AN EVENING ORCHESTRA

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 937, 2 April 1930, Page 14

AN EVENING ORCHESTRA

At night an orchestra of shy, brown people plays the latest of Insect Music for my benefit. They are charming people, my little musicians, the chirping crickets. They sing me the sleepiest song in the world for a lullaby, and I am cradled to sleep—away upstairs, with a star peeping through the open window, while the fragrance of old cedar trees and belladonnas drifts in on the wind. —Flying Cloud.

our ‘Guiding smiles,’ and light hearts made the meeting cheerful. “The Guides gave a dance to the ‘Mounteds,’ which was not a success financially, but a great success for those present. “We are now deciding who is going to try for her first class badge. All are as keen as an easterly wind.” Golden Butterfly, of the Second Whangarei Company, reports: ‘We began Guides on February 14, and there was a fair attendance. We were all

very glad to recommence after our long holidays. “Our first meeting was spent in renewing acquaintances among the Guides, as we had not seen each other for seven or eight weeks. “Our next meeting was partly spent in playing our favourite game of ‘creeping up,’ under the supervision of Lieutenant Henry, our captain being away on a short vacation. Lieutenant Henry then showed us a new game called ‘How do you like it?’ This proved very amusing, as well as popular, among the Guides of our company. “At our next meeting we decided that our company should be rearranged into new patrols. "VVe also chose our parts of the hall for our patrol corners for the coming year. “Our captain being present at our next meeting, she decided to divide us into our new patrols. One new leader was chosen, , and three hew seconds. The new patrols are to be called Thrush, Robin, and Kingfisher. “Several Guides wish to try for the child nurse badge, and therefore have been attending lectures on Saturdady afternoons. These are being given by the Plunket nurse, Nurse Thomas. They have proved very helpful as well as interesting to the girls attending. Some Guides are going for their athlete’s badge, and are practising for the events, while others are trying for their swimmer’s badge in a few weeks’ time. “We decided at our last meeting that we would attend the Anzac parade, and therefore have been practising marching, which we intend continuing at the following meetings.” The bazaar to be run by the Hikurangi Company has been postponed until April 8. AN ANCIENT NECKLACE When history was young there lived in England a Saxon girl who loved pretty things. Flowers are pretty, but they die in the autumn, while jewels keep their gay colours all the year round. So the Saxon girl wanted a necklace above everything else, and she got it. Perhaps it cost somebody a fine wolfskin cloak, or a precious hunting knife. Someone paid a high price for it, because it is a remarkably fine necklace. When the girl died, long before she was really old, they buried all her little treasures with her: the bronze brooch she loved, the buckle which held a belt round her little waist, the bracelet also of bronze which used to shine on her round white arm, and the lovely bead necklace. Hundreds of years went by. Then excavators uncovered a Saxon burialground. Among 78 graves found was that of a girl who loved her necklace and who took it to bed with her like a favourite toy. Hdw pleased she would be to think that her necklace is still fashionable! Girls today do not wear the lockets and chains of their grandmothers, but big bead necklaces like th,e Saxon girl’s. There are 39 coloured beads of glass, amber, and pottery on hers and a bronze disc in- the middle. They have restrung it, just as they found it, just in the order that pleased her when first she held the shining beads up to the sunlight in pagan England. Now it is to find a restingplace in Guilford Museum. WINDMILLS Windmills are said to be of Roman or Saracen invention and to have been introduced into Europe by the Knights of St. John, who saw them during the Crusades. They were first known m Spain, France, and Germany in 1289.