H. R. RICHMOND AND EDUCATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 44, 17 February 1876, Page 2

H. R. RICHMOND AND EDUCATION

To the Editor op the ' Evening Mail.' Sir—'' You're another!" was the subject of an a-ticle in " Houscho d Words" bii-J it is suggest*; d to me by reading the letter ot "H. R. Richmond " in the Colonist, that something may be said upon tbat, very common wo d for colonial parlance «■ duffer." Don't be horrified, for it, must by no means be inferred that I belong to that fraternity tl*e author of Ingol 'shy terms the " vu'gar boy," for I protest not even would I articulate the word by the agency of the same atmosphere surroundin.. ynnr adjretively giftol corespondent, mu"h less apply it personally. I was on an occasion looking upon what was eviient'y intended as a bud of cscu'ent plants, but which in reality were mostly weed*, when interrupted with more energy than politeness by the exclamation "duffer!" If I hive a hobby — and who has not — it is horses, and once while admiring a showy animal, upou drawing near I heard a fellow s*av, "n> bottom, rrg'iar duffer!" While standing at another tune upon the edge of a digucr.-' shaf o on the > banks' of the sunoy Lachlan Riv.r, watching the busy |.cene around me. I heard a voice stealing up fpom the depths below, in sally depressed though earnest tones", say "Awful duffer, .Tick." In i-ight of those mountains rendered famous by Vincent Pyke's recent work, there is a diggings called Tinkers, and the method of extracting goll is by means of sluicing, or it mny be the use of hydraulic lubes : the face of the hill is thus washed away, and the god collected in'o boxes. A litt c gold is fo'in-t sp-ead over a large lot of rubbish! When the specs are more than usually extended but within cooeeing distance of each otber, the tympanum o. ihe ear is often aesailel by the growled "duffer" of some ve»ed spirit. If you expect any gemß in tbis lett-r I fancy I hear your ejaculation of disappointed '• dufhr." And if you thus betray your appreciation can you wonder at my ineleuantlv expressed impatience ? I confess I applied tlv. very word, and I think if the plan were adopted recommended by the Town and Country Journal of boiling down overgrown specimens of literature, lhat "H. K. Richmond's " two column*? of small type might have been reduoed one tenth, and still be large enough for all the new ideas contained therein. While admiring the practical gifts of the Americans, how lamentable it is that " H.li H " does not make use of them. '1 hat soul of brevity, Artemm Ward, summarises his inability effectively to pugilise thus— " Fighting warn't his forte." How suggestive ! I would say to this well meaning and tame specimen of the genus controversialist tint if, in tha retirement of his " cave," he woul I take another two months to dream he may probably awake io the " interpretation " of true lady education, and all ilia world in wonder may then exclaim — Another Daniel ! lam, &c, ZjJTIIAK, February 14, 1876.