The Mothers' Strike.

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 277, 21 October 1905, Page 16

The Mothers' Strike.

Such a dream. I had 1 ! So dreadful That I never heard the like ; For I dreamt that on a sudden The mammas agreed to strike. "We are tired," I heard! them nrarmur: "Tired of working night and day, And not always hearing "Thank yon 1" Such long hours and such poor pay." So they would not mend the jackete, Nor the holes in stockings small; No one ran to kiss tihe Iwruises When Door Tommy had) a fall.

No one bound up wounded fingers, No one glued 1 the broken toys, No one answered all the questions Of the eager little boys. No one tied the little bonnets, No one brushed the little curls, No one basted dolly dresses lor the busy little girls. No one lieard their little troubles, No one held them on her lap, No one sewed on truant buttons, No one searched for Johnny's cap. And there were no bedtime stories, And no loving handb to tuck Blankets soft round little sleepers, For tiheir mothers, all had "struck." Oh. bo lonesome and so dreadful, And so queer it all did' seem- ! Aren't you glad, dear little children, It was nothing but a dfream?

Miss Maud Jeffries charges ibalf-a-crown for her autograph. It as a temptation to people without hanking accounts to be handling the autographs of people with fat incomes. i • • Tn a letter received by a friend in Chrdstchurch last week, Miss Gertie Campion states that she has quite recovered from her recent illness, and is now enjoying good health. » * * This I overheard at the Opera House after a performance of "Mane Antoinette" : __"Dad you enjoy it, Gertie? Replied Gertie. "Oh, .rather! Why, I cried every bit of the time 1" Enigmarelle, the new mechanical figure, has been driving a four-horse vehicle in London streets. "It" or "he ' can also dirive a nail or a bargain or a motor car or dull care away, and lots of things. He is American, and is supposed to have a real man stowed away in him. -* * * If New Zealand theatrical people could only import T. P. O'Connor to wiite them up ! This is his almost invariable style of gush : —"We have had a visit from another king— a king of men by the divine right of his attractive, striking, and unique personality, I mean Buffalo Bill." And yet even Buffalo Bill is after the dollars. • • * The lon°- arm again, also further evidence that the world! is very small after all, says "Pasquin." There were recently in Dunedin three gentlemen, each representing large attraction's m the musical and vocal world — Mr. Spencer Jones, representing Mr. Watkin Mills' English Quintette Party Mr. Shipman, representing Miss Jessie Maclauchlan (the Scottish vocalist); and Mr. R'obsoin, representing the Westminster Glee Singers. • • *- Now, the fact of these three managers foregathering in Dunedin after touring the world would be in itself sufficiently worthy of more than passing notice, but when it is stated that the three gentlemen mentioned are Canadians, and not only so, but that they belong to the same town (Toronto), and, further, that they pkyed as boys together in each other's back-yard, it will be recognised that the circumstances are, if not unique, at least passing strange.

"Melba, the beautaful icicle, with notes as pearly as the teeth through which they filter and &wim." — American tribute. • * * Mr. 0. P. Heggie, who did the Martian with tremendous weight for Hawtrey when the latter'e company was doing "Mars," must be added) to- the prominent players who have been ill. He live® in Adelaide. • • • The Broughs made their first appearance in Australia m 1885, under the management of the triumvirate in "IoLan,the/' with the Royal Gomio Opera Company. Brouighi was the Lord High Chancellor, and Mrs. B. played the Fairy Queen. And here they are again! # # Eighty-five pounds damages were recently obtained by Vi Sinclair, a chorus girl, against the well-known English manager, Robert Arthur, on the ground of injury to her health, caused by wearing e;arments euphemistically called "tights," the said "tights" having to be worn when damp. • • • A theatrical novelty is announced for the Coliseum, London, in "Joseph and His Brethren," an acted oratorio. The play will be all in dumb show. At certain points the performers will be "blocked out," and the story will be continued by cinematograph.c views, with photographs of the actual performers. No .license will be required as there will be no dialogue, and, therefore, no trouble with the censor's office is anticipated as there was in the case of "Joseph of Canaan," when the Rev. Mr. Walters wished to produce that play in London. » • • The following, from 'Frisco "Dramatic News/ 5 is funny, when* it is repealled that the Ernest Glen dinning mentioned, the son, of John Glendinning, is a youth of twenty-one. He is a favourite on and off the stage, and 1 is already doing splendidly in his profession. It reads ■ ''"While Ernest Glendinning is rapidly becoming a favourite at the Alcazar (San Francisco), his father, John Glendinning, one of the most virile actons of our time, is winning triumphs in Australia with Nance O'Neil. His Essex, in 'Queen Elizabeth,' is pronounced one of the finest examples of acting ever seen upon the Melbourne stage. Young: Glendinning confidently predicts 1 that his father has a future."

Fullai Golden, the gilt-edged raconteur, before he took to telling yarns, wrote them. In fact, he was an American ■editor. Golden tis going back to the pen, as travelling doesn't do hds lung-trouble any good. • • • Wharf lumper Pagel, who was probably the only genuine strong man round here, and who wrestled l with a lion and tons of ironmongery, is in Africa, putting up -enormous weights for the vaudeville combine. • • « Owin" to Mr. McKee Rankin having mad© arrangements to leave fox America by the Sierra on the 21st inst.. Mr. Gaston Mervale will essay the part of the hoary old representative of parental authority, Colonel Schwartz, in "Magdla," with the Nance O'Neil Company. • • • At the Opera House, duaing the first night of "Trilby," last week, the dresscircle was startled at intervals all through th© piece at the hysterical laughter of a lady, who apparently saw a joke in everything calculated! to make other people raise their hankies. There were, I should imagine, about five hundred baleful glares at the corner from where the spasmodic cackle came.