pathetic study.. The reference room lias been doubled ,6k size, and in the teml in g “library bolbw , there is- a most com testable space screened off where ladies can read magazines and papers. A number of,American journals fori women are kept, and they are,excel- I lent., much hotter, brighter and,,more helpful than their English.prototypes. Anyone who knows the Homo Journal, published,, in Philadelphia,, will hear mo out in this. If ever anyone from your town should go to Wei- | lington and want a brief interval of rest and literature go to the Free Public. Library.