THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 296, 21 December 1878, Page 2

THE WEEK.

In accordance with the local custom we have at this Christmas season of the year been fairly saturated with speeches in connection with schools and education generally. I really believe thafc if to-day you were to take a Nelson reporter possessing average comprehensive capacities, that is to say, one who takeß in all he hears, and to put him through a wringing machine, the exudations from every pore in his skin would under microscopic examination be found to he composed essentially of good advice to boys and girls, tbe principal item of such advice being thafc those who had not succeeded in taking prizes this year should not he disheartened by their failure, bufc should set to work next year with renewed vigor and a fixed determination to succeed. In the event of my being alive and in Nelson next year when Christmas time approaches, I shall feel sorely tempted to advertise a month or two previously that a handsome reward will be given to anybody who shall strike oufc a new set of ideas to be emboded in a speech suitable to a breaking up day. What a benefactor I would be considered by boys who have already had, say, four years afc "school, and are likely to spend another period of a similar length there; by those who are in the habit of attending these prize-giving-and-receiving meetings; and by newspaper reporters, and newspaper readers generally. Now, suppose I begin afc once by offering a hint to be acted upon by talkers to boys and girls next December. You are, all of you, kindly disposed, well-intentioned men, whoare earnestly desirous of doing good to those you address, of softening their manners, and" of refining their ideas. Well, next Christmas— or don't wait another year to commence a good work, but begin at once— try and impress those intelligent looking boys and those nicely dressed bright little girls whom you see gjithered together before you with a horror of foul language, of blasphemous oaths, aud of coarse vulgar expressions. Some of you juay think they need not such a warning, buttiike an occasional summer evening stroll with me in the vicinity of some of their chosen playgrounds, and your ears shall be shocked by what you hear. I don't say that all, that a majority, that any bnfc a small miuority of those who attend our schools thus forget themselves, but I do say thafc little boys, and I am sorry to have to add, little girls, may be heard by the passers through the streets making use of language that I hope they do uot understand, but which will not the less send a shudder through those upon whose ears it may chance to strike. If by calling attention to this horrible habit, 1 may be the means of ono little boy or girl beiug cured of it, I shall feci that I have performed my shave towards bringing about that better state of things, to produce which I feel certain that all those who havo within the last few days addressed kindly words of encouragement and advice to the youngsters they have seen collected around them so earnestly and so conscientiously desiro. Addressing a country constituency in harvest time is not one of the most cheerful tasks allotted to man. You manage to muster, say twenty, to listen to your words of wisdojn, deliver a speech which has cost you some little time and labor to prepare, and wbich, when you see it reported in the newspapers, you are perhaps tempted to read more than once, each time with increasing admiration; the only applause with which you are greeted i3 au occasional shuffle of the feet, which is a cross between a fidget j and a symptom of approval, the ranker of the little disturbance blushing freely and looking very much ashamed of himself when he tiuds that his opinions thus faintly expressed do not appear to be shared in by his co-listeners; and when you have come to the end of your oration you invite your hearers to pump you for any further information they may require, and sit down in the fervent hope that the operation will be commenced without delay. A dismal silence follows, broken at length by somebody, who, with yourself, is equally desirous of getting away from the cheerless atmosphere of the meeting room, 9olei(uly rising and proposing that a vote of thauka or confidence or both be accorded to you. This is put to the vote, and now the boots clatter loudly enough, for they seem fc know that their wearers aro going to tak them out of that depressing scene into th bright starlight outside, where opinions can be loudly expressed, and questions freely discussed without any fear of the speakers being called to order by that awe-inspiring chairman. If the member who has thus enlightened his constituents upon the lead ng political topics of the day be of a sanguine temperament, he'at once concludes that he has so completely satisfied his hearers that they have not a doubt left upon their minds on any question upon which he has touched; if he is not a descendant of Mark Tapley, who could extract jollity from any and every thing, he comes to the conclusion that of all the dismal, depressing, unsatisfactory position in which be has ever been placed in his passage through this life lie never found

himself in any so trying as a political meeting in a couutry district in the middle of summer. As a rule ifc is not pleasant to be called a " brute," but under certain circumstances even this epithet is one upon the application of which to himself a man may feel flattered. I was at the Theatre the other night when " East Lynne" waa beiug acted. Mr Darrell was representing the cool, heartless, un scrupulous vjllain, Sir Francis Levison, which he certainly did to perfection, and of this no more satisfactory evidence could be adduced thad the involuntary testimony of a lady who was seated among the audience. The curtain rose on the third or fourth act, and Sir Francis sauntered on to the stage. In a violently excited manner she exclaimed, " Oh, I declare, there's that brute again, I wonder he's not ashamed to show his face here." I think this waa a tribute to his dramatic powers, of which Mr Darrell may well feel proud. I once knew an old gentleman who prided himself on his vinery and thoroughly enjoyed tht* fruits thereof. But he was sadly worried by those ihischievous little "sii ver- eyes," who with their sharp fceafes would puncture the skins, and so tap the herries and let their juicy contents escape. So he declared war against the birds, which he determined at least to frighten away even if he could not exterminate them. He therefore armed himself with yards upon yards of calico, which he tore up into strips, and proceeded to tie them on to the vines, so that by their fluttering iu the wind they might scare away his enemies. But while he was thus engaged two of the saucy little rascals with a defiant twitter actually settled on the rim of his hat. Throwing away his strips of calico he gave up in despair all idea of frightening tbe little pests The other day I was walking post one of our Town schools when my attention was attracted by a board attached to the wall, on which was painted in big letters an announcement that five pounds reward would be paid to anyone giving such information as would lead to the detection of windowbreaking stone-throwers. The notice was posted up immediately below a large window, and in that window I counted seven smashed panes. I couldn't help thinking of the old gentleman, his rags, and the silver-eyes.

By means of the phonagraph a man could leave his will iu such a manner as to be beyond controversy. The songs of great musicians could be repeated long after the death of the singer. In a Melbourne monster racing sweep lately, none of the consecutive numbers between 780 .ind 1001 drew a horse. This proves the eccentricity of the way in which chances often come out. A correspondent writes to us that "Waitara, with praiseworthy effort, is endeavoring to make both ends meet. On New Year's Day she holds a race meeting, and in March a meeting of the races. Let us hope that the latter -will be as successful as the former generally is, and that black and white will come iu well together, and that " Grey told stretch a point to make a tie between them. — Taranaki Heratd. As a collector of rents and taxes, named Ormerod, was driving between Chaile and the railway on the South Downs he was stopped by two men and pulled out of his dog-cart. Money in notes and gold amounting to _:i2O was taken from him, but the footpads on leaving him presented him with a gilt-edged copy of the New Testament. In* the heyday and sunshine of life we treat with contempt the warnings of soberminded and well-meaning people ; but when in after years we find we can no longer trifle with our lives and constitutions, it becomes us to find out for a certainty what are the best, the surest, and the safest medicines to take in all cases of sickness or t'neate_iDg disease.^ The cures already effected, and the testimonials received hy the proprietor, warrant the assertion that there are no known medicine equal to "Gollah's Great Indian Cujus." Sold hy all chemists.