"CHUMS."

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3539, 18 June 1890, Page 2

"CHUMS."

Christie Murray's Colonial Way. From the New Zealand Herald we /. : extract the following description of . the plot in this new play:—The play is full of interest from the very outset.,; Tho scenes and action are laid in . 1 Hugo, and the plot without being involved, affords splendid openings ' for individual uierit aswllaa for the introduction of special lines of char-..:,,., acter suoh as those which Mr Murray knows bo well how to paint in his"-;- • novels. Mr Brockelhurst iaawealthy: - ; settler in the South Island and Ned Felldwes, a young Englishman, is his:' /■ manager, Kesiding with Mr Brocklehurst isa young widow, hi 3 niece, ' with whom Fellowes is. madly Move,r ; although he never could quite bring • • himself to declare his passion* ; and / : when he discovered she was'.wealthyj^'

is honor forbade him to do so;' he young widow, Airs Draycott, ."-.:' as equally in lovo with Ned, and tine to detest the wealth, which. inned a barrier to her happiness. .-• Ir Brockleburst had become involved - 'ith a coai'33 designing scoundrel ■'; amed Jack Furlong,' who held a wrtgage over the estato for £12,000 '''-• nd he made it a sine qua non that' Ira Draycott should become his '■•■ rffe, or lie should take possession' nd turn Mr Brockleburst out. Mrs ;-, )raycott most* indignantly declined;- ■ he "honor, 1 ' Sand'-surprised every'.'';.' person by drawing a ohequefor the mount and handing it to Furlong, vho,- thus foiled arid'thwarted, tore ip the cheque and insisted upon .. ailing possession. In air the first iart of the drama, and pervading the vholeofit,i3 a little boy, Harold, a mtegt .of;; Ned's, 'arid after .the • ■emoval of Mr Brooklehurst and his araity he accompanied-his guardian ,o the diggings which' happened to jo within a few miles of the new station, which Mr Brooklehutst with Lucy's money,; and in partnership with her has taken. In the second lot Furlong and his tool, a despicable specimen of a- Sootoh, character, appear on the scene just as a pionio party,. at which aro all the . members of , Mr Brocklehurst's household, assemble near Ms; tent and there, instigated by. the suggestion of his despicable tool, ho formed a plot to ruin Mrs Dray- . oott by transferring some shares in a goldmining company which he had received information were worthless, and he thought that she' would be rained by the calling up of the capital. For a time Mrs Draycott thought she was indeed ruined, and she sincerely rejoiced because there was now nothing to prevent Ned from speaking his passion, and he seized the first opportunity of doing so in a manly loving manner, but not heforeLucy (Mrs Draycott) herself . received information that the shares in the Great Kxpeotation had become of great value, and that she was in reality _ more wealthy than ever. This information she concealed from Ned, who is afterwards informed of it by his friend Dr Wentforth. Furlong is almost frantio when he teams of his mistake, and after endeavoring to induce Mr Hrocklehurstto give him the shares back on the groundthathe had meant to act honestly and'-fairly, an attempt in which he is foiled by tho -'boy Harold, as well as by his own tool's admission, drew a revolver and fired at Ned Fellowes,,. Theaot of tho scoundrel in drawing the pistol was observed by the boy, who sprang from the roof, of the verandah on which he was sitting into Ned's arms, and received the bullet intended for his guardian in his own arm. The grief of Ned was of the most intense and passionate nature, until he received the doctor's assurance that there was no danger, and that the brave lad's injury only, consisted, of a broken arm. There was a comedy feature running through the drama, whioh is kept at high pressure by the love-making scenes between Bob Clancey, a. station hand, and Araminta, Mrs Draycott's American maid. Tra&dy in the West End- ■. { A-startling tragedy took'place in Leicester Square on April 15th. For | 3ome days a young Belgian named Alfred do GueJon, said to be well ! connected, bad been staying with his ; wife at the Hotel de I'Europe, occupy, ing one of the rooms on the third Door. Soon after three o'clock on Friday the sound of a pistol shot was [ heard in their apartment, immedl ittly , followed by a woman's scream, A , gentleman named Hottinan, also staying at tho hotel, - at once went upstairs, and on opening the door ■ , Madame GueJon, whose face was covered with blood, rushed out. Aa l Guedon, who had a revolver in his , hand, threatened to shoot Hoffman if he dared to enter tho room, the latter turned and descended the stairs in ' searoh'of assistance. This was sopn forthcoming, but when the room was entered (juedon was {bund upon the floor quite dead. He had shot himBelt' twice in the forehead. A Burgeon | was at enco sent for, and on Boeing . the woman, pronounced her to bo in a most precarious condition, and ; ordered her removal to the Charing ' Cross Hospital. The bullet; entered _■ her temple, and travelling downwards • ' pieroed the eye, It appears that the pair were in financial didjculties.' On Thursday , Gud'don borrowed a sum of monoy . from one .of his country-men, whom he hid met casually, and on Friday, when the hotel bill was presented, they had no means with, which to pay it, Their baggage waß ready paokbd and the deceased had expressed an intention to leave London that night ■ for Brussels, but his pecuniary difficulties appear to have driven him'to' the coninii-sion of the -crime, The principles in the sad affair were only a you»h and a girl, not by a long way out of tboir teeus. Three mouths ago tho young Belgian camp (a. $« hotel and remained there' for some • iine. He was a Belgian of about 17 years of age, and gave the name of Albert do Guodon, He also said he came from Brussels, beyond %! little.'seeijis'. to be'kflown asto his antecedents, He, however, appeared to bo a gentleman, and during his visit called at Chapman's, in Leicester Square, and had one hundred cards printed. Thecals, for which he mM,'-': ready raonw wepe of very superior quality, and over the name he had engraved' a coronet, surmounted with nine balls, which on the Continent would indicate the position; of a count.. After retnain ing at the hotel for % few weeks no left fa tho Continent, andsome weeks after returned with a well-drcssod 'girl- of about' sixteen, who, he said was his wife, at\dwhowore a wedding ring,.' The ring, how ever, Wfpn mi|. 1 ofjlm fingers'ojjho righ) hand!, '.■s:' haJf-paiiUwo on Friday afternoon ■ Maxime: Jouggla, the landlord, . handed Guedon a- bill for ;i7;;:10s, , Guedoubaviug packed his'boxes with'-; ;thVe;xj)teß!iw}:iiit?l|ti9n of ptQC«4i»|:

to Brussels. Nothing was suspected at tho timo of tlio tragedy ™> Bhortly afterwards followed The police after the tragedy sonrched ; Gaedon's box hut found nothing to lend to his identity. Among his property were some box- , ing gloves, There was also ft pah' of gentleman's riding boots, bii) ■ nothing to indicato that he followed any occupation, and the polico are inclined to believe that he comes of goodjfchiily. ' A Parson on Barmaids-, Quite a commotion has beon caused in Adelaide by tho Rev. Cbas. LMatson.of St. Peter's,. Qlenelg, sending the following extraordinary letter to the Press:-" Allow mo, to protest against tho dirty-minded and insolent people who would, under the pleaoLsdvocating Gospel temperance, affixipbrand of harlotry oh those engaged in a brantih of tho Christian ministry out barmaids. These hard-working and long-suffering girls, who truly servo God in their vocation and ministry, • deserve a mora chivalrous treatment than they roceivo at the hands of their reviling accusers, If thoy have extra temptations they should receive extra protection and not slander and defamation from those who care for the beautiful life; I indignantly deny thut the avocation of barmaids;, is generally inconsistent with chastity, I have many friends among engaged, and honestly believe their' profession contains no greator proportion of lewd women than uny other trade. .If barmaids are exposed to rude and profane language, their virtues are certainly robuit enough not to go into a galloping consumption thereupon; bul the rudo and profano language they hear is certainly no ruder or profauer than they would hear from tho Btnug and sanjtimonious professors of 60 called Gospel temperance, I can only recommend these unfortunate slanderers to go regularly to the bar Jnd drink of the excellent wines of tffiolony, and procure the honor of an acquaintance with a large number of the girls who wait aud thus get their uuamiable delu-' sions dispelled." A telegram says : " Mr Marson'B letter is calling forth columns of replies from both abstainers and drinkers. Tho teetotallers are enraged, and the drinkers applaud Mr Marson. A meeting of the Church of England authorities is to tor held to consider tho Bev genliman's conduct,"

Strikes and Lock-Outs During 1888. la a report on the strikes and lockouts oi 1883, ißHiied by the Board of Trade, the following, among other statistics are interesting:—Totul Dumber of strikes during the year, 509 affecting 118,288 persons; number of euccesaful strikes, 246; mid and partially raccesful, 91. tinder these two heada, 83,200 persons were affected, The amount expended by trado unions on strikes was £32,729 being at the rate of 2s 4| per head on membership. There were only eight .ook-outs affecting 988 persons, Auriferous Lands, Reefton, June 17. A largely-attended public meeting, called by requisition, presided over by the County Chairman, was held on Monday evening to take steps to prgent auriferova lands from'falling inc?tho hands of the Midland Kail, way Company. It is said that, despite theassurancoof the Minister of Mines to the contrary, the Company were letting lands without the Council being previously apprised. A series of strong resolutions were pissed, and will be forwarded to tbe Government, The co-operation of tbe whole of the West Coast is to be invited in the matter. ■