CANDLELIGHT NOTES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XX, Issue 4476, 23 April 1898, Page 2

CANDLELIGHT NOTES.

£Br Jaqubs.]

••I must have liberty withal, as large a charter 03 tne wind, to blow on wh»m I ploaso.— As You like it.'

The weather of fch'iß week has shown us how much man is the creature of circum* atance3. Or rather, I should say how much the circumstance of a few days' rain will alter the case for the farmer; and we are here a community of people depending wholly on the success of thefarmera. For months the - men of the farms have been growling with hanging lips and lack lustre eyes because a relentlessly clear and blue sky showed no Bign of rain. But when "that lovely Thursday," as one pup it, came, and with ita Scotch mist gave us ever so little of a drenching, bub gave large promise of more, every sad eye beamed, and a seven-by-vine smile played and gambolled over the weather beaten countenances of the men who have to feed us all. It was worth surviving the drought indeed to see how easy ib was for. a shower of rain to turn sadness into joy, and the hearty hand-shakes and the cheery countenances were something dolightful to experience and to Bee. The cold that came with the rain, or at least the rawness, was not so very pleasant though, and it will take some old fellows a long time to geb accustomed to it. But I never took a web jacket with greater pleasure m my life, and 1 accepted the chilliness m the same spirit, because m this life you cannot get your pleasures wholly unalloyed, and it would be the worse for us perhap3 if we did.

The suggestion contained m a cablegram you published yesterday rt the probability of Spain springing a surprise on the Americane m the event of war reminds us that ib would not be the first time the government at Washington had had a surprise sprung on it. It is ancient history now, how when war was impending between the North and South over the question of the slave trade m the States, all the northern papers referred with pride to their splendid navy, and ib was pointed out that the seaport oities of the South would be at the mercy of the Northern cruisers, which would blockade the southern coasts m such an effective manner that supplies from outside would be cut off from the inland towns. And all the world thought that this was a true statement of the position, and pitied the poor South. But one fine morning a queer looking vessel steamed down (the Jameß river I think it was) towards the sea, and the blockading Yankee fleet lying cache at the mouth proceeded to make a capture. The events that immediately followed form a remarkable epooh m the history of America, and completely revolutionised. naval warfare. The Yankee fleet was ctmdaitktid completely disabled by the one veasel owned by the Confederates — the famous Merrimao. This was an eye opener for the world. Gone m a momenb was the confidence created by ages of naval triumphs m the invincibility of the wooden walls of old England. One "ram " could knock them all into matohwood m half an hour. But it is due to the Northerners to say that their pluck, perae; veranqe and; ingenuity speedily met the" caße*,' and thfe still more famous 4I Monitor " \^aß the result, In an incredibly short time atter taking the rough hint given the Yankees scut this vessel after the 4 « Merrimac," and a great fight followed, which has inspired more poetry and patriotism m the western hemisphere than almost any historic fight of ancient or modern times. Ib may therefore be taken for granted Chat whatever surprise Spain may be able to spring upon our American cousins, will be returned with interest before the war is over.

Sporting men have i;eoently been hes>rd to. grumble about) the depressing ' numbers o? the imported game. O;nce upon 'a time pheasants could be found' m great numbers m various parts of Canterbury. Now: you may travel for a week and not so much as hear of one. Even hares are getting scarper than, they used to be m Canterbury; and if things go' ; ou as they artf they will probably become extinct m this part of the world at no very distant date. One reason for this is the great amount of poaching thah is oarried gn, Al r moat evqry boy can!* beg, borrow, or Weal a 'gun,' and almost everyone who understands the way to construct a snare devotes all his spare time to the destruction of game. Poaghing is carried, on m tfcia c.ountry-'iu the tnost Dare-faced way, and seeing how trifling the outlay is— comparatively speaking — - oonnected with legitimate sport, this is all the more sur« prising. Another reason— especially for the growing eoarcity of hares— is the impunity with which unsportmanlike acts are committed. For instanoe, m the Qld bqttntry. no grown' person would venture to. gjloft himself te be ought shooting a partridge on, the run, or a tare on her form. Here people do the latter openly. The other day a sportsman wai passing a paddock close to A«hburton m which, one man deliberately shot a poor hare oh fter form nob ten yards away. In England" one Would be esiOseii for horsewhipping such a fe'llo^w pu th§ spot; But m this demoprat^o land qne can onto look qn and mgraljsj,

I am afraid our prohibitionist friends will read with some dismay a paragraph that appeared m your paper recently with reference to the manager of the Napier Institute" of Inebriates being found hopelessly drunk, and having to be remanded by the Court for medical treatment 1 , ' Evidently it wotild bd of no use giving the poor follow the" Pharisee's advice: " Physician, heal thyself." This gentleman's cure is clearly a failure. It may perhaps be possible that he has been experimenting with some new cure, which fussy friends are so ready ia propose, ipi which case we should sympathise with such; an unselfish person who seems quite wiJUofl "a

lorißkhiocwn health and comfort m the interests of humanity. We should do well, therefore, to suspend judgment on this matter until further information comes to hand. In the meantime, aa there is to be another prohibitionist flutter m Ashburton on Thursday next, I would suggest that the promoters adopt the idea formulated m the Sydney Bulletin. By the way, I suppose the gentlemen of the cold water persuasion would not look at such a heterodox paper aa that, much leas accept a hint from it, on their own pet subject. Still, aa the matter is of such burning interest to us al), and the notion is good. 1 may britfly describe the "cure for diunkenness" bhown by the Bulletin. I say shown, because there are no directions m print, only a series of views. No. 1 shows the boosy one leaning up against a post with hat battered ard tie worked round to the back. Boosy 'a better half is represented behind with folded arms and an awful expression of countenance, while a photo man is fixing up his camera to get a snapshot. No. 2 represents Boosy with a B welled head sitting up m bed while Mrs 8., with acorn depicted upon every feature is showing him an " enlarged photo " of himself under the aforesaid conditions. No. 3 shows Mrß. m the act of signing the pledge, and Mrs B. standing by the picture of joy and contentment. Why not institute some such scheme 'as this at' the booser'a expense, and have an annual exhibition of thoße portraits. I commend the suggestion to Messrs Yale, Dixon, Andrews, and other prohibition enthusiasts.