AROUND DUNEDIN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4739, 6 June 1894, Page 3

AROUND DUNEDIN.

[By Scotch Mist,] After several weeks of monotony •Buncdin Ims been revelling in dissipatiou. King liiehard Scddon and Ms spouso liave been staying 'i.ero a fow days.aMlhchasbeentryingtogetnsmnch work into these few days as another man would take a month to do. It is some tltno now sineo I saw our Premier and I think he is looking careworn. There is a too-mnch-travclled and too-miich-ban-quottcd style about him. He attended tlio Knees on tho Queen's Birthday in royal style, but evidently hail enough of it after two hours, as at II pi. tlio same day ho attended thoopening of the Hood gates at Pcliehct Bay. This ran My bay lias been transformed into a pretty l>»rt)our, and as it is surrounded by vr<»dod hills, it ought to bo a favourite rojpl for boating parties. tt must not pass the races over withouft comment, as I expect it was Hip first meeting held in flic Cojlony where prohibition was strictly enforced, no publican's booth being alWed inside the gates, Whether this is a step in the right direction I don't feel competent to judge, but this I do know, that there were more drunken men on courso than I have ever seen at a race meeting. The buggies were laden with liquor and everyone seemed provided with flasks which seemed more often in their mouth* than in their pocket.'). The dividends were good in every case, but the starting was not; hence perhaps the good dividends, The lust race was run in the dark and had not "Speculation," the winner had a broad white hand across her chest, which showed out plainly, no one would have been the wiser whose race it was. The second and third horses could not be placed owing to tho darkness, A T ow I must return to Mr Scddon. He opened the last section of tho Central llailway andmadea speech with nothing to note in it. This has been characteristic of all his speeches hero. He lias a _ wonderful . faculty of not giving himself away. Hc'talks all rouud the subject and promises nothing. I waded through all the deputations lie received yesterday (about a dozen 1 should say) and never in one instance did he promise anything definitely. Certain it is, he gets through his work with a happy despatch, Mrs Scddon, too, has been making herself popular, distributing the certiticates in connection with St, John's Ambulance Association. They both attended the Theatre to witness" Charley's Aunt" and as 1 betook myself there tho same night, sat in the shadow of our colonial royalty, and can say that it was thoroughly enjoyable. " Charley's Aunt," is irresistibly funny, and as you will be having it up north soon, I should advise you to go and see it. It will cure the worst lit of the '' blues." There is no plot, whatever, in the piece. Two young Oxford fellows are desperately in love with two young ladies, and they arc at their wits end trying in what way they can meet them without olfending Mrs Grundy. A letter arrives saying that Charley's aunt from Drnzil intends paying her nephew a visit, and that she will arrive on a certain date. The young men are jubilant, not on account of the mint's visit but that now they will be able to receive their girls to lunch, etc. Forthwith invitations arc issued asking them to lunch to meet "Charley's auut" who unfortunately does not arrive that (lay. Jack (a chum of these Oxonians) proposes to dress up as the aunt and receive the young ladies, which he does, much to the amusement of the audience, "With canon straight and lace handkerchief in his hand he is just prepared for nrohcarsal,whcn thc'girls arc announced much to the dismay of them all. Jack has not the remotest idea what his name is or what he is to do andpluckily keeps his conversation on the weather, and then the fun begins. Tlio girls make a . great deal of the old lady, aro quite affectionate, and Jack is almost beside himself and is on the point of betrayal constantly. It is the most ludicrous "-' play I have seen for some lime. Tho auctioneer who was fortunate enough to have the sale of Dr Stuart's H effects at flic manse last Saturday has Bj been smiling "smolcs" ever since. The ■ exorbitant prices everything realized, H showed how anxious his Hock were to M have something belonging to him. H There were no less than fourteen walk- ■ ing sticks, every one being sold nl three H| times its value. Hj The licv -Mr Gardner, from InvcrHg eargill, conducted the services in Kuox H Church last Sabbath. He is a wonB derfully eloquent man, one of the best H Presbyterian pastors in the colony as H| far as elocution goes. jH The" Dhurbar" has been a novol ■j entertainment held this lycck in the |H Garrjson Hall, and has bcon visited by H .thousands. As you may not be well |H Terscd in Hindoostanco 1 may as well tell you that "Dhurbar" means, 'An HB Eastern Audience.' It really is a large MB bazaarorganiscd by the Koman Catholics of Duucdiu, and all the stall ■■ holders arc cither Indians, Turks, H Armenians or such like. Every BH evening for an hour a programme ■I of songs and dancos of the different HH nations is gone through. Then the make iBB) beliovo Maharajah and Princess of ■H Chandah are brought throngh the Hall M in a palanquin bedecked with jewels. HB They arc _ escorted by hearers and' H Indian soldiers and quite a retinue of jHB Oriental maids-in-waiting, the suite iflfl •" consisting of about 120 persons. The DH whole show is like an Eastern pageant ■MJ and is well worth visiting. Tho bazaar HH is afterwards opened for business when HH Prince and Princess assist in disposing of the numberless goods and works ■9H of art. The lioman Catholics ought to HH be gratified at the success of their &H "Dhurbar," which is being continued BH Our fine frosty weather has broken HH and wc arc in for n deluge. For two HH days it has been coming down without HH cessation and there is no appearanco of HH it clearing, but I suppose as wc arc BHj ncaring the shortest day wc must exHH pect wintry weather. My pen seems HHJ asjf it would run on for ever,, this has HHJ been a week of dissipation, but I must