TAURANGA JOTTINGS.

Observer, Volume 3, Issue 69, 7 January 1882, Page 262

TAURANGA JOTTINGS.

— Mrs Alexander's dancing class broke xip on Thursday night. Owing to circumstances, over which I have no control, the "biographies " will be continued in our next. — Charlie and Monty Turner desire me to state that they have no connection with the MontagueTurner Opera Company, now playing in Auckland. • — A " knight of the hammer " (with anvil attachment) had a lively time with a specimen of the genus washerwoman on Thursday morning. His expressive countenance bore evident marks of the fray. — Tauranga is beginning to show signs of returning animation. Mrs Clayton and several of her pupils are down for the holidays, and, what is more important, Teddy has honoured us simple country folk with his presence this year. Picnics, balls, etc., will be the order of the day and night for the next two months. — "Without consulting other shops, I close at twelve to-day," such was the startling announcement exhibited on the Belfast Bakery last Tuesday. The " happy proprietor " is so disgusted with his brother storekeepers that he lias decided ; for the future to entirely ignore their existence/ and to give or take his holidays without in the least consulting their feelings. — The " May Queen Business " will not settle Tauranga as a port of entry. It was mismanagement — I will not say whose — which caused the ship to go ashore. In the first place, although the ship was outside the harbour from daylight, it was eleven before the pilot went out, and the tide was half out. If someone, bringing a ship into Auckland harbour, instead of rounding the Heads, were to sail straight ahead ; and when his vessel was almost aground, and with all canvass on, were to drop that vessel's anchors, the cables would snap, as the May Queen's did, and that vessel would go ashore. If a person were to do this in Auckland harbour, would that injure it as a port of entry ? — There is a petition being taken round for signature, with the object of obtaining a second public school for the town. I have no doubt that the intentions of the lady canvassers are good, but I think that it would be a mistake to divide the school here at present. Anyone wishing to take advantage of free education for their children, should not mind sending them a short distance to get it. If they object to their progeny walking one mile to school, they can send them to one of the numerous private schools which abound at their doors. To break up the district school would mean to destroy what efficiency it possesses. — One of the young ladies who sang at the recent concert was dressed to appear as an unsophisticated little school-girl. This was all right if she had sustained her part; but the defiant manner in which she screwed up her countenance when she made a mistake did not at all accord with the character. Neither did her rather pert and abrupt entrance to the stage, in response to an encore, look nice. Bv-the-byo, why did the gallant Scot not have the politeness to escort her down the hall when she was going round the stage entrance, and not allow her to " trot " down unattended. Xhe P.D. has been " blabbing." A two column par. from the Observer appeared in the "Buster" recently, and this is what tbe P.D. aforesaid says of it :— Mr B. has a watch. This watch he brought from Home with him. At Home, or on the road out, or in the bush at K.K. it matters little which— this watch became an hour fast. A gentleman of Mr B.s settled habits could not think of altering his watch, so it remained an hour fast till the other day, when he sent it to the watchmaker for repairs. The morning after he obtained the watch back, there Avas preat consternation in the office. Nine o'clock came and no copy ; 9.30, no copy. At ten Mr B. was observed coming serenely along to his business. On entering he Avas exceedingly astonished to hear vehement cries for " copy." He looked at his watch. It was ten sure enough, but the watch was no longer fast ! He rushed into his den, seized the first paper he laid his hands on — which happened to be the Observer. Handing it to the compositors, he said : " Take ' copy ' from this, and you'll be all right ; I havn't time to clip it." The result was two columns in the evening issue. ± young man took a notion for a moonlight bathe on Boxing Night. He accordingly betook himself to the beach, hung his garments on a fence, and entered the water. He was luxuriously floating, in blissful forgetfulness of all things mundane, when he heard the hissing of a boat, apparently on top of him. Hurriedly glancing round, he beheld a boatful of excursionists a few yards off, and rapidly bearing down on him. The boat prevented escape seaward. He doesn't dive more than a hundred yards on ordinary occasions, so could not disappear in that manner. So he had to rush out of the water and jump the fence, which happened to be a wire one. His foot caught in the top wire, andhewaspercipitatcdon to a pile of dry briars. He didn't make any remarks, or wait to stack' the brambles again. Seizing his shirt and a towel— the only articles within reach— he bolted for the friendly shelter of Mr Sheath's poplars. Once there, he threw himself among some shrubs. Tbey happened also to be briars there, but he didn't mention it. He only Avished he could see the fellow Avho Avrote of a bed of roses for five minutes. Carefully removing his body from among the roses, he rolled into Avhat appeared to be grass. But it wasn't. It was a downy couch. It wasn't eider down, though; but it Avas a substitute of vegetable, origin, much admired by Highlanders. The • trouble Avas that this doAvn hadn't been removed from the parent stem. When his wearied body came in contact with that parent stem, he felt like arising andrushing through the party, clad mostly in. his innocence and a cotton shirt. He stemmed the torrent of his feelings^and reclinipg Int full length on his not luxurious bed of down, listened to those persons remarks Avhen they found his clothes. Those picnickers took about two solid Aours todisembark and retire, at least he.says Iftey 'cfidi so xt must be right. In the meantime,

strange as it may seem, he didn't sleep ; at least, not much. He just lay right along, generously wishing to exchange places Avith any member of the party. HoAvever, all things must come to an end, and the excursionists Avent away at last. As they left, the sympathetic words of a lady of the party pierced that poor boy's heart worse than the Scotch thistles.