ALL SAINTS SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNUAL TREAT.

Auckland Star, Volume VII, Issue 1859, 1 February 1876, Page 2

ALL SAINTS SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNUAL TREAT.

[To the Editor of the Evening Star.3 Dear Mr Editor,—As lam fond of enjoying myself quietly on a holiday, I thought I could not do better, living as I am in the aristocratic district of Ponsonby, than stroll out to the picturesque snuggery of Masefield's and Watch the children of All Saints fcunday School amusing themselves. Arrivirjg on the grounds about 9 a.m., an indescribable bustle met my eyes. Teachers unloading the provisions ; children laughing and playing, spreading all ove. the grounds, till the boats, kindly lent by Messrs Townsend Bros., Field, and others, were got round the point, when some of. thefmale teachers took in charge a boat load each for a pull round the beautiful bay. I then strolled up to a building at the top of the hill, where I heard the cutting up was going on. On looking inside I remarked to a^friend '"What a strong muster of lady teachers you must have." "Oh no," he said "none of these are teachers, or at least only one, Mrs C, the rest are all friends outside the school altogether." I .aid, "You must have more than one though." "Yes," he answered, "We have a lady superintendent and one or two more, but they will come down and do some looking on when all the work is done." Well, I thought to myself, it. is almost enough to frighten anyone. There I saw around of beef, a ham, a tongue, three or four dozen loaves of bread and piles of cakes, buns, &c How the children eat it all I don't know. At 12 30 the children were assembled for dinner, when after singing grace and a hymn or two (during which time I noticed a photographer busily engaged,) one would have imagined the children had been starving themselves for a

week in order to get into proper condition. After dinner off they started for the beach, where for three hours such a scene of racing jumping, skipping and scrambling ensued, that defies description. I noticed particularly the superintendant and teachers, and a chap in a smoking cap, who evidently was made of india-rubber; (he seemed at half-a-dozen places at once,) busily engaged in getting rid of (it seemed to me,) a never failing supply of hats, dolls, balls, thimbles and skipping ropes to the girls, and bats, balls, etc to the boys. The best fun was*the girls racing for some neat little hats. After the racing and games were over, the bell was rung for tea, when a similar if not larger quantity of food was disposed of than at dinner. Then came the cheering, three each for Rev E. N. Bree, Messrs Hammond, Masefield, Grainger, Miss Evans, the teachers, themselves, and 1 don't know who else, after which they all went home, after, I am sure, a most enjoyable day. I quietly followed, almost wishing I had been one of those who had laboured so hard for their amusement. I only heard of one quiet grizzle by a lady who said she was" afraid the children had not had enough to eat. she must have had an appetite. —Yours etc, Snooks.