OUR EXHIBITION LETTER.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 109, 19 January 1881, Page 2

OUR EXHIBITION LETTER.

BY GARNET WAL/d'H.

Chkibtmas and oub Expectations. — Thk g-iooms- ftjtdbb — bbauty ahb- faß--j Eigjßmqw A§rA §baxb Show.-p? : Depabtpbi! op thb Attstbias Stbajts^ BA.w>i— Exhibition FLoyvea , Show; — Op'bning OB Exhibition on Ohbmt" ; MAS. Da*... '. '. ;. : r : t "' ;; : '"' The weaker arid fehe oceaiion rit.^Clmntmas and its holidays are., again, crowdine the streets of Melbourne with y/aijprs. Since the cup carnival business : 6f every-eles-criptionLha9 fallen, o^uuti^th6sejwho:agaiil their living, by ordinary industry; snaj tradei began to (.Link it was almost time to put up the shutters, . but -now ' they;-. a r©r raising their hands ma/en wards,an~d' say ,w,ith.,all seriousness, thank : -the ; 'RpvrerV'-tnatl^tie, another reprieve. TThey sayi -reprieve, and unquestionably jiiean .what they sax; for it is undoubtedly the general belief that when the excitement of the holiday «eason ig.oTcr,' and~our>i9itors depart -to their respective places of abode, Melbourne wifl {apse, into something lesa than dulness if not into general insolvency. But it is useless repining over what coitkl not be alterpd_^i%S^the oriental proverb goes " what^^j^fj^vwill bi" therefore^^illleaTevanor^ing^^ to tHe f uture,s«i^;^al tiniply wittf the present. As I said filling with oiir ,c6uritJ t yjcou»ins i^;ajnd our intercolonial fisitorsj "(3up sHo^ windows, especialy tb.Qßa of papers and .fancy ihopt are crowded : with novelties of every description from wiKcr^w^lb: the last neW thing^ ; hats, known aothe'^i'yßall of thi»Bus,"*nd "Taiff "O'Shanters," It i B wonderful to me how really pretty, rirls -will disfigure taemselres'-for ?lhiss»ltei of .being m fashion, as instanced m the present cut, of what was once known ai 'a gown, now called a costume... 3 It; i»._only a few days line* that, meeting. a Jady like goodlooking girl, I blujhed at jiighp^oi what jffas supposed to be her outer covering. I am neither a bashful nor » jeung man, but it was so like the tighti that naughty dancing an 4 variety singing girls' weaF on the stage. Tothose who doubt me, all I igy is, go to the Melbourne Exhibition, don't waste your time m the Picture"^!!^— of tteT'l'rench Court,! but wander amongst the .throng and see the living, beauties and their ownv style- " . .-. . . - .-.-.■; Speaking of the Exhibition, it have. said* over and over again that it is a-grand snow; but tomehow, :it seems, to. me, that grand shows don't pay. . J, hope m. the .course of the next four or five weeks -to. see the attendance double itself, "for "the entertainment provided is worthy of- the' increase. : ! I may alao mention that the exhibits are daily improving and quickly coming, to. perfection.. The gvand organ is now complete ; the Q,erma'a, Austrian, and American Courts 'are within an ace of completion-; the i "gardens are m full bloom ; the catering is much better than it was ; the young lady attendants are pretty, if not prettier than -, they were. What more can we desire ? Why, music — and th'as/is daily supplied by those most beautiful of the beautiful piano manipulators — Mesdames Tasca and Charbonnet, with' intervals' of- joyous splarkling waltzes^marches,.ov.ectures r .&c n -.froni. the brazen instruments, of the Strauss and Caron bi>ndß, and solemnly grand old music- er~. tracted^b"y?the organist from that tnbnumenb 6f skill; the Melbourne made organ, second j to none eouth"ol*th"e line, and^qualll^lcabs.t: the other'side of it. ' SpeakingWthfniusic reminds me that- yve; shall shortly] lose the presence of Stfauss Band, and that Mel-, bourne Tvill unless for its policemen^ be unifor ml ess, and that all> those that- know the Austrians will miss the. companionship of as. .bright good-lienrted and jolly a : set of fellow* as evjer riiited the /colopy. . They sail for New^ 'South'Walea on "or about i'tbe 29th ins^. v Q;oqd. luck go with them. .^;' ... Another p^those (as the ladies term therp). delightful flower shownhai been : beldln the ' 'n»veof t the i Exhißition,'an J dce^inl^,^Ten ; as one of .the sterner' sex, m ust : admit : that ;. it was a ; gratfd'ana ! gloi4ousßignt,-bne- well calculated to do as it'did', : animafceaiid-gene^ rally brighten-up/thefiipesof-the-fair-TTBi-" tors, and,qn fac*v s.6rip(them of :theirjpl«Jjicl ' mask of fashion and bring forth the true rich" womanly feeling admiration of, all that, is haturilTy beautiful; " It'is wefif that' s'ucfi' gatherings should .he encouraged^ they rub, off the lacquer of conventiional life. In' this show the ferns were remarkable both for their beauty* and numbers. j