The Wairarapa Daily TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1889. Winter Evening Occupations.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3257, 16 July 1889, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1889. Winter Evening Occupations.

There is in Masterton at tho present time a tolerably strong brigade of young men at that particular stage of life when boyhood is past and the serious responsibilities of manhood have not yet began. These young men are to be the future citizens of the town, and it is wort)} white considering how far they are qualifying themselves for the important positions which they will sooner or later be called upon to ijll. Tho most popular occupation with which they fill their leisure time at this season of the year appears to bo football, and it may bo said of this exercise that it is a guarantee that its 1 adherents, whatever their shortcomings may be, will not be physically degenerate. We have i nothing to say against football or any other healthy outdoor or indopr exercise, but wo' sometjmes wonder how tho men of tho future in this town spend their long winter evenings. 'Wo have a dim suspicion that very many of them pass then loungingaboutQueenstreet.indulging in tobacco and .conversation. They are, perhaps,' not altogether to, blamo for making such a' comparatively ignoble use of their evenings as this, because it js natural for them to be doing something, and in default of other.f ursuits they incvii.alby drift to i the pipe and such social converse as ■ may come in then 1 way, It would, 1 however, be well for thorn to beat in mind that this particular period of , their careers is the most favorable \ opportunity they can possibly have for mental cultivation. When they get older and the cares and responsibilities of existence absorb 1 their attention, they will have less time aud inclination for sel improvement plan they now possess t There was a time when during white evenings a well supported debatin society flourished in Masterton. It roll of members perhaps includoi only a moderate percentage of th yonfh of the town, but it was i healthy sign that even a score or st of them came forward to take part ii an intelligent occupation, which wai calculated to train them to "beco'mi valuable members of the thousaiu and one local institutions which ar< of such value in the development o: a new country, If tho young men o; Masterton have real grit in then; they might be expected to throw at much energy into mental exercises as thoy do into football and gymnastics. We would like to see them getting up debating societies and other mutual improvement organisations amongst themselves. Wo do not suggest that such occupations should be got up for them, because if thoy choose to do so they are quite capable of helping therSSflves in such matters, and do not need outoii!? assistance. We should be very glad infeij M that the young men of Masterton wore capable of displaying some interest in other thin frivolous amusements, and that long winter evenings were utilised for their mental advancement, We do not doubt that each one of the evening idlers who throng Queen street has some honorable ambition to take in after life a proud position among his fellow men and to do his duty as a colonist, But aspirations of this ltiud will not bear fruit unless the youth who forms them nourishes their growth by a useful employment of his leisure hours', The young man who

hopes to distinguish himself must raly. upon utilising' his present opportunities and not delude himself with the idea that tbo future will compensate for the neglect of the time being.

. Tub vordiot.of tho jury in the Kaiwarra. murder case has talton almost every one by surprise, In Wellington it was thought that the chances, were a hundred.to ono in favor of tho acquittal of (Jheinis. The prisoner had a full and patient trial, and while all will trust that there has been no miscarriage of justice, it would not be fair to assume that the jurors have displayed any want of intelligence or conscientiousness, Should any reasonable doubt exist as to the conclusive character of the circumstantial evidence on which Chemis is convicted, it will have its din weight when the inevitable appeal for the commutation of tho death peualty is presented,