AMUSEMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2425, 13 February 1909, Page 9 (Supplement)

AMUSEMENTS.

HIS MAJESTY’S.

LOCAL FIXTURES

February 22 to 27.—West’s Pictures, i rob 1 and 2. — American and Continental Entertainers. March 4.—Miss Rosemary Rees. March 31 to April 3. —Alcynel! and Gunn. Easter AVeek—Alaskelync and Levant.

Judging by.tho good houses already obtained Anderson’s Dramatic Co. should have a successful run. The season has been extended for txx o more, nights. _ This evening “The Village Blacksmith” xvill be produced. On Monday evening “The Face at tiie Windoxv,” -will be the (piece do resistance and on Tuesday there will be a grand special .programme.

Easter week has been booked for the appearance <?f the world-famous magicians, Alaskelyne and Levant.

Meynell and Gunn’s reorganised dramatic company, which xvill have a repertoire including “Two Little Sailor Boys,” and “A Aliner’s Trust,” will play in Gisborne on Alarch 31.

“The Merry Widoxv” in America is said to have been the means of £B : JO,.000 passing through the box-office, establishing an easy record. In Australia, the production has run for over 200 performances, and has Nexv Zealand and other places to visit yet.

During the last few months no less than 650 entries have been made in the enrolment book at the Alelbourne. Royal of persons xvanting to go on the stage.

A visitor xvhom xve may shortly expect in Nexv Zealand is Aliss Majurie Tempest (soprano), xvho has come out from England in the interest of her health. Aliss Tempest is a pupil of the renoxvned Paolo Tosti.

Air. W. A. Lowe, treasurer of the Pollard Opera Company, writes from Ballarat to the effect that the company are due in AA'ellington by the Marama on l(Jth February, and proceed direct to Aiaste; ton. The company has txvo nexx- mu deal comedies ior New Zealand, and a third in active i ehearsal.

One of the characters that will play an important part in “The Alan From Outback” (flio new Australian drama by Albert Hdmur'ds), is a dog. It is now being train d, and its performance will bt one of the most astonshing ever put rn a stage. AYilliam Anderson’s dramatic- organisation xvill re-open in A;e 1 bourne, in Alarch xx ith “The Alan fr an Outback.”

Air. John Gunn, of the firm of Aleynell and Gunn, expects to be in Auckland in May. Air. Clyde Meynell is on his xvay out from England, and xvill have something interesting to -say on his arrival regarding the extension of the firm’s enterprise throughout flic Commonxvealth and Nexv Zealand. Their Comic Opera Company, xvlien it visits Nexv Zealand, xvill be of exact-

ly the same strength as xvhen in Sydney and Alelbourne, the xx'hole company comprising the same people.

Some Christchurch friends of Air. Fred. Waltham, the popular basso of the Scarlet Troubadours, xvhicli xvere lately'in Gisborne, paid him a compliment recently of a somexvhat unique character. After his singing of Sullivans “Ho, Jolly Jenkni,” a bouquet xvas solemnly handed up to him. In place, lioxvever, of the presentees being able to say or sing, “Every Morn I Bring Thee Roses,” the bouquet xvas composed of a beautifully white eaulifioxver, trimmed on the bias xx-jth carrots, and having three lengthy streamers of red, white, and blue. ' The recipient blushed xvith pleasure, and the audience xvas vociferous in its applause.

The violin that Leo Cherniavski, xxdio, xvith his txx’o brothers, was in Gisborne recently, is a very line instrument, almost a x'iola in appearance. It is a first-class immitation of a “Strad,” and xvas picked up for a couple of pounds in an engineer’s hut at the A 7 ictoria Falls, Zambesi Rix'cr, in Africa, last year. The party xvere visiting the Zambesi xvonderland, and Leo had gone to this hut for some tickets, and xx'hile there lie espied an old dusty violin, hanging up on the wall. His professional curiosity xvas arroused, and lie xvas handed the violin to try its tone. The result xvas that the' instrument changed hands forthwith. It is said to be a magnificent instrument, of great poxver.

At the Sydney Theatre Royal “The Breed of the. Treshams” is playing to fine business. The piece is one xxHiclhgives the members of the Julius borne to-night. Laughter-making is ties to appear to advantage. Air Knight himself, in the part of “Rat” Reresby, presents lvis audience with a line x r ix r acious character study which ranks among his best Australian creations, xvhile he is very ably supported by the members oi his strong combination. One of the features of the piece is the. necessity xvhicli devolves upon a proportion of the actors who appear in it, of (learning to (fall gracefully and natural.y, for tho fighting element is very much in evidence, and in one particular instance Air Rupert Julian, after being shot by the “Rat” on the top of a stairway, is required to fall headlong down, a feat- xvliicli xvould need a. good deal of careful practice, xvhile other members of the cast have also to drop down under similar conditions. “The Breed of the Treshams” xvill ho seen in Gisborne xvithin a fexv months.

Mamma asked Nellie xvhat she had learned in Sunday school, and she replied : “That I. must sell three tickets for the concert next week; collect a shilling for the superintendent,* present,, and that Noah built the Ark.”

Ruby, who was dining with her elders, was given her choice of dessert. “Which null you have Ruby, ice cream or jam?” her indulgent father asked. After., a moments hesitation she said, “Give me a little of each and a lot of both.

VERSES OLD AND NEW. CONCORD 'HYMN. By the rude .bridge that arched the hood, Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood, And fired the shot heard round the •world. The foe Oong since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps; And Time the ruined bridge has swept Down the dark stream which seaward creeps. On this green bank, by this soft stream, We set to-day a votive stone, That memory may their deed redeem, When, like our sires, our .gods are gone. Spirit, that madg. those heroes dare, To die, and leave their children free, Bid Time and Nature gently spare The shaft we raise to them and thee. —-It. W. Emerson. DISARMAMENT. I dreamed a Voice, as one God-au-thorised, Called loudly through the world, “■■Disarm! disarm!” And there was consternation in the camps, And men who strutted under braid and lace Beat' on their medalled breasts, and* wailed “Undone!” The word was echoed from a thousand 1 hills; And shop and mill and factorv and forge, Where throve the awful industries of death, Hushed into silence. Scrawled upon the doors. The passer read, “Peace bids our children starved' But foolish women clasped their little sons And wept for joy, not reasoning like men.

Again the Voice commanded, “Now go forth,. And build a world, for progress and for peace. This work lias waited since the earth was shaped ; But men were fighting, and they could not toil. The needs of life outnumbered need* of death. Leave, death to God. Go forth, I say, and build.”

And then a sudden, comprehensive joy \ Shone in the eyes of men.' And one ■who thought Only of conquest and of victories Woke, from his gloomy reverie and called: “Aye. come and build. I challenge all to try. And -I will make a world more beautiful Than Eden was before the serpent entered.”

And, like a running flame on Western wilds, Ambition spread from listening mind to mind. And, lo! the looms were busy once

again. And all the earth resounded with men's toil. Vast palaces of science graced the world. Their banquet tables, spread with feasts of truth. Fed atll who hungered. 'Music kissed the. air. Once rent with boom of cannons. Statues gleamed From wooded ways, where ambushed armies hid In times now past. The sea and air were gay With shining sails, that sped from land to 'land.

A universal language of the world Made nations kin, and poverty was

known But as a word marked “obsolete.* 1

like war The arts were kindled with celestial

fire. Xew poets sang, so Homer's fame

grew dim. And brush and chisel gave the won-

dering race iSubiime.i treasures than old Greece displayed.

Men differed still ; fierce argument® arose— For men are human in this human sphere — But unarmed Arbitration stood between, And Reason settled in a hundred hours What War disputed for a hundred years. Oh, that a Voice of one God-author-ised Might cry to all mankind, “Disarm! disarm!” —Mia Wheeler Wilcox.