ENTERTAINMENT AT PLEASANT POINT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2439, 17 December 1892, Page 4

ENTERTAINMENT AT PLEASANT POINT.

A novel entertainment of a most charming and pleasing character was held at the Assembly Booms, Pleasant Point, on Friday, 9th inst. It was given entirely by the school children, in aid of the public school prize fund, and was entitled " Kinderspiel," or "Punch's Party." The room was literally crammed, numbers being refused admittance. Nearly £2O was taken at the doors, and it was estimated that another £3 might easily have been added to the sum. To Mr Strack, the popular schoolmaster, belongs the credit of having conceived the idea of an entertainment of the kind, an<l also of carrying it out to a successful issue. Time must have been freely bestowed by him, and the greatest patience exercised in drilling the children, in order to arrive at the perfection attained by them as a whole. Miss Jones played the musical accompaniments with great care and precision, and her able assistance, together with the indefatigable zeal of Miss Sainsbury and Miss Morris, as stage managers, contributed very largely to the unqualified success of the entertainment. It may be mentioned that Miss Sainsbury designed aud assisted in preparing nearly all the dresses worn by the actors. The room was very prettily decorated by the children, the mottoes " Welcome " and " Punch's Party" being worked in flowers and surrounded by fairy lamps. The scene of the play was intended to represert a fathering of children on a village green ; Ir Punch (Master G. Greig), and Mrs Judy (Miss Agnes Lyle), having invited them to their party. From time to time various notable personages (the Btaunch friends of childhood in every generation) appeared on the scene; and, after being interrogated by Mr Punoh and introduced to Mrs Judy, were allowed to join the party on condition that they testified in song to their antecedents and quality. The following appeared in order : —Flora McDonald, Miss Connie Adams; Jacky Light O'Heart, Master Arthur Bishop ; Jacky's Cousin, Master Willie Tozer; Bed Biding Hood, Miss Irene Hamilton ; Man in the Moon, Master R, Cartwright; Schoolboy John, Master J. Butland; Sisters May, Misses Janet McAlister, and Florrie Adams; John Gilpin, Master Herbert Bishop ; Pvide a Cock-Horse, Master Con. Strack; Lady Banbury, Miss Ellen Lambert; Tom tiie Piper's Son, Master Willie Jjick; The Merry Maids of Lee, Misses L. B. and E. Jones ; Dick Whittington and His Cat, Master Richard Acton; Tom Tucker, Master Ernest Edyvean; Little Bo ■ Peep, Miss Taia Strack; Queen of the May, Miss Annie Acfcon. Quito a bevy of children, prettily dressed, occupied the st<ige and sang the chorus parts heartily and well. Where all the characters were so well sustained we might be content to say " it would be invidious to particularise" ; but by common consent the honours r.f the evening were undoubtedly shared by :

The Man in the Moon (who both sang and acted well); Mrs Jady (who noted her part with unaffected simplicity and boundless good humour) ; she was closely followed by the irrepressible Punch (who was good throughout); " Tom thd Piper's Son" was bravely done; JRed Riding Hood acquitted herself well with the most difficult solo of the piece ; the famous Dick Whittiugton must have been a boy of some musical talent, judging by the clear resonant voice of hi* representative. B is cat, however, wailed in a singularly minor key, and in a moi = t harrowing manner. By comparison, the eesthetic cat of this 19th century with its melodious " miaou," the result of a course of Tonic Sol-fa, would be quite tuneful compared with the miduight serenader of that day acquainied only with the " Old dotation," and yet we sigh and say "the former days (and nights) were better thin these." " Little Bo Peep " was a pleasing combination of artlessness and grace; " Ride a Cock Horse " was quite at home in the saddle; to this sporti ag youth was entrusted the task, later on, of crowning " The Queen of the May," but the vision of Her Majesty's glorious attire and royal splendour was too much for the poor little mortal, and quailing and collapsing, hi culled out " Papa, put the curtain dow.»"! Tho Queen certainly pyght to have, appreciated the compli-

ment unwittingly implied. At tho close of the performance, the chairman of the school committee thanked the audience very warmly for attending, regretting, that, owing to want of space, many persona had been refused admittance. The Rev. J. White moved, ami the Rev. T. A. Hamilton seconded, a resolution embodying a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Strack, his colleagues, and the children, for their exertions, and for trie very enjoyable entertainment resulting, and expressing a hope that the performance might be repeated on some future occasion. Mr Ray called for three cheers for the children, which were heartily given. The singing of the National Anthem then brought the " Kinderspiel" to a close. The room was then cleared for dancing and a few hours were thus enjoyably spent. Our reporter still survives the crush. He had heard of " herrings packed in a sardine box," but never experienced such a squeezing before (from this you may gather that ho is of the sterner sex.) He desires us to state that a Norwegian cooking stove is a mere circumstance compared to the slow grilling, roasting, parboiling, and stewing, processes that he endured, and he trusts that ere long a more commodious building may be erected, which may add to the length of his years, and also to the comfort and natural beauty of Pleasant Point.