THE SOCIAL GATHERING.

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 154, 28 July 1888, Page 2

THE SOCIAL GATHERING.

"ISHMAEL" SCARIFIED,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. Sir, — It would, I think, have been more satisfactory to your readers, as it certainly would to myself, if your correspondents, " Ishmael" and " A Visitor," instead of entering into a controversy respecting their mutual intellectual capacities, had confined themselves to the discussion of the main point, viz. : the truth, or otherwise, of " Ishmael's" statement that Mr Hartgill's two " comic" songs were of " doubtful character" — a statement, or perhaps I should say accusation, which, in my opinion, was grossly false and unjustifiable. One of those songs (which, however, cannot be called a comic song) was an innocent little ditty about a young lady named Norah, whose mother keeps " a little poultry farm," the refrain of which ;(" her name is Norah ; I do adore her") may possibly have affected " Ishmael's" sense of propriety. The other song was the simple history of a drowning sailor wbo was rescued by a whale; and both songs were much more likely to create merriment than tbe disgust which " Ishmael" professes to havo felt. " Ishmael's" charge of impropriety is so absurdly ridiculous as to be entirely unworthy of notice, except for tbe fact that coming from the lips of a man who uses such high flown language, */hose who were not present at the social gathering may have been deceived into giving him credit for a just interpretation of what took place. Speaking of high flown language, can any of your readers explain the meaning of a " dazzling intellect" that " soars majestically through the glorious empyrean of Jdrawing - room songs, and insipidity." — I am, &c, Samuel Goodbehere. Feilding, 27th July, 1888.