REMINISCENCES OF NELLIE STEWART.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 March 1924, Page 3

REMINISCENCES OF NELLIE STEWART.

IMPRESSIONS OF CHIEF CITIES. In her new volume of reminiscences, "My Life's Story.” Miss Nellie Stewart Ini.- naturally something to say of New Zealand, through which she toured -o often. Compared with Australia. New Zealand, she reminds her readers. "is a small place-- -just a couple of biggish islands with a little island dangling oil in the rain, ’ hut ..till people in different: parts **: New Zealand, Mi-.- Stewart affirms, differ from each other lar more than people in different parts of Australia do. • Auckland.” slu- says, "i- .siih-l ropieal (you mustn't say that in Auexl.ii.il'. and the people are very inueil bke Queenslanders on a holiday -very easy, very genial, a hit lazy, and quite contented. . . J think that even a Bolshevik in Auckland would he a mod tempered end miling sou! -lie tiiivel;. -..nth Miss Stewart reaches Wellington. ' In Wellington.” we are told, "everybody is proud e.t tl„. local style ( the big shops are more expensive than any in Sydney or Mel--1„,1,me) : everybody is determined t<> -bout down the wicked suggestion t hat Wellington is a windy place, asi I cvcrvbotly i- obstinately metropolitan. They will tell you In Auckland that the Wellington man nhear-es Uei.'ig metropolitan eteiv night helore he xavs hi- prayers ami goo.- I" hod. lies Aucklander- are ralltei inclined In lean against thing.- and let the old dav creep hv. The Wellingtonian.-* me all for activity and a great show oT hn-ines-. . . Mind yon. I think that

li, talk a "iml Wellington winds sometime.- a little overdone, don’t believe a friend’s -tnry about the carele-s man who forgot to keep Id- mouth tight shut on Lambton Quay and so lmd all his artificial teeth Mown away to Karon.

Christ church Miss Stewart finds dilfcrent again, ••niristcliurch priih's itself on its culture and its Knglishness. AH the streets radiate from the central Anglican CuiTu-draM and :tll the lines of thought, too, I think. Every woman there—no matter though she lias never travelled farther than Ttmaro ol l.vttelton speaks of Mondou us “I lonic'.” Everybody thinks the Avon is exactly like the river Will Shakespeare wandered by when he went- poaching and got' himself all tied up with elderly Anne. Everybody thinks that Christchurch is the high sent of civilisation in the Pacific. Hi Christ, hard, the social duplex take thoir prominence more serious!v t.mn any other social clk.ues in Australasia dti r l'hev sire nil consciously very superior it ml relimnl. “Duemlin is very solid and thorough. and it is unite possible." writes Miss Stewart, "that, having regard to il, ,ize. Dunedin is the most inlellect-,-itv ill Australasia. The local university is crowiled with ‘swot ters.’ 'rhere is a liig crowd of medical students. whom" I love." After some amusing remarks about Invercargill's enrlv “drv” days. Miss Stewart sums New Zealand up as a whole tit a way that shows she has very kindly recollections of her days on this side ol Die Tasman .Sea.