December 1, 1902.]
construction
30 and 32 were weak from of the corbelling and string conrses and this in effect gave one of these walls an outward tendency; this outward tendency was aided by a similar tendency in the party will owing to the corballing being omitted on one side of the wall only; these toudencies gradually developed between the building and the day of the collapse and materially contributed to it, the immediate cause being the typhoon wind.
The enquiry was then adjourned.
THEATRE ROYAL.
C THE LADY OF OSTEND." Laughter my aptly be described as the music of our lives, and for the song if laughter given to the world in The Lady of Ostend, Mr. F. C. Burnand, the author, has au undoubted olaim on our gratitude. Best known as elitor of London Punch, Mr. Baruand has never- theless guinod prominence in the literature of light comedy by the highly interesting produc. tions of his facile pen, and amongst these допе ranks bigher than that staged at the Theatre Royal on the 24th ult. by the Janet Waldorf Company. Although Sir Francis Burnand, to give the veteran journalist and playwright his correct title, ha for some years past followed the life rather of a literary reolus, his ability bas in no way deteriorated, and in the play under review his old easy grip of humorous material, conjoined with the faculty of turning it to the best account, is seen to excellent advantage.
Whilst it may not be said that the author has broken new ground in The Lady of Ostend, for in light comedy as in all other conceptions of the playwright a certain conventional line is observ- ed and usually as strictly followed, the story is distinguished by what may be termed a sories of lucid progressions, which combine with the increasingly humorous situations and the pro- nounced types of the characters to provide capital entertainment. From the rise of the curtain and on unbrokenly to its fall, the drollery of the comedy is easily apparent to every one, and no mental strain is required to follow with exactitude the varying fortuues of the participants. It may reasonably be aÿ- sumed that the mission of farcical comedy is to amuse without bewildering, and in The Lady of Ostend that mission is creditably achieved.
To glance for a moment at the piece, which is one of three acts, the action takes place in the house of Mr. Dick Whortles, who, during a previous trip to Ostend, has been caught by the camera in a tele-d-téte with an unknown lady on the beach. Impelled by fate, he subsequently takes his wife and mother-in-law to an exhibi- tion of living pictures whereat this particular scene is presented as No 9 on the card. The result, of course, may readily be imagined, for Mrs. Whortles and the mother-in-law recognise the portrail, and the inevitable trouble follows. As though the dome tic atmosphere were not already sufficiently sultry, the husband of the unknown lady, a pugilist of unmistakable speech and temper, commences a furious quest for the original of the male figure in the pictaro, and the predicament in which Mr. Wh rtles finds himself strikes his friends as being extremely ludicrous, as of course it is to all bat the unhappy man himself. Amongst those who r-joice over his di-comfiture no on is more hilarious than the Baron de Longueville, whose triumph, however, is short-lived, for the succeed ing picture on thecinematograph reveals himself disporting in the sea in company with Wuort- les's inamorata, whilst Mr. Carbury, Dick's father-in-law, discovers that he also has fallen
|
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
46
425
foes convey thought it wise to keep the
as low as is consistent with making the Institu- tion pay
80 its way,
to bing the services of the nurses within the means of as many persons as possible. It appears at our present rates that the Institution is jast able to moot its current expenses, but as we are paying our arses a sterling salary, I am afraid that with the present low dollar wo may find that we shall have to som what raise the fees in the near futurs. The fact that we have been able to oarry on the Institution and makeit pay its way is, to me, eminently satisfactory; but you must remember that although we have thus earned enough to pay our w rking expenses, at press it we are not able to put by anything to pay for passa re money. Both our present nurses ars on a three years' agreement at the end of which time we have to pay half their passages home (if they stay five years wa pay their full passage home), so that in rather less than two years from now we shall have to find enough money to py two half-passages bone and two full passages ont for two new nurses, and we think that we ought to be in a position to do this without seriously drawing on the gaarantes fand, and for that purpose it will be necessary to institute an annual subscription. We think that an annual sabse iption of $19 will be suffici-nt to keep the Invitati›n afl›ì“, if we can gat 60 or 70 subsoribers to supor, the Institution, and this woull, I think, bɔ
The bare outline of the story can only a faint id a of its current of interest, which was admirably maintained in the dramatisation of the Janet Waldorf Company. Interest and close attention waited upoù the performance throughout the entire evening, and the applause wes continuous and hearty. As to the parts taken by the individual mombers of the Company, the impersonation of the Baron de Longueville lag in the capable hands of Mr. Norval Mc rogor, whose ability and versatility as an actor had telling proof in his portrayal of the man with a rattling past." The nature of the part mikes it a difficalt on: to depict, but Mr. McGregor's response to the domini made upon him was entirely satisfac- tory, and earned bommendation on all hands. Į Those who have seen Miss Janet Waldorf as Josephine in A Rayal Divorce need not be told that on the present occasion she at one im- pressed the spectators with a renewed 83ase of her powers by her appearance as Dorothy Whortles, a rúle in which she showed to decidɔd ad- vantage in a new line of dramatic enterprise- Dew, at least, to Hongkong theatro-goers. Throughout the play she acted just as we have come to expect her to act, and im. parted to a comparatively colourless part an importanc • all its own.
The adventures of the errin Dick Whortles were finely illust ated y Mr. William Fichett, and Mr. Wilson Forbes as ably represunte Joseph Carbuy, the fa'ber- in-law of Whartles, and an individu with a propensity for not rual rovin es. Mrs. Dor Carrier acted with distinction in the role of Ms. Carbury, and impartel un small force to the action of th pic. The romark applies al-o to Miss M ldal York, who enjoy only vary fugitive opportuniti s bat used tem to the best advantage. The blas ring Toby Crockitt the husband of the Ludy of Ostend, löst none of his idiosyncracies in his repr sentation by Mr. Jean de Lacy, and the parts assigned to Mis Amy Stanley, Mss Edith Haye, Mr. Arthur Eltou and Mr. St. Clair Byfield had amp justice done them.
stage
sconery
·
in this respect more
Regarding te so nery, the Company were fortnite thin in A Royal Divorce when the limitations of the
thmselves greatly felt. mide
The nsed in The Lady of Ostend is admirably adpt d to the accommolation of the theatre. and thus nothing was
ost in scзute effect. Yesterday evening's wis the first appearanc the Company has made in this particular comedy, but despite that fact everything went with the smoothness of the proverbial mill-pond. and the audience, which quite filled the house, demonstrated its appreciation by the volume of its plaudits
A ballet was gracefully danced during the evening, the music for wich was composed by Mr Hal. Lindsay Campbell, the able director of the orchestra.
HONGKONG NURSING
ASSOCIATION.
ANNUAL MEETING.
easily possible. Failing this it soms tat te Institution must aftor a few yours baajmi bankrut, as our smill guarante fand would soon be exhausted in paying pissiges. A is stated in the report, at present the Conim't:es think that two nurses are sufficient for the
needs of the Colony, Ou: nurses have had a good many days off da'y during the year, a ad the secretary has only on two occasions been unable to supply a nurs when oas was asked for; so that we think that at premut a third nurse would not bɔ able to sira on vagh to ever her slary and the expenses of her bard and lodging. I should like to thank the pes nut Com nittee for the support they have given me during the past year, and espilly Lady Goolmin for the care and trouble sh, his giva i to the s cretaryship, and also Dr. Fraser, who has kindly acted as honorary tre suror.
Sir WILLIAM MɛIGH GoJDMAN moved the a loption of the report, which was as follows:- "The Committee have pleasure in presenting the second annual report and statement of ac
counts from the 1st of October, 1901, to the 30th
September, 1902, to subscribers. During the whole of this time the lnstitution has had the benefit of the services of Nurse Gray and Nurs Hair, who have been acʻually engaged in nurs- ing for 257 and 29) days respectively. This clearly shows the need of a Nursing Institution in the Colony, and thɩt the sɔrvios of train d nurses are both required and appreciatel. At present it would appear that two nur333 a e sufficient to meet the needs of the community. as upon twɔ occasions only-was the Institution unable to send a uurs3 in response to a request to do so. During the period under review rules for the guidance of the nurse and their patients have been drawn up. It will be seen from the statement of accounts that the Committee has been able to repay the sum of $190 34. out of the $2,7.17, which it was nece sary to borrow from the guarantee fund to meet the expenditure of last year, and thit the receipts have boen sufficient to meet the working exp ns s of the present year. Committee, however, bag to call attention to the fact that the nurses are here on a three years' agreement only, and that at the end of that time the cost of two half passages hom, and two passages out, will have to met; this is estimated to be about $1,80) representing $600 a year, which must be raised by subscription. In accordancs with rule 7 it rests with the annual meeting to fix the amount of thế. subscription for the ensuing year, 1902-3, and the Committee venture to hope that subscribers will come forward în sufficient numbers to en ible this useful Institution to carry on its work with- out diminishing the guarantee fund, which it know how we should be able to get on without
is most desirable to preserre intact, in order to it, and I think that the same may be said from
meet such contingencies as may from timɔ to the patients' point of view also. the fees that are being charged for the services time arise. The Committee recommend that the of the nurses are comparatively low-much subscription for the coming year be fixed lower, I believe, than those which are charged at $10. The sum to the credit of the guarantee iu Shanghai; but the Committee harefund stool at 81,270.29 on 1st October, 1902,
The second annual meeting of the Hongkong Nursing Association was held on 25th ult, the in the City Hall. Dr. F. O. Stedman, president, pre- sided and there were also present:-Lady Blak, Sir William Meigh Goodman, Lady Goodman (hon. secretary Dr. R. M. Gibson, Mrs. Robertson, Mrs. Tomes, Mrs. Harling, Mrs. May, Mrs. Siebs. Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Stelmin, Mrs Grist, Mrs. Stephens, Mrs. Gumpertz, Mrs Danby, and Mrs Whitlow.
The PRESIDENT said—Ladies and gentlemen, The report of the Committee and the statement of acounts from the treasurer are before you, and as I have very little to add to what is stated in the report, I do not propose to detain you with a long speech. I may say that the Insti- tution is fillings great want in the Colony and
At present
a victim to the inquisitiveness of the apparatus. | from a doctor's pint of view at least I do not All these complications provide unlimited merriment for the audience, and the laughter that raug through the house found its echo when the enraged husband of the fickle lady of Ostend wreaks summary vengeance on the furniture in the Whortles's drawing-room, which he reduces to wreckage.
The
I