A Brilliant and Popular Spectacle.
The complaint is sometimes heard that My Lady Bountiful has comparatively few opportunities in Shanghai of indulging her benevolent. hobby. Certain it is that when there does arise such an occasion as was afforded by the necessity of raising fands for the Thomas Hanbury Schools, our ladies devote themselves to the cause with the intensity of long pent-up enthusiasm. There is a charm about " great bazaar—when they are not to" frequent—which not even a ball of the season can give. The comfortable sense of lending a help hand, of setting one's wits and enol to work no: for merely personal gratification, but with some good object' to aid, spurs all taking part, even those whose sole privilege it isto pay bazaar prices, to a cheerful animation and a Christmassy feeling of good-will to all the world. This it was made a visit to th-'Town Hull on Tuesday afternoon or evening such a pleasant doing. "Everybody was here, as a matter of course, and the great hall buzzed with conversation and rippled with high spirits. For undestones there were the merry chink of dollars and teacups, varied by the frequent fragments of music, borne in from the temporary concert-hall in the wing.
Everything had been done not only to please eye and ear alike, but to ensure the comfort of the money-spending public, who had been lured past the d)-cent entrance gate, The sales-ladies had evidently remembered that shopping is a fastidious business, that customers must be angled for wisely and delicately, and that little attentions pay big profits. ' Tivus on the very threshold, visitors found them-solves gently despoiled of such cneumbronces as hat, sticks and umbrellas. Mrs Cooper helped by Miss Mabel Jansen and Miss Law had a businesslike rule of ten cents for exch piece, which there was no resisting, and th ous parcel stall was soon loaded up with miscellaneous personal etceteras. In the intervals of intercestin new arrivals, they were speeding the de-Telivery of parchinses, to the extent of arting with assurances ".f prompt and safe pantechnicon if need'be. It was a busy corner, Just opposite, a shooting g-lery, presided over by Mrs. B-israzon, with the assistance of Inspector Mackintosh did roaring business with marksman, crack and otherwise, The sheet iron protectors xt the end and the. necessary air-guns for the assault on Aunt Sally and the customary string of dangling olds and ends, were kindly lent by it. Bunt of the Shanghai Arsenal The shooting gallery extended across the lower end of the hall, immediately beneath the gallery where the Tow Band found a convenient station. Adjoi ing it, against the southern wall was a large stall, draped in crimson, and spread with fine art needlework, pictures, engravings, and ornaments, nestly all imported direct from Europe. Mrs. Berner, Mrs. Dabelstein and Mrs. Duncan Reid did their hest here to sell out, early in the day.
Quite an elshorate structure in the form of a rurally-thatched cottage was in char; of a bevy of young ladies, who modestly hid their identity under the title of "The King's Daughters." The interior presenta! what to a hard-hearted public afticial would he, we fear, a lamentable instance of overcrowding, but in doll-land possibly the housing regulations are not so strict as elsewhere. The whole family, anyway, looked perfectly happy, aad beamed con gratulations on a nuptial couple in the foreground. The pity was that t-e King's Daughters had to intervene so often to carry off for some callous disturber of the household. peace, this or that member of the party. Hung round with Imperial yellow and heavily laden with thins us ful and evstly—as run the isements—next came tire stall whereat Mrs. H. G. Duswler was assisted by Mrs, R. W. Little, Mr-. Sparkes, and Mrs. Davi'sou. The most. interesting articles here were undoubtedly the Dyak spears and hatchets, the vases, carvings, bends and otver Malay' carlos specially sent up from Singupure for the purpose -f this -ale. Poey found ready purchasers.
Arrived at this point, the careful customer, if he had faithfully done his duty would probably be prepared for something light in the way of refreshment. The catering was altogether a most important department, for the organisers of the bazaar bu sion that having once caught thole patrons, inside the door the policy would be to keep them there till closing finn Thi could only be accomplished by' providing diner, hence a very delightful feature of the whole affair. The easiest little dining room was set out with small tables at the top rud of the rom; 4 invrvellous dinner was put on, and—best of "li—the boy was rigorously excluded. His place was most charmingly taken by waitre-sex,—Store of ladies, whose bright eyes Kam influence, and judge the price, ightly to misquote the poet. In every duy life those luries are known as Lady Mrs, Liddell, Mrs, Landale, Gardaer, Miss Wright, Miss Wallis, Mrs Irvine, Mrs. von Rucker, the Countess Butler and the Misses Warren, besides many of the younger virls of Shwngbui For afterdinner meditation amid the mingled fragrance of coffee and tobacco, " beautiful retreat, the palmery" had been arranged in what is ordinarily the volunteer reading room.
Yo resume th circuit of the stalls, mention must next be made of the Japanese curlys daintily displayed under the supervision. of Mrs. 5. Shorrock. who was helped by Mrs. ttolliday. The wit ily word-d price tickets were quite a feature live, Near by, Mrs. P. de 'T. Evans dwelt in a mysterious embowered and by light of aveient lamp read gipsy fortunes for the well-dispo-ed. The platform was an arbour of plants and chrysanthemums spangle night, as was the rest of rhe hall with lectiic lamps. Within Mrs. J. L. Scott, kept shop." aided by BMfrs. Ay-cough Mrs. Burkill and Mis. Taylor. Buttonholes, bougucts, mud j-of furers were premium but lacked no buyers out account. Tse enterpr stall holders sent out fancy costumed helpers, buys and Is, among the cireulsting public an these emptied their baskets with rapid success. No bazaar is eon without fish-well, and for picturesqueness, that xuwrdet by Miss Bassett, put its " bubbling" original to open shame, It was built round with drooping reeds and anglers reported most excellent: catches. There were many other helpers, venerally una'tazked, beside the-e already me nang them Miss Ivy and the Me Micteod." Mr. Mayne, Me. A. R. Burkill, and Mr. Roche (with the electric i
also gave most valuable kelp.
Arthur (with the floral arrangements)
Te bazaar was opened promptly at three by H. B. M.'s Consul-General (Sir Pelham Warren), Thomas Hsnbury 3 object of the bazar w. assist in.naking such an income po-ible, and from his knowledge of the generosity of Sh ai people ko did not doubt but that the result aimed at would be in great measure achieved.
The state of the stalls at the conclusion fully justified this forecast.
There were entertainments practically all the time. When the band was not playing, the pianola was, The ante-room was converted into " theatre, state and all, and here there were miscvilaneous concerts, ¥ared by performances by the Tough-nut Troupe,—consisisting of Messrs. Wedemeyer, Tours, Van Nierop, Lemon, and Cochrate.
Tt was alter eleven p.m when the Hall was finally deserted by the entertainers and the entertained.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.