A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT THINGS IN GENERAL. BY OLD PETER PIPER.

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 15, 23 May 1868, Page 3

A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT THINGS IN GENERAL. BY OLD PETER PIPER.

Circumstances over which I have had no control have prevented my giving yon my thoughts about the late soiree at the Presbyterian Church ; and as the time is so far advanced sinee i that event, it may be thought that 1 am " a day after the fair." I really should not have troubled you with my remarks, but my friend Sandy, who is always blaming me for blaming the Church, and that now having an opportunity to say something on the other side, I gladly "embrace your columns." I beg most cordially to congratulate our Presbyterian brethren on the material success of their annual meeting ; and I would especially congratulate the Church in having such an excellent oificer in its service as Mr. Stenhouse ; and where he could get bo many of the "youth and beauty," so necessary for such an enterprise, it puzzles even old Peter to know ; and I can come to no other conclusion than that, as he keeps an establishment for making men and women, he must have "raised" them. He must possess considerable tact in pressing the ladies into the service. The viands, too, were excellent, and the company agreeable. The young folki seemed to be on the best of terms with one another ; even a few of them spoke, and actually shook hands with old Peter, although it is well known he is nobody of any note, and I just mention this fact to show the genial free-and-easy style of greeting each other. I really began to feel a little proud, but was awfully afraid that the Chairman was going to call upon me to go on the platform ; and I was very glad of it that I was in a sly corner, as I was at liberty just to note how things were going on. The minister of the Church I think wa» very Catholic in his remarks about other denominations ; and after all I don't wonder that Sandy is such an admirer of the " true blue." I think it was very kind of Mr. Giliies coming so far to compliment us on our enterprise. Well, I thought, he makes us out a little better than the heathen ; indeed it was very generous of him. He is, I think, a member of some agricultural society; had got up his lecture for the benefit of such society, and gave us a bit of it, as it is seldom we get a skyanti&c treat such as he could give us. He measured mind by matter, too, which was something new ; for in the splendid bush on the West Taieri he has, no doubt, observed the stately pine at the base of Maungatua, and that it gets dwarfish the higher it is up the hill, until it ends in a mere scrub. Judging of mind by the I same standard, no wonder that he thought that we were dwarfish in Tuapeka. But I think that he just over did the compliment ; I cannot tell whether it was with the aerial flight or the highly pictorial embellishments of our 'waterraces. I could scarcely find my own race. I almost expected to see it' bordered with flowers, and bedizened with gems. I think upon the whole, however, that we were kept too long on the wing. The next gentleman— l forget his name, but I think he came from the waters of Warepa— a good, Saxon, jolly-looking gentleman; but his "stuffing" did not improve Mr. Gillies' "fowl." These things should be left in the back kitchen. He said he was not going to compliment us, to say that we were the finest assembly he had seen. Well, I thought, if that is your " Saxon," you may keep it ; for I take Mr. Gllliei* standard, and compared with u» that they were . dwarfs up the country ; indeed I had made up my mind that "we are the people ; " and to snub such an assembly as this, composed of the good and loyal citizens of Lawrence, and neighboring gentry — I was just going to call him to order, when Sandy pulled me by what was once a good black coat. The next speaker was Mr. Will, a block of real Aberdeen granite, no shingle about him, he iB always solid. If it is not out of the way presenting another figure, I would say he is a " big gun "—a real " Armstrong ; " aims well, and hits with terrible effect ; although it must be admitted that many a smaller piece of ordnance has a greater " bore." He was rather severe with his young friends, in telling them where he found the existence of a Divine Being. We had no need to bore into the bowels of the earth, or raise the ruins of buried cities to find out the existence of a God, or to prove the truth of His word. He (Mr. Will) found all that in the bible. Oh, I said to myself, this is just like my bible ; and I left the meeting with this happy thought, that we are all one after all. I am glad to see that there is a probability of getting a more bountiful supply

of water for our goldfield. We are under a debt of gratitude to the Provincial Government for taking the initiative in the matter, and for having appointed such an eminent engineer as Millar, F.S.A., to make the necessary survey, and make drawings. If this plan can be carried out, it will satisfy every one except the water companies, who are making their boast of netting twenty per cent, by their investments ; rather a Jewish dividend, considering the state of our goldfields, and the Province in general. These gentlemen are determined to get money —make a pile, don't care where it comes from; never mind, where there is no conscience what matter. I regret to hear that Mr. Millar has met with an accident, and prevented from being in his place in the " House." I hope he will soon recover, and then we may see him up here superintending this important work. Our School, under the able management of Mr. Johnston, is getting on famously ; and the children have not half the fatigue which they had when travelling to Lawrence ; and my wife says it is such a comfort to have the children near home.