A LADY’S LETTER FROM AUCKLAND.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume V, Issue 653, 29 August 1891, Page 3

A LADY’S LETTER FROM AUCKLAND.

(By Standard Special Correspondent—“A.T.”l August 10. There is not much going on here in theatrical matters. The Dobson-Kennedy Company left last week after a tolerably succes.ful season. Their audiences were not large, but highly appreciative. When the hero (of the occasion), with swelling breast and rolling • r’s,’ gave utterance to grandiloquent commonplace, he was sure of the hearty applause with which a British audience always receives sentiment. And when the villain of the play came before the curtain at the conclusion of the piece, he was quite as sure of being greeted with prolonged and sincere hisses. Some members of the Company were very good, as of course you know, since they played in Gisborne. Little Ruby Kennedy gained great glory by bet acting, especially in ‘Little Lord Fauntleroy.’ She certainly gives wonderful promise. It is to be hoped that her talent will not be displayed only as a child prodigy, but will develop and mature with time. In the various performances here some very comic situations occurred—not marked on the programme. The meet amusing incident was a sudden descent which Mr Kennedy made frem the heights of impassioned rhetoric to the level of prosaic action—and from the stage to the fluor of the theatre. A disturbance had arisen in the pit, and although there were the usual loud crys cf “Turn that man out!’’ no one seemed inclined to “suit the action to the word." Without loss of time Mr Kennedy sprang from the stage, and summarily ejected the noisy individual. Then, in no wise disturbed, he returned to the boards, amid much laughter and applause, and the play proThe concert given to Mr M. Lewis last Wednesday night must have been a success from a financial point of view, as the City Hall was well filled, but with the exception of one or two items the musical programme might be summed up as ‘uninteresting.’ Miss Rimmer was a happy exception, as was also Mr Jackson. Miss Lorrigan's song (Gounod’s ‘ Ave Maria,’ with violin and organ obligato) was in itself worth going to hear. Mr Lewis was very well received. He whistled ‘ The Mocking Bird’ and ‘Sing, Sweet Bird,’ giving all the variations and bird like trills with splendid effect. Each time be was enthusiastically encored, and responded with a medley of airs from the pretty opera Paul Jones,’ and a waltz which I had not heard before. There were very few people I knew among the audience. I saw Mrs T, Kissling and her little daughter, Miss Kilgour, Mrs and Miss Lusk, Mr and Mrs Sharland. The latter wore a very pretty white opera cloak, whilo Miss Lusk wore, a handsome whitefeather boa. Miss Grey,Miss Young and Miss Gould came rather late. I heard afterwards that they had met with a buggy accident on their way in from Otahuhn. Nobody being killed, they decided to carry ont the original pregramme and hear the concert-

Next night (Thursday) Mr and Mrs Owen gave’a most delightful dance. Their honse contains one room at least that is Ooveted by many people in Auckland. It is as large as many pnblic balls, and has a glorious bay window, over-looking one of the finest private gardens in the district. A door has lately been made between the ball, room and the billiard room. Draped with curtains the effect was very pretty from the former. The billiard room is on a rather lower level, so that immediately inside the door there is a balustrade and a double flight of steps. The room was well patronised throughout the evening by flushed dancers. Beyond the radius of the strong light which fell on the green baize they sought successfully a more subdued and becoming radiance. The passages and verandahs, also, with the soft illumination of Chinese lanterns, were most inviting. The music, supplied by Eady, was very good, and words cannot do justice to the supper. Several large pie dishes of scalloped oysters, served hot, were particularly appreciated.

About seventy people — chaperones as Usual being in the proportion of six or seven per cent—danced unweariedly till the ‘sma’ hours.' I must make an effort to describe some of the prettiest dresses. Miss Owen’s gown was composed Of petunia, colored silk and a brocade with a white ground. The former appeared on the body and a robing in front of the skirt, while tbe train and corselet bodice were composed of the brocade. Her sister, Mrs Buckland, wore dark red brocade, trimmed With spangled net the same shade. Mrs Blanker (formerly Miss Batger) looked very pretty in her handsome ivory silk wedding dress, with its soft festoons of chiflon round the hem of the skirt and train. Miss Shepherd wore a stylish black velvet made With the usual train, Some lovely white Jace softened tbe severity of the velvet round the top of the low bodice which was three quarter length, or rather made to appear so by what I might almost call a fringe of alternate velvet and satin ribbons.Miss Puokey wore pale pink satin. The low body was filled in at the neck with tinsel gauze the same shade, and had transparent elbow sleeves. Miss 0. Puckey wore white silk. Miss N. Bussell looked remarkably well in pale green with two cables of violets and Ivy leaves forming a panel on the skirt, Mrs T. Brassey’s dress was the exact shade of a daffodil. Miss Von Sturmer wore a lovely pale pink silk. Mies McDonald wore black. The bouquets were inqgnificent. Some were entirely made of snowflakes and grass, others of daffodils and jonquils, while still more numerous were great posies of nothing but violets, The decorations of the supper table consisted solely of masses of these sweet-scented flowers. In other parts of tbe house jonquils and narcissus ware loosely arranged among feathery green, - "