New-York tribune., 1912-01-31
SCENES FROM THACKERAY
TWO-Day Centenary Benefit for
''POOr Whites" Begins.
GIRLS IN QUAINT ATTIRE
Entertainment Draws Society IN
Large Numbers to the 6oth
Regiment Armory.

| Under the mystical word "Nyasiea d
Thackeray centenary opened yesterday a.
ternoon in the armcry of the 69th Re2l-
ment at Lexington avenue and Goth street
What does 'Nyasiea' mean? Is 1t any
thing like aphasia. or neurasthenia' OF
something like that?" was innocently
asked.
well, All like that. suh." was the an
swer in a ruhled Virginia accent. Indeed
sub. It means no such thing. 'Nyasiea
stands 70 the New Yo'k Auxiliary of the
Southern Industrial Educational Associa-
ton sub"
"Oh. And what does Thackeray have 10
do with Southern Industrial cducation?'
| We'll. sub" the Virginia accent replied
with feminine scorn, you arc ignorant.
TO sure Thackeray wrote a book called
! The Virginlans.' and it was one of the
first Of his books to pay: so we thought
sub. II Virginia he'ped Thackeray ne could
hep rs II you want to know what the
Southern Industrial Educational Associa-
ton means. read about it in the pro-
| gramme."
| So, according to an address by Thomas
| Nelson Page, printed in the programme
one of tho greatest humanitarian tasks
| NdlllllB LOT llt Itoplt VI lilt NiAt'N ''''N-N'
/ is the uplifting Of the Southern noun
tancers, sometimes called POOR whites
or mountain crackers" who are peculiar
| ly cut off from the rest of the country by
their ignorance possessed of few schools
and many of them unable to read or write
| The receipts from the centenary will go
toward helping these Southern people.
The great floor Of the armory was trans
| formed into a representation of the old
Temple Garden, London, arranged so that
! the spectators could sit about at their
ease on rustic benches whllo the enter
tainments were presented on the stage
Between. whiles tea and light refresh
ments were served by young women in
| old English costumes doing the honors for
| ''Terre's Tavern" serving tea and scones
| I'm the afternoon. while bouillabaisse and
coffee were in vogue at night.
The programme last night consisted al
most entirely of bits from Thackeray in
one form or another. A tribute TO Thack.
cray was delivered by Charles Forrest
| Moore. and then Ben Greet read a pro-
logue written especially for the occasion
| ~ Percy MacKaye. After the singing OF
Wrapping Old Stairs" Colonel Newcome's
| favorite song. by Andrea Sarto, series
OF tableaus was presented illustrating the
best known Thackeray themes.
These human pictures, richly costumed
and carefully posed came and went with
| the changing of the electric lighting ef-
! fects behind a hlmy screen. They
were as follows: From THE Newcomes,'
Colonel Newcome" and THE BALI; Pen
dennis" Henry Esmond." The Virgin
| Ia, De- rot, q DCp1 1fp a
from Vanity Fair" scenes representing
"Becky's First Holiday Visit" and THE
| Ball Before the Battle Of Waterloo.
| Other tabldaus were THE Ballad of Bouil-
| labalsse." THE Sorrows Of Werther' and
peg Olimavaddy." The last WIS a grand
pageant OF characters in Thackerays
books
The chairman of tho ThaCkeray Gen.
| tenary IS Mrs. J. Elliot Langstaf, while
| the tableaus were arranged by Mrs. Lee
| Hall. The pageant was under the direc-
! tion Of Thomas McIlvaine, Apheus Cole
and Mrs AIpheus Cole. a bazaar for the
sale OF memcntos Of the affair was held
I'm the form Of vanity fair" in charge
Of women from Virginia, under the direc,
| tlon OF Mrs Roger Pryor and Mrs. Living
ston Rowe Schuyler.
The affair will continue this afternoon
| and end tonight
| Among the patrons and patronesses or
| the centenary are Mrs. Waldorf Astor.
| Mrs. Courtlandt Field Bishop, Mr.. and
| Mrs Andrew Carnegie. Mrs. Henry Clews,
| Mayor and Mrs. Gaynor, Miss Helen
| Gould, Bishop David II. Greer. William
Dean Howels. Mr. and Mrs. Seth Low, Mr..
and Mrs J. p Morgan. Mr. and Mrs. Levi
! p Morton. Mr.. and Mrs. John y. Rocke-
feller. Mrs. Russell Sage. Mrs. Henry w.
Taft. Mrs Vanderbilt and Augustus Van
| WyCk