ENTRE NOUS.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1390, 31 May 1881, Page 3

ENTRE NOUS.

— A oood deal of surprise— to say nothing of disapprobation — is expressed at $im agtion pf the School Committee of Hamilton West in closing the school for a week.

— The committee's idea, of course, is to arrest, if possible, the spread of scarlatina ; but as there is nothing at all to prevent Hamilton West School children going over to the Hamilton East School during the week the West School is closed, which I hear some are doing, I don't quite see the wisdom of the step.

— And if — which I can't admit—the fact of a couple of children being sick with so infantine a complaint as scarlatina, demands the closing of a State school — then I say the Hamilton West School Committee should have consulted the Hamilton East School Committee and the two Bodies acted in unison.

— If such be possible in Hamilton !

— Apropos to this, I have received the following query :

— "Will Pauvrc Diable kindly explain why, if the outbreak oi scarlatina is so serious a matter as to cause the closing of the Hamilton We3t School, children are suffered to go to Sunday-school ?"

— Perhaps the Parsons will answer my interrogator. I "pass."

—Mr William Rattray, Auckland's champion gentleman "walkist," came up to Hamilton for the Calico Ball, and evidently was very "fit."

— r He stopped at Pearce's, and when at tea on the night of the ball, heard that a friend of his, who had come all the way from Cambridge, and expected to find his costume at the "Commercial," waiting for him, was "sold," the costume not having apparently arrived from Auckland.

— Some one suggested that it might have come by the luggage train, and been left at the Junction, whereupon W. It. starts off to the station, is back in some 50 minutes, having had to find the stationmaster and walk the distance — three miles, there and back — with the longedfor costume.

He then got in to his "toga," walked across to the Oddfellow's Hall, danced every dance, (26) and walked to Cambridge and back the following day turning "nary a hair." — Good enough !

— A word to certain contributors to my column,

— I know that the repeated consign, ments of contributions to the waste-paper basket is galling, but really you are too personal as a general rule.

— I cannot go Godfather to paragraphs, the very essence of which is private spleen.

— The Entre Norn column, as its name implies, is dedicated to gossip, social, political and very general.

— It strikes me that there are somethings not generally understood in Hamilton.

— As follow !

— That there are always two sidea'to a question.

— That if you buy for "cash at Moses' the chances are long odds that you'll win a prize. **#

— That McLernon has as good articles in his establishment as can be obtained in Auckland.

— That Sir George Grey intends cou« testing Waipa next election.

— That unless you hear a thing first hand it is almost sure to prove to be a lie.

If investigation, — an unknown quantity in Hamilton — be undertaken.

— That a man temporarily "hard up" may nevertheless be, at any moment, the possessor of comparative wealth.

— That unless you advertise, and thu3 evince a desire for publicity, you have no right to expect a notice of additions &c to your shop in the " local" columns of a paper, and abuse the Editor for ignoring you.

— In short that : Things arc seldom what they seem, Skim milk masquerades as cream, Highlows pass as patent leathers, Jackdaws strut m peacock's feathers. Very true, so they do.

— Ah ! ! !

— Dear Gilbert, and still more dear Sullivan.

— The Calico Ball which took place on the Queen's Birthday was the foundation of a good deal.of pleasure to some, pleasing anticipation to more, and formed the staple for a considerable amount of talk with nearly everybody.

— The affair was without doubt a thorough success as a 8011.

— But as a social institution, I fear its usefulness wa3 marred by a suspicion of exclusivenes's. **#

— I do not intend, however, to judge the promoters. They invited their own friends I suppose-, having only themselves to please. ***

— And if the arrangement suited their fancy, it is not for me to quarrel with them. , . , . , • ..! *** ' • — Tlio exquisite style>and fit of many of the dresses gave abundant proof of the good taste < possessed, by the ladies of Waikato, and .something too for the talent of. those, who plied the silent and unobstrusive needle. , >

— I will leave it to those who were there to exercise their own judgment' in toe matter of picking and choosing. AI < / ■!A' ' U , '-hums' * '■' '■''»>! > — And content myself by expre.3sin£ the hope that in so doin&'tttey will'not'be • too hard wpon those ,^f ; t^rXSneighbors, whose deficiencies were not, perhaps, altogether.owjngtoa want pt taste. ' j••

Vauvre Di*ble, 1 r