HAPPENINGS IN THE CAPITAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2154, 9 August 1907, Page 1

HAPPENINGS IN THE CAPITAL.

By "Penelope.”

Wellington. A QUAINT ENTERTAINMENT. At intervals through the year, Mr. Moore, our Seamen’s Missioner, organises entertainments of various kinds to swell the funds of the institution. He is one of tho best known men in Wellington, and his short, slight, almost boyish figure, and his handsome genial face, are welcome sights to the wandering mariner. The incarnation of cheerful energy, he makes, thing-, “hum,” as the Americans say, and his bazaars, or fioral Fetes, or sales of

work, aro always crowded. Quito a feature of his entertainments are the sido shows, Hold on tho landings or in tho little rooms off tho hall. On Saturday afternoon I walked down to tho Museum to see tho fete. A girl from the country was with me, and she was telling me how she missed her horses, and how sho loved ani.u-ils generally. Inside the hall, Mr Moore led us off to a buckiumping exhibition, repeated in our honor. We were a shade early, for the boy who did the back legs of the noble canvas steed was just getting into the

loose trousers and putting his head

inside the animal. But even with that disillusionizing peep, the'animal was fearsome, and when it made a savage snap at us, both of us shrieked -aloud and cowered into tho furthest corner. I reminded my friend, botwwen *gasps, of tho yearning she

had to see her horses and her love for animals. The creature was huge, with a vellpw canvas body painted, realistically and fitting loosely to the figure, a la rhinoceros. It had strange lumps, and bones unknown to anaiomy, and its head was a little like that of a tapir, ending in a long Roman nose, with fierce eyes and a contemptuous curl to its lower lip'. We squealed and laughed alternately, as we dodged its savage advances, Mr. Moore, with a determined gleam in his brown eye, mounted the brute, and I heard a meek whisper from tho back legs “Get up a little furtli-. r, please!” The missioner was pribably sitting on the unfortunate youth's head. After frantic struggles M>. Moore finally mastered the animal, and on the command, “Die!” it lay down in a collapsed heap, horrible to look at, with Mr. Moore astride triumphantly. From tho chaos emerged two perspiring, shirt-sleeved youths. For their arduous services they were

allowed free soft drinks at the refreshment stall around the corner. And well they earned tho privilege. For a real mirth-provoking entertai 1ment, commend me to Mr. Mm re« buckjumper. It would make a delicious “turn” at a variety show, and would make the dreariest and unit

solemn mortal laugh consumedly. One felt in its presence that fascinating thrill of terror that belongs to childhood. AVe left the haunt of the fi *y untamed stoed with the tears strev.'iing down our cheeks. Six ex-seamen inado the skin of sail canvas. SOCIAL NOTES.

Airs. Waldegrave, wife of tho see-, rotary .for Justice, gave a largo tea at tho Hotel Cecil, where sho and her husband aro staying, last week, • The usual pleasant ~ aceompanimen.ts, a string band, flowers, and dainty refreshments, were enjoyed by tho two hundred guests. It was -partly in honor of Airs. Harry Atkinson, Airs. AValdegravo’s daughter, who is in town, and staying with her aunt, Airs Amelins Smith, who gave a most charming progressive bridge j party for her last Thursday evening. There was an equal number of men and girls, and many fine players although play at these progressive parties is usually careless and desultory. The prizes, a lovely liberty vase of a

green-blue china, and a quaint, crimson leather blotter marked with, spades, diamonds, hearts and clubs, were won by Mrs McEwen and Mr. Ulrich.

Large At Homes have necessarily so many features in common that it is refreshing when a hostess strikes a new note. This was done by Mrs. Gilmer, who gave a tea for Mrs. Ziele, her daughter from Dunedin, who has been with her for some time. It was also for Mrs. Knox Gilmer nee Miss May Seddon —but, unfortunately, the Sydney boat was late coming in. The arrangement of the teatable was the feature of the tea. The beautiful dark polished oak was left uncovered, and set about with silver vases filled with golden-trumpet daffodils. Every dish, too, was silver, and each was set on a little d’oyley of the finest linen, delicately embroidered in white and with buttonholed scalloped edges. The effect of tlio.gleaming silver, the white linen, ■ and the yellow flowers, on the polished wood was charming, and the idea will probably be followed by other hostesses.

MADAME CARRENO The great pianiste has gone, taking with her, I fear, a very poor opinion of "Wellington, lor her audiences, though enthusiastic, have been small, ridiculously small, when her fame and genius are considered. What strikes one most about her playing is her imnmese force. In the forte parts, the little glass doors of the organ quiver, and she throws herself into her music so that, on one evening, one of the pulfs of hair became loose, and waved above her head like a grey feather ; indeed one man would not bo persuaded that it was not an aigrette. Her hair is peculiar, but rather fascinating. Where it sweeps back from the temples it is white, at- the back it is jet black, and the effect of the silver wings sweeping

over the dark tresses is decidedly piquant. She has a most determined face with strongly-marked eyebrows, dark eyes, and rather a stern mouth. There has been a tremendous. amount of discussion here as

to licr playing compared with Pader- j ewski’s generally to he advantage in point of sympathy—of the latter. But there are many musical folk who prefer her interpretation of Beethoven and Rubinstein to the great Pole’s. It is .presumably, a matter of temperament. Madame C'arreno privately was very charming and very enthusiastic over the lovely views to j be obtained front the hills about "VS e | lington

ABOUT PEOPLE. Miss Spencer—the secretary of the YAV-C-A.—is being entertained in various ways. She is a charming speaker, and has given various interesting addresses. She is a guest of Mrs Hislop, who though much bet-

ter from her really serious -illness, : s still confined to the house. Among those who are giving drawing-room meetings for Miss Spencer aro Mrs T. C. Williams, Mrs Glasgow, and All's. Luke. Mr. and Mrs ; Ernest Moss Davis from Auckland aro staying at the Grand. From private letters one learns that Miss Coates is 1 in the best- of health and spirits. Mr. and Mrs Tliorne-Georgo are guests of Mr. Coates. Miss Ilia Whitson, who has been staying with Mrs Burgess of Pahiatua, is staying ft week with her a lint,-Mrs Malcolm Ross, before she goes south to Dunedin Her marriage takes place early in October. Miss Ethel Rutherford, daughter of the member for Hurunui. lias conic to Wellington ; she has got over her attack of scarlet fever. Mrs Rutherford lias gone tV» Christ I church to be near her youngest boy, i who is down with pneumonia. I JOTTINGS FROM THE GALLERY.; j Parliament has not been desper- | ntely interesting this week. There j have been various stonewalls—an exi prossion by the way which is not permitted in tho Chamber—and on | the whole they have been dull. Mr. 1 Roderick MacKonzie’s Noxious. Weeds | Bill stopped the way, and the mem her who had the next two bills ir . charge was extremely wroth as the i chance of bringing them in grew less and less. A stonewall offers infinite capacities for wit and humor—almost, any topic, however irrelevant, can be dragged in—but there are few wits in Parliament, and tho discussion—if it can be dignified by such a tern)—was merely tedious repetition. Mr. Greenslade—the member for Waikato—took a. leading part in the talk and made speech after speech, each one a replica of the other. Air. Poole of Auckland —uttered impolite remarks at intervals in reference to phonographs, and “the same old records.” News has just arrived of the death of Air. “Clutlin,” Thomson who was member for that district for many years, and whose seat in the House is now ably filled by Air. Alaleolm. Air. Thomson was one of the lending figures in tho great stonewall many years ago, when the Opposition was forcing the Government to give certain information as to some expenditure on the Estimates. The gallery had been cleared by order of tho House, an extreme step rarely taken, and I happened through the decision of the Chairman of Committttes, who considered the, ladies gallery, and the inhabitants thereof, outside the Chamber, as in the Brit- .

isli House of Commons—to lie the only outsider to watch the proceedings. A quorum had to be kept, and blankets and pillows were brought in lor tho Government men, who slept and snored stretched out on their benches. The Opposition sent' half their men home to rest, and the other half stonewalled lustily. ' Towards dawn, tho chairman fell asleep, and the man talking spoke twice as long as he should have, because; there, was no one to check him, and no Government man awake to draw attention to the irregularity. About, seven o’clock there was an anxious moment for the Opposition. Each of their men had spoken the allotted time, and Air. “Clut.hu” Thomson the last was on his feet talking.about the spring morning, and the little birds singing, with some touching references to the sparrows. The chairman pulled him up for “tedious repetition,” a tiling forbidden by a standing order that is alas too, often a dead-letter. Mr. Thomson looked pained and astonished, but said meekly “very well, sir, 1 shall drop that topic. 1 shall now speak of the cuckoo.” Ho had only a few minutes to go, and all the struggle wouldhave been in vain had not the relieving force of tho Opposition, refreshed by bed and breakfast, appeared to take up the tale. It resn'toJ in a victory, for the items were eventually, after a continuous sitting of more than twenty-four hours, ,oval ed by the Premier.