GENERAL NEWS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 179, 27 September 1879, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

A Wellington paper writes as follows n\\ the closing performance of the Victoria Loftus Troupe :—The Victoria Loftus Troupe gave their last performance in Wellington at the Theatre Royal last night, and the final programme, despite the announcement that had beeri made, contained but little to which exception could be taken on the score of indecency. Indeed, the patrons of the troupe, by whom the house was crowded, seemed somewhat disappointed that the expectations they had formed were not released. The company leave to-day for Chr'stchurch. In taken leave of this troupe we cannot but congratulate the city that it will he at length rid of visitors the reverse: of desirable, who have done the cause of morality and common decency a va?t amount of harm during their stay. It is a melanchcly reflection on the degeneracy of the stage, that the boards on which a Chaplin had j.cted to half a hundred people should be trod by those to whom a very coarse name might justly be applied, and that then the. building should be crowded to suffocation. A .man of genius, who has devoted a quarter of a century in endeavoring to attain perfection in his art, plays Shakespeare to a score of persons, and leaves the town a bankrupt. A number' of low, vulgar women step, nine-tenths nude, on the stage, and standing room is not to be found for the audience. We must reverse the usual 1 farewell notice in the present? case. It has been too often our duty to condole with theatrical companies on their want of success hero, and to hope they may obtai.i it elsewhere. As applied to the Loftus Troupe, the direct opposite would be the more fitting leave-taking. The " takings" of the-above-troupe while in Wellington amounted to. £4OO /er week.

It is a well known fact that nine-tenths of our JViends at_ Hume are iti almost total Ignorance' '""of "tin l geograpliy~ "alTd" nature of the Australasian Colonies. Everv one knows how the Nottingham natives crowded to see whether the Australian cricketers were black or white, and an instance, of ignorance almost as amusing is vouched for by the Melbourne correspondent of the ' Tablet': —" A young-gentleman of considerable private means was ordered by his medical advise; a trip to New Zealand. The. directions he received on leaving the paternal roof were clear and simple—'On arriving at Melbourne proceed at once to Dunedin, the capital of New Zealand. Your journey as far as Brisbane will be upon camels, which have been found the only animals it is possible to employ on account of the sterile country lying between Victoria and New Zealand. Arrived at Brisbane you .will - proceed by train direct to Dunedin.'" Our authority does not add whether the young man was likely to reach New Zealand or not.

.: - A lady, whose establishment was renowned for its entertainments (writes " iEgles" in the Australasian), suddenly found herself, on the eve of a dinnerparty, deprived of. the aid of her welldrilled ." parlor-maid. Compelled to resort to that domestic lucky-bag, a.re-gistry-office, she considered -herself -fortunate, in engaging a country-girl lately arrived from the land of harps and shamrocks. This young person was carefuly instructed as to her duties, the placing of dishes on the table, their rotation, &c, and showed considerable aptitude. Dinner having been duly .served and the guests seated, Miss Malony apparently considered that her preliminary duties werei ended. Host and guests were alike i the covers removed.;' elapsed, and the host n to the new maid, face assumed a puzzle suddenly gave way to as the requirements burst* upon her, anc company by respondii with the dubious inq you want me?" i'lia way of expressing tl: viands.