SATURDAY NIGHT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 569, 26 July 1909, Page 8

SATURDAY NIGHT.

IN WELLINGTON STREETS. A NEWSBIRTVS EDUCATION. THK PEACEMAKER. It was Saturday night in Wellington, and the streets were- thronged. Tlio Philosopher, on get Ling out of the tramcar, saw a boy and a nirl soiling papers. The hoy was bareheaded and barelegged. Tlie girl's l)oots were unlaced, with their tongues hanging out, and her plentiful tawny hair was uncovered. Girl, and boy woro shouting tlio same "eedce-ytm" (there is no snoli syllable as'"-tion" in street cries the world over), and it was hard to say which owned tlio louder or tho shriller voico. As the Philosopher was passing their corner, tho boy thrust himself in front of the girl, flourished his wares, and yelled again. Tho girl, Us a consequence, would have got tho custom, but she, not .guessing tliis, lifted her bundle of papers as high as she could and brought them down with a swift, resounding thwack on tho hay's head. Tlio Philosopher bought of the boy.. But the girl interested. him more. Ruddy, sturdy, and obviously active, she looltwl an though a. cow-byrej rather than a strectcortier; was her accustomed sphere of industrial activity. "Young Zealandia getting her education," said the Philosopher to himsolf, and then ho stopped on the kerb a few yards from the corner, to wait for tho next incident. ■ • . • ... Street Preachers. ■•■■', • It is held by sonio authorities that competition controversy arid lighting arc thu best Vehicles of enlightenment and moral ■training. If so, Young Zealandia the newsgirl must have grown much wiser that night. She .was next observed listening to an argument on religidii. A gron'p of mjssioneis, wsio had just finif>hcd a strcet-sorvioe, wero being, heckled ,by' certain 'sceptical young men. Tho group which '■' cxhdrtiition,- had gathered had become, under the stronger attraction- of controversy almost. a crowd: .As soon as the flood of testimony on the ono side and argument'on the other bad abated, she of.the ruddy checks aiid flying tresses shrilled her "eedee-ymi" for the equal benefit of:saint and.scoffer. ■ ' / ■ More Culture. ■'.. Another a.nd a denser crowd was the scene of the next chapter in. '"her •contentions •culture. A young fellow, whose thick utteranco and unsteady movements were but too easily accounted'for v was.trying to take o"ffhis coat, while others'were trying to keep it on him. "Let me got at .him!" he was saying, with much- more which was— perhaps fortunately—inarticulate. The man ho wanted to "get at", was leaning, crosslegged, against the corner of a building.. He was square-built, square-jawed, and Iy calm. Whenever the would-be fighter and his mates, in their pushing and pulling, came near, him, he half drew ,olf one of his brown leather gloves. .When they swerved away, he pulled'it orf again, only to repeat the action on their next approach. Once he, was heard to•.'speak:' ."Are you his friend?" Ho said.,-,. "Well,, whoever .is his friend,- take'him away.". \ ' : ' : Strategy was tried by the unsteady- one's most persistent mate. "Come away home now, and I'll arrango a meeting to-morrow." But the would-be fighter - still swayed , and struggled. , ■ . . . ' ■...'■ ■ "Come'along out of this, and. I'll fix up a-meeting for you-to-night .in a better place." . Equally useless.'.' . ■■■ ' ■A tall, .athletic youth, better'dressed than most ;of the crowd, ■ interposed with muscle and'a tone of. authority, :but' his patience was soon gone-Vlf you''will fight, then fight, and get a licking.' , . ' . '\ ' Young , /iealandia had pushed herself into the crowd, and was gazing, wjde-eyed,. upoii the drama. Nimbly she dodged the knot of Mr. Pugnacious and his would-be pacifiers, as 'they plunged at cross-purposes around tho ring, . . ' . . And still the. square man , leaned agaiiist this, wall, and .moving only to readjust his; gloves according to occasion. , . 'He didn't want to fight, but, by Jingo, if he did—To the Rescue j • : ' Arid then a new figure appeared in tho middle of the crowd. This was a girl of, perhaps, twenty summers, rather small and with delicate, mobile,face and bright; eyes. To ; see any girl, in that crowd was remarkable; 1 to see such a girl.there was astonishing. ■ P ' ; "' ■', - :.Sho.was talking'to Mr. Pugnacious. Her ! toncs were at once persuasive and banter-' ing. "Do you callyourself 'ii'maii? You're' behaving like' a, silly kid. Now go home quietly, like a sensible fellow. Haven't yoii got any common? ''Where-, do you live? Now, go along with your mate." He tried to get past her'te where Mr. Jingo still leaned impressively against the wall, but she seized just one of his hands and then, the other, and kept herself between the two men. Pugnacious pushed her nearly into Jingo's arms. "No, she declared, "you're' not going to touch anybody." ■•' His mates had already fallen back, leaving'him te her.

Victory. ' ; '.'-'- ' , Pugnacious smiled sheepishly, and said to.' the Peacemaker, "1 might go.with you." Next minute she. was leading him up the street of tho, exhorters and , the scoffers. Most of tho crowd followed, leaving Mr. Jingo to abandon his poso at his leisure! The Peacemaker, after taking I'ugnacious to a safe distance, handed him over to, tho niate who had dono his unavailing best to keep him , out; of mischief. Then sbo went on hei. way, and they on theirs.. :

.:■ A youth was rolling, a cigarette, and telling two small boys the whole story. Young Zealandia suspended business to listen.. The Philosopher, asked, "Who is. the. girl?" "Miss Blank, of tho tea-shop," said the cigarettist. "She's mad on religion. . But she's none the worse- for that."

".'Tis all one,", mused the Philosopher, as ho walked away. ."Whether in Portia's gar? den, where tub night is musical, or in these contentious so shines a good deed, in a naughty world.'" . What the riewsgirl thought is unknown. She immediately . resumed her place', in the economic process. •• ' :. . ■.'.'. .