PASSING NOTES.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 220, 27 January 1874, Page 6

PASSING NOTES.

(tit A BAXNOOKBURN correspondent.) " Bailey junior" was a precocious lad ; but his frolicsome and lively nature and exuberant spirits were not. altogether offensive. He possessed some, redeeming traits of character, that stood him in good stead, and which had a counteractive tendency against p.ny feeling of uneasiness or displeasure which his mischievousnets and precocity might have engendered. Whether the youths of this district have any special virtues to recommend them, 1 know not ; but, in so far as regards the development of what is commonly known as " cheek," there is a considerable number of youngsters in this neighbourhood that would be an over-match for any boy of the Bailey junior type. Their " cheek," in fact, gives them face enough for anything ; and they have an easy flow of language of a kind akin to that which gave such renown to the British army whilst in Flanders. Boys will be boys, it is said, but the self♦{wasesitioijr pad intrusiveness of many,

now-a-days, are symptomatic of a low order of maturity, rather than juvenility. Larrikinism will bo rampant a few years hence if parents do not exercise a little more moral restraint. A contempt for age and parental authority is so common with the rising generation, that anyone of a well-ordered mind cannot but help being distressed when looking into the future. Ere many years elapse, parents, not a few in number, will be seen, mayhap, weeping for their children as vehemently as Rachel of old. " For much drinking is less injurious than too little. Indeed, a slight inebriation now and then is by no means amiss." So, many years ago, said the celebrated Lord Bacon. Humph ! what would be said of me, I wonder, if I.wore to perpetrate such a remark? Conjecturing that Baron Verulam spoke thus from persona] experience, I .think the flowing bowl that he indulged in must have contained nothing but the luscious and invigorating juice of the grape. Were he alive now, and were he for once (only once) to become " slightly sober" on Colonial beer, I am under the impression that his opinion on the matter would be subjected to a slight modification. I suppose it will be considered high treason on my part to decry Colonial products, but, nevertheless, I don't like the ale of Colonial and particularly district manufacture. I don't like its taste, nor its after-taste, nor yet do 1 like its bitterness, which smacks not of hops. In short, I don't think it is Al, and might, with profit, be I made much better.

Your readers, Mr Editor, will perhaps permit me for once togive my imaginativeness full swing. "As two boys, full of health, fun, and animal spirits, were crossing the bridge at the Bannockbtirn, they evinced a desire, when on the centre of that structure, to do a little larking. Whilst in the height of their diversions, and being close to the railing, winch is of considerable strength, though very open, one of them, suddenly and inconsiderately, gave his companion a violent push, which, dreadful- to relate . . . ." The rest, Mr Editor, is left to the vivid imagination of your readers, who will probably ejaculate, "Bah! such a thing could never happen." Well, perhaps not; but a boy, even did he resemble in size and rotundity the Wagga Wagga fat boy, could, I imagine, pass through an opening which has proved fatal to a bullock. It is in contemplation, I believe, to obviate the defectiveness herein hinted at; but "delays are dangerous," and although I have no wish to be considered a pessimist, still I like to speak of things as I find them. The winds that we have been favoured with for the past fortnight or so can scarcely be called " airy nothiw/s" ; —or perhaps I should have said wind, seeing that it has been blowing from one quarter nearly the whole of the time. Being accompanied with dust, the atmosphere, even here, has been exceedingly gusty, lurid, and uncomfortable. I say, even here, because the people of Cromwell's sufferings must have been far in excess of ours, although we have palpable cause for murmuring in the drying-tip of the streams. Water is getting exceedingly scarce, owing to the continuous and searching nature of our boreal visitant. But it is to be hoped that the " blustering railer" will be followed by a downpour, and so gladden the hearts of the water squatters, and miners generally.

Little has been heard or written of John ] Chinaman lately, tie seems to be such a peaceably-disposed, self-contained individual, j and pursues the even tenor of his way so j inobtrusively, that he is getting to be almost unnoticed. John is not an innovator, and. no doubt like others has his faults, but when working for himself he cannot be accused of j laziness. Of steady, sober habits, he repairs at an early hour to the scene of his labours, and returns to the shelter of his gunny bags at night with v.ndeviating regularity. And the little trouble lie gives to certain■ functionaries will bear ample testimony that he is to a great extent law-abiding. Certainly, a raid is sometimes made upon him for his j miners' right; but why Europeans should ; escape a surveillance that John is occasionally subjected to, I cannot conceive. But a I Chinaman is seldom without money, and John I generally manages, after some monosyllabic | swearing on his own part, to pay his fine and I get his pound's worth of parchment. There j is one thing, however, that he is to be commended for, and that is—he is very seldom, j if ever, mulcted in the sum of forty shillings j for a certain misdemeanour, which 1 am ; sorry to say is . But comparisons are odious. lam nearly beginning to entertain a respect for John Chinaman. An LvuExno.—Diggers are not remarkable j for politeness. And, unfortunately, I am j what many colonial nymphs of lofty ideas i j would call " only a common miner." But I I ] think that had I been in Cromwell when his j j Excellency passed through, I really fancy (ii i only out of respect for Her Most Gracious j Majesty 1 ) that I should have lifted my hat, [notwithstanding that the brim has lost much I of its pristine stiffness: | The Suez mail arrived at the Blur? on ' Wednesday last. The following item 3of news are telegraphed :—" Holman Hunt's picture of I' The Shadow of Death' has been bought foi £IO,OOO. —The Telegraph Companies announce a reduction of charges on messages to Australia, India, and China.—Garibaldi improves in health, but continues a cripple.—The Vienna Exhibition is a commercial failure ; the deficit is £336,000. —Bazaine, at his trial, denied having betrayed France, but declined to appeal against the sentence. "