Literature.

Dunstan Times, 6 May 1881, Page 2

Literature.

ONE THING AND ANOTHER. Uich sly Sangrado with his poisonous pill flies to the printer's devil.—Hosacb Smith,

One of those fearful, appalling disasters which happen at stated intervals, and which are generally of so terrible a character as to stir the colony—nay, th(| who’e world — to its very centre, has again com j to pass. This time it was not a fire, a gat explosion, or an earthquake, but, what is worse than either, a shipwreck, the descriptions of which are of so sickening end harrowing a nature, that they make the sympathetic reader’s blood turn cold as he peruses them. Helpless, innocent babes and children were tortured and mangled by the angry billows, and their parents met with cruel deaths—deaths by torture and suspense. Poor creatures ! Man and woman, youth and maiden, child and babe, all had to fight singly and alone for that which is so precious and dear to us all —life I No one to help them, no one to guide them, what could they do ? Only that winch in a calm moment they would have looked upon as sheer madness. Some Uahed themselves to the iron masts and booms, and the natural consequence was that when the mast went by the board, so also did those who looked to it for support. Others thought to save themselves by attempting to swim to the shore, but the stern avenger Death met them, and claimed them for his own. The cleryman met the infidel and Atheist face to face, waiting for death, but all met their fate with that heroic fortitude which distinguishes the true sons of Britain Capt. Garrard died at his post, so also did several of his brave subordinates All the officers behaved bravely, and did their utmost to alleviate the sufferings of the passengers. Really and truly, I think I must give the editor of that unenvioualy-notorious “ thunderer and buster ” (the “ Cromwell Argus”) up as a bad job. Its not the slightest use trying to rescue him from the path that leads to utter ruin. But what beats mo is the immeasureable amount of conceit and absurd pomposity noticeable in every paragraph in his paper. Aye, in every line one sees the aforesaid conceit standing out as plain as a pike-staff—l was going to say in colored letters, hut I won’t, as it would be an untruth, and I am incapable of telling a falsehood, which is more than can be said of that “ veritable and stupendous of knowledge,” editor and proprietor, and some of his literary crew—maitfiy composed of (C)ol’clo’(ugh) men. Allow me, dear Mr. reader of Opinion of the “Northern Metrolop' to give you just a leitle lit of advice. Two blacks don’t make one white, nor is vituperative scurrility the outcome of a gentleman supposed to lie blessed with a little knowledge of journalistic etiquette. I will not deign to argue the point with i • So, Mr Editor, no fainennter has yob got the tun of the “Argus” Office ? It is a pity you did not, in a moment of faineantise, take the trouble to hunt up your French Dictionary. I fain would hope that you would obtain some faint notion of a simple wo’-d before you again use it. Fe'ujn- ing is ever the tactics of a faineant, but a bold home thrust, and not a feint, is only to be expected from a c qitaiu bold. I note, with extreme pain, Mr Editor of the “ Argus,” that you are surfeited with Fyke. Well, if you are, that is no reason why you. should, when good, wholesome fish are very scarce in your little village, try to poison other people’s minds against him, hut when you serve him up thirteen times in one day it looks as if you were drawing a herring across the trail for some selfish motive. lam aware that you have tried, with every kind of blandishment, to acclimatise him, but you have always met with ignominious defeat, which you have generally accepted with very bad grace. Was it the slipper}', slimy eels of the Clutha or the muddy waters of the Kawarau that drove him from your (polluted) streams down tojthe pellucid Earnscleugh ? Adoo, but not for ever, as I intend to keep my eye on you in the sweet by-and bye. NEMESfS.