Combings.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 195, 3 February 1905, Page 2

Combings.

[By “ Beachccmbkb.”] A real summer morning at last, matter for remark and congratulation, for though January was well advanced it was the first successful attempt made this season by Dame Nature to get back to her old form, to show that she was not altogether toxutterly upset by some mysterious thing or cause that as yet none of the weather wise are able to put finger on. We all, barring coal miners and such, are given to conjecture and to prophesy about tbe weather, especially lately since tbe wind and rain and cold and hail taps seem to have been left permanently turned on. For this varied weather some people blame tbe sun spots, some tbe Japs big guns, or tbe moon canoodling with a planet, or Beddou’e broken promises, or the new liquor legislation—why, yes, that is what I started to write about, but my pen is easily sidetracked and likes to wander away from the main subject like—and in some small cases, of course, unlike—tbe author of Tristram Shandy. It was, as I remarked, a beautiful morning, and I strolled along to the wharf to try for a schnapper. The steamer had been in overnight, and that and tbe pleasant change no doubt induced a number of the survivors of Dame Nature's pranks, of Seddon’s pranks, and of the liquor traffic reformer's pranks to foregather. Our numbers are sadly diminished; we are but a few people to wbat we were a twelve* month ago, and most have the appearance ol having been through tbe seige of Port Arthur. Some’have gone to that borne where the good and the non-tbirsty cease from troubling, some to a land free from Seddonian rule, some have simply moved across our border, gone “■ where the beer flows freely.” In somewhat listless fashion I threw my bait of aua into the incoming tide. It was the last I saw of it, or oared about it; all tbe fish m tbe harbour were welcome and in no danger from me, for down the Wharf was a portentous sight—nothing less than tbe local representative of law and order carrying under his arm a wicker-work jar that obviously, and un> mistakably could contain nothing else than two gallons of whisky. “ Want a corkscrew, Mac ?” •• Want an expert, Mac?” “I’ll carry it, Mac I" but Mao steadily refused ill offers of assistance, and explained that that wonderful thing the liquor tew had been broken. The'firm forwarding had omitted to write on the label that the jar oonteinod whisky ! The importer bad acted bona fide ; he advised the sender that it was for private consqtaptfon; the customs had been duly notified of its being forwarded; it wailconrigned and appeared on ths ahip’Jmanifest as whisky, yet because some understrapper of a clerk had omitted to write on the label that the jar contained whisky the police were empowered to confiscate it. No con* could be shown to the unfortunate man who owned it; he might have had an important event to celebrate, or is might merely have been that he wanted some medicinally for his wife in her coming hour of women’s trial* pour words, through oversight, had been omitted from tbe libel. When tbe moon gets up in fowhia, to be sate, it should be labelled “ This is the moon,” A long silence ensued amongst tbe fishers, for men’s minds were busy and that all their thoughts were not healthy was shewn when a simple question startled them : “ Can any of you people tend me a worm ?” |t was not the thing of‘the earth on which their thoughts were -turned, but ten feet of twisted copper pipe.