TOTARA-NUI.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 25, 30 January 1871, Page 4

TOTARA-NUI.

AN ORIGINAL STORY. (Written for the Australasian). ' Then the woman began her story, in.errupted only by Patty's Maori confirmative expressions of "Ne," "Ane," "Tankiri," and a curious upward movement of the eyelids, thoroughly Maori, and expressive, of immense knowledge, interest, joy, or sorrow (as the case may be), when combined with the different aids of the rest of the features. But you will not be able to appreciate the native assentives and interrogatives, for they need the time and look to give them force. Translated then into brief and commonplace English, Wairu's story was to this effect--"Of you, ray friend, I have had a great heart to blackness and wickedness. E'Patty lam shy of telling you hut I must. Some one perhaps has bewitched him^ a little sprite (kekokeko) has entered into him, and made him love the girl with the hair like the kowai flowers. Ane." Then Patty answered slowly, and as if in pain. "Perhaps, Wairu, this may be only a foolishness of a little time; let us ■wait and see." No, E'Patti," comes the woman's musical intonation; "no, he will go until this love grows stronger and stronger; and then — an' I don't know what then. To-day in tbe early morning, the men seeing that my child was better, •went on their way, but I did not like their faces or their words, and I am afraid there will be fighting by and by between them and the Pakeha." '• An' I don't know," answers Patty sadly, "but all my heart is dark." "And mine too," replies Wairu, " dark as the thick night when there is no light from the white moon," and the low voice was mournful in its wailing tone. " Takahi went away to-day I know not where." She buries her face sadly in her blanket, uttering a low, continuous sound of indescribable sadness. Now and then a few words expressive of the grievous state of affairs glided in among the wailing tones, and then they went on monotonously, "Is this all the talk?" " Is it done o'you?" inquired Patty," "It is done," she answers. Then replies Patty, according to Maori etiquette, " Go." " Sit still," says Wairu. " Go well and peacefully to your dwellingplace," responds Patty, and the two separate, Patty with a heavier load than before, for though she had suspected this' once or twice, still the idea had appeared so very improbable that sbe had quickly dismissed it from her mind. It seems hatd that so much should be thrown on this girl's shoulders, but there are some people in this world, who by thier quiet unselfishness and good sense, their helpfulness and truth, seem to have the burdens of others perpetually laid upon them. Patty was one of these. ' Frank and Mab met her near the house. Everyone had been in that garden at some time or other that day. Maggie had not long gone in, for Patty had been a long time talking to Wairu, and since she saw •Frank, some hour and a half ago, a dark shadow seemed to have fallen on her face. He and Mab were so volatile and bright in their rnerrry natures that they were.inseparable almost. They, while appreciating Patty's earnestness, still could not understand it. She was merry enough,' but these two were very volatile and thoughtless, and more fond of the butterfty side of existence. Mab, moreover, was very secretive, and in all great resolves inflexible, while Frank had not the tiniest atom of secretiveness in his whole composition; as a child he was called a "leaky sieve," and so he was now. As Patty comes towards them he is concluding the tale of his troubles confided to Mab. What are these great troubles ? Alas ! poor Frank, he is ,very miserable. The boy, with all a boy's, enthusiasm in his first love (he is only ,19), believes he neyer can be happy again ; he is, according to his sad story, hopelessly and miserably in love with Maggie, and to-day, half an hour ago, Maggie, walking along the terracewalk, met him, moody and jealous of Melville. Then he said something, some word or two that made her realise fully her position, and she, taking his two broad hands in her little ones, and looking at '- = him with the deep quiet eyes, said, "Don't Frank, dear, please don't ; it will always be so; my cousin; Frank." "Oh! Maggie, 4oh't r !doh't. I don't want that. , Say you don't love any one else. Oh, Maggie, I ."', will win you. I. will wait, and wait, until you love me; ;Say you don't love any one else.'* She* blushes a' faini bright color, xbutftKe looks at&ims^^ eyj B>!M\an^ers>ery;low,x Z;f. I^:loye v sbm4pne;else, ; have *||lS^ pi^iojikfi^^

"I know. Oh, Frank, lam so very sorry," she says, with the tenderest, truest ring of sympathy, and he lifts her hand like a chivalrous knight as he is, and ; kisses it. " Only this once," and she glides away with one parting look of sorrow. This is in detail the story Frank is telling Mab vaguely, with no entering into what even he will like to keep to himself. As Patty slips an arm round each, Mab, tired of playing comforter, leaves them, knowing Patty will take her place, and is next seen in the topmost branches of the highest blue gum. Here a Maori boy has made her a beautiful seat, and here she sits wrapped warm and snug in a scarlet wrapper, and the sunbeams in little dots and sparks wander down among the rustling leaves, and touch with gleams of gold the red hair and pigment little face. lC And all the broad leaves over me Clap their little hands in glee, With one continuous melody," says Mab to herself, and then she looks about her ami begins to sing ; then she changes her mind, and pulling out a quaint silver whistle, sounds two shrill calls upon it. At the sound a large white cat lying asleep on a clump of thyme wakes up, and racing down the paths, leaps in the lowest branches and up the tree, pausing at last in Mab's arms with a low purr of satisfaction. This is Mab's familiar spirit. Wherever " Snowy " may be, if he only hears the silver whistle nothing will keep him from his mistress. To him she gives all her confidences, making up, for her secretiveness to people by her trust in an animal. " You can't tell anything, Snowy, dear," 'she ofteu remarks sententiously. To be continued.