NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 785, 27 December 1876, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Foresters’ Fete. —The annual gathering of the Foresters took place yesterday in Mr John Anderson’s paddock. There was a large attendance of visitors, and the sports passed off very successfully as a whole. An account of the various events will be found elsewhere. Music Hale. —Owing doubtless to the strong counter attractions elsewhere, Messrs Kohler and Beat’s entertainment last evening was not so well attended as its merits deserved. Tbe various items on the programme, however, were rendered by Messrs Bent, Kohler, and Waud, with undiminished success, and appeared to be highly appreciated by the audience. The entertainment will be repeated this evening. Accident. —A sad accident occurred yesterday afternoon. After the alarm of fire the hand-engine and hose-reel were being drawn by a cab up the Papanui road, with several men and boys running alongside, among others a little fellow twelve years of age, named James Merson, son of Mr George Merson, painter, corner of Madras and Salesbury streets. Opposite Mr Gapes’ place, the lad tripped and fell, and one wheel of the engine and hose-reel passed over his chest. He was immediately picked up and conveyed to the hospital. It is believed that both lungs are ruptured, and last night but slight hopes were entertained of his recovery. It may be mentioned that the engine weighs over one ton. Fire, —Shortly after five o’clock yesterday afternoon the fire bells rang out an alarm, and it was stated that a house occupied by Mr Francis Carter, in Merivale lane, St Albans, was on fire. The engines were quickly turned out, and the brigade proceeded to the scene, but were too late to save the building, which was a wooden one, and burnt down to the ground in a very short time. The house contained six rooms (four on the ground floor), with one chimney leading through the roof. Mrs Carter had been washing, and burning a wood fire all day, and about five o’clock, when in the yard, she observed smoke issuing from one of the upstair rooms, near the chimney. She at once ran up, and saw smoke coming out from between the boards, and in a few moments flames burst out, communicating with the ceiling. Several neighbors came to her assistance, but were only enabled to save a few dothea and articles to the value of about £2, before the whole building was enveloped in flames. The house and furniture were insured in the Victoria Office for £2OO, but about £BOO worth of property has been destroyed. The embers were put out by the brigade with the small hand-engine. Several members of the fire and regular police were present Sad Accident at Port Chalmers.— Saturday’s Otago Daily Times reports . “ A shocking accident occurred yesterday at Port Chalmers to a little boy named Arthur Smith, of some six summers, and the son of John Smith, a laborer. The child had been sent from home with the mid-day meal of his father, who was working at the Graving Dock. Having delivered his father’s dinner, he was despatched home again, but instead of making direct for the entrance to the dock enclosure, he made a detour and attempted to walk across the dock gates, which were closed, the steamer Eotorua being in the dock, and the dock of course dry. Whether the poor little fellow turned giddy or missed his footing will never be known, but when he was half way across he fell headlong into the dock, upon the stone apron, a depth of twenty-four feet. Men working about the dock—amongst them the boy’s father rushed to his assistance, but the first glance at the prostrate body sufficed to banish hope, the little fellow’s forehead being split from temple to temple, his brains protruding, and a portion of them bespattered on his clothing. The father carried his child home, and both Dr Drysdaleand Dr O’Donoghue were speedily in attendance, but of course could hold out no hope of a recovery.” Avonside Church. —Christmas Day at Avonside will always be associated with the opening of the new and beautiful chancel of the (colonially speaking) venerable parish church. Some fifteen months ago we had to record thecompletion and opening of the transepts which had been built in and over the original chancel, an excellent specimen of Early English architecture, and embracing those desiderata for a church—roominess, loftiness, and ventilation. This might be considered as the first portion of an entirely new church —of which the second was opened on Christmas morning, with all the accessories of floral decorations, festal music, and the presence of the Primate, and the interior, as it was then seen, presented a picture which will long be remembered by those who were present. The service at 8 30 a.m, was choral celebration of Holy Communion, with an address from the Bishop, suitable to the season and the special occasion. There was a second celebration at the 11 am. service, when the sermon was preached (in the unavoidable absence of the Dean) by the incumbent, the Rev H. Glasson. The congregations at both services were large, and there were over 100 communicants, and the offertories, which were for Sunday-school purposes, reached nearly £lO. The music was of the usual festal character, and was ably rendered by the choir of the church, uumberiugeightmen and twelve boys, who appeared for the first time in surplices, the organ accompaniments being well played by Mr Milner; and a striking testimony to the acoustic properties of the building was afforded, as the organ, which although a sweet is not a powerful instrument, was heard with great distinctness and clearness in every I art of the church, f he Christmas decora*

tions were marked with great taste and simplicity, and were judiciously arranged to lead the eye up to the central point of attraction, the chancel itself. This, although lacking some finishing touches, is very beautiful. Color noth on roof and floor and walls has been used with unsparing band—unsparing, but judicious—for there is an admirable harmony prevailing throughout, and the effect of the afternoon light on the beautiful east window is wonderful. The carved work in the panelling of the reredos should be noticed; but it wants, as seen from the body of the church, color, which is, we understand, to be added; whilst the altar covering is a miracle of the art of needlework, it says something for the progress of a healthy feeling in the parish that such a work as this has been designed and carried out in Hew Zealand. The whole of the work is from designs by Mr Mountfort, and has been carried out under his direction, Boxing Day in Port,— The holiday was strictly kept in Port, people amusing themselves in a variety of ways. The carriers’ picnic was well attended and a very gallant show the various vehicles gaily bedecked with flags made as the procession went through the principal streets of the town. The excursions to Port Levy in the p.s. Titan, and to Pigeon Bay in the s.s. Akaroa were both exceedingly well patronised ; while the s.s. Lyttelton, Captain Agar, was crowded time after time with eager throngs. Many Foresters went up to Christchurch by special train to take part in the fete ; but in spite of the number of people that went away, Port was crowded, every train bringing pleasure-seekers, the hills round the town being quite populated with excursionists and picnic parties. The vessels showed plenty of bunting, and the yachts Fleetwing and Annie Ogle took out adventurous mariners, and there being a stiff breeze, damped them well with spray, and, in fact, all Port went holiday making with the utmost determination, and, thanks to the lovely weather, nearly all succeeded in passing a really pleasant day. The Bink,—There was a large attendance at the skating rink last evening, when a new attraction in the shape of Mdlle Franzini, a lady bicycle performer, was presented. Her performance is a most remarkable exhibition of skill, and one which until seen can hardly be appreciated. Indeed it is hard to believe without doing so that the feats performed by this lady can actually be performed. It is impossible to describe them; but we may mention one in whioh a number of bottles with lights in the necks of them are placed in close proximity to each other on the floor of the rink. To look at them, one would fancy it impossible for anything to go amongst them without upsetting them or deranging their order, yet Mdlle Franzini guides her bicycle into the midst of them and around amongst them in every conceivable way without once touching them. She also performed a number of feats with a grace and ease which was something remarkable. Altogether the performance is one of great skill, The other portion of the entertainment consisted of skating by Lillie and Mr Taylor, and there was also the usual general skating. Mdlle Franzini will appear again to night, and it is well worth a visit to the rink to see her performance alone. Theatre Royal, —Last evening Mr Emmet made his first appearance before a Christchurch audience, and so far as his performances are concerned, with success. The piece itself—as a piece—is not remarkable for any originality or high literary merit. It is simply a vehicle for the display of Mr Emmet’s peculiar talents both as a Dutch comedian and a singer. The other characters, if we except that of Louisa, charmingly played last evening by Mrs Hill, are mere accessories to carry on the dialogue and do not take any prominent part in the play. In a word the piece is, as its name imports, “ Fritz,” and him alone, except the one scene of the recognition of the brother and sister. We must not, however, be understood by this in any way to detract from the merit of Mr Emmet ; far from it. He is so good in his own peculiar line that one can well afford to pardon the comparative obscurity to which the other characters are relegated. While he is on the stage he so completely absorbs the attention of the audience, not so much from the prominence of the character as from his own talent that the defect, if it be one, in the construction of the piece is entirely forgotten. It is impossible not at once to warm to Mr Emmet. The moment he comes on the stage he establishes friendly relations between the audience and himself, which as the piece progresses grows in intensity. There is a grace and a natural air about all he does which it is impossible to resist, and withal such a quaintness, which makes his acting irresistibly amusing. His points are made with such an absence of straining after effect, and yet so strongly, that makes them infinitely more telling, and his good humor and flow of spirits are infectious, so that while he occupies the stage the interest he excites never flags. In the opening scenes the unaffected manner in which he tells his history, and the quaintness he infuses into his common saying, "Ish dat so?" was rendered by Mr Emmet very artistically. The various characters he assumes in the second act, where the principal portion of the pretty melodies incidental to the piece are introduced, were rendered with a care and artistic effect in each, which made them very successful. Whether as the dainty German watercress girl with her melodious refrain, the rollicking Bologna sausage lad, or the sturdy guide to the mountains, Mr Emmet gave us a very faithfuland interesting pictureof the peculiarities of each. In the scene of the recognition of his sister, which closes the second act, Mr Emmet showed that, in addition to the rich vein of humor he undoubtedly possesses, he has powers for delineating more pathetic passages, and his acting in the scene referred to, though but, ss it were a few touches compared with the pictures he bad before presented, displayed a master hand. As a siuger Mr Emmet is also very good. Though not possessing a voice of any great power, his singing is essentially sweet and sympathetic, and we have not had so charming or sweetly suug a piece as “ The Lullaby ” here for many a day, His other songs, most of them set to pretty and catching melodies, were nicely sung. To hear the music be produces from a toy mouth barmonicon is something astonishing, and he also plays other instruments capitally. Altogether, as the introducer of a totally new line here, and one in which he displays great talent, Mr Emmet may be congratulated upon having achieved a complete success. The frequent applause and laughter which greeted him from a crowded house, and the frequent recalls showed how thoroughly the audience appreciated hie efforts,

As we have before said, the other characters are but subsidiary to the one in the foreground, but Mrs Hill deserves notice for her very excellent performance of Louisa. It was played with care and effect, and in the scene of the recognition she was especially good. Miss K. Vernon, Miss Lily May, Miss Docy Mainwaring, Messrs Douglas, Burford, and the other members of the company supported Mr Emmet very well indeed, Mr Williams gave us some pretty scenery, a garden scene and the last scene of the water mill and Fritz’s house particularly being capitally done. The piece will be repeated to-night, We hope the management will take some means to prevent the irrepressible baby from being heard so obtrusively as was the case last night. During some of Mr Emmet’s songs there was a subdued chorus of babies, which was anything but conducive to the enjoyment of his music by the audience.