MY OWN NEW ZEALAND HOME.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 203, 8 September 1879, Page 2

MY OWN NEW ZEALAND HOME.

We (N. Z Times) have received a copy of a song, entitled "My Own New Zealand Home," by Mr John Grigg. It was 3ung by the children at the Thames on the turning of the first sod of the Grabamstown railway. The following is the text : — I love my home, my happy home, In fair New Zealand's isles, The glory of of the South, where all The face of natjure smiles j Where noble forests crown the hills, Aud streamlets thread the vales, And mighty ocean circles round And breathes refreshing gales. I love to stroll on summer's morn, Before the sun is high, And gather flowers, and ferns, and moss, And chase the butterfly ; At noon to shelter 'neath the trees, And hear the tui's song, And then, 'ere ev'ning spreads her veil, Homeward to speed along. Chorus —My happy home, my happy home, My own New Zealand home. I love to wander by the shore, Beside the flowing tide, And watch the seabird's graceful {light, And ships with sail spread wide] The pleasant school and busy town Are full of charms for me, While on this British southern soil I dwell content an J free. Chorus— My happy home, my happy home My own New Zealand home. ' On reading the above we thought that some more appropriate lines for the occasion might be indited, and we therefore offer the following as from the Thames electors :—

THE GRAHAMSTOWN EAILWAY.

We love our Grey, oar darling Grey ; His name we will engrave On every cabin door around, He's such a daring knave. We Thames electors bullied him, The big pump it was jammed ; " Give us a railway quick," we said, " The river may be dammed. Our darling Grey, our gallant Grey, Our own dear wily Grey. " To drive a mill or work a pump, A railway's what we want, . Give it at once, we're sure you can, While you've got such a slant, As Premier now you rule the roast, And bounce each Governor, Give us the line, and you shall be Our member evermore." We love to hear our Premier say He hates the plutocrats, Although he wants their money here, To waste on our mud flats. We v/ant a train, confound steam boats, They "muddify " our stream, It is too good, it makes no work, Give us a railway scheme. Upon the river there are no Good contracts to be let, No compensation claims for us, You must the railway get. We want a good big slice of Loan, We don't care how it's got ; You represent the Thames, old man, And we're a rowdy lot. A vote of thirty thousand pounds The House agreed to pay For Aroha not Grahamstown, But this did not suit Grey. The Act declares the engineer The route shall first decide, But Grey let all the contracts first ; The law he set aside. The clerks have laughed among themselves And said, " The swindle's clear " But though it has leaked out at last, We've got the railway here. " The navvies' cash, the noisy train, Are full of charms for us; And how the Premier managed it vVe do not care a " cuss." Grey'a turned the sod upon the mud At our deserted doors, Another London soon will rise On these our dirty shores. We love our Grey, our darling Grey, Who rules o'er Kawau's isle; He's prigged for us a railway here, And now we'll make our pile. Our darling Grey, our gallant Grey, Our own dear wily Grey. *