LIFE AT "OCEAN VIEW."

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 75, 30 March 1929, Page 3 (Supplement)

LIFE AT "OCEAN VIEW."

It is monsinu'— s ■'■'■ 1 '" |,fl e\.i'-t. lj have bet'n awake -in-c hi:lf-pa-t ?:.v. but j :hi riot Ke.-ti "ii sri'ttiti-.' i'ji. I •"Ei':i-er.'." -hrit'k* a vnim in my ear. •(.-. t "p- Brrakf«-t*s r---('y." "ti'wav." I lit I! til tile, the covers o\i r ruy head, as I tu:n mi ir.y other sido. 'Dmi't be so mean." pl.iiid« Joyce. "Ycn've got to get up. Tea's maili , . ton" "I clnn't cure." I blu.-ter. cliitcbinjs at the l*Nii-U>t.he- '•Don't want ;iny rrnnk"'i!.-t. any way. I'm to Us bore r,i-'I (frea'm i>? t<w-t. ;ind porridge, ;in-l banm ;; T :d e;j;2<. siilfl " I rsittls <>!T trirmip'iantly. knnwitig fnil weil that sm-h are uot for ti- when on holiday. "Klleen:" «.aIU Caryl from the dining room. "Are you piiiiicr to get up?' — I: t i c:>rr,i;:~." I -liriik. and hastily <li;i into my bathing co-tnine ai:d a. :(. - uidp bolt, iind tin;- -■■:;ntily attired. 1 hut con-idprirtar niv>e!f fullv I j nif.ke my way <•> t*h.> dining room., wiiere tfce rp~t of thT f.iinily i? a*i«Miib : pd Tlwy b;ive almost hni-l;.'<l breakfa<t. br.; t!':it iloesn't worry me. a :rd I f-a-r ■siniiptuoiisly on one banana ere.im . hiscuit ii tut ;i i-up of ten. "Corainji for a s»im?" a.-ks UNie or the cotr.'-any at large. She receives two ;iffirniHt>vee. on;- i;e2!'tive. and ""misht" from me Judith. »f i.wr<*. s?ays "Yi , --." ; but ~he is ignored. When a per*->n reaches ■ he great age of three, -be i--lire to want everything the other? have, and has to be s'inasheu every few minutes. After breakfast ,the washrns-up anrl hou-ev.ork i- lone —which strenuous jo'. is fin'h-bed in half an bour. At home we're at it, iill fttty. so we notice just a slight difference. Then, at last, we're ready for a swimAttired in different coloured costume*, we survey o-urselves and the water with a complacent smile, a* tliough •"b there anyone to beat us 7" We know there isn't, but that's no matter — wo think it ju.-t the -ai::e. But our i-ustiimes! Cury'rs i- an orange and -ometliin^ —heaven ali'iie knows vvhr.t — check: Vera'- i? a tw;i-|iie;x' navy, trimn.od with blue, whi.h luo'.cs as if it fame out of the Ark: Elsi»'# i« a !i!;H'k •■united": J'>;ee'« 'f a red and black ditto (tiny were both (.'hristnnis tire--ents). and mine is a dear old sjreen one. that saw its bi-t (i::y* about eighteen months ago> find ha< long since passed all bfi'jnds cf f:'-Inc.n. Klsie and Joyce are first in. making a running dive from the l>eav.h. Caryl and Vera sit I ri about two feet of water —neither of them can -wini—and k?ep t?n eye on Judith, who has a playful little habit of venturing out of her depth. I'm la.-t ill, and. venturing out till the water touches my knees, I vote it too cold, and am about, to return to the shore when the scornful laughter of the others makes me decide to stay where I am, and I pilings in. l r m first out. of course, but as it take* too long to get dry. and I have a rooted objection to getting ful'y d;e---ed when I am o;i ho!:<I:iy, I chang? into my

other "" ri*. ic , .' , Bv the time I'm • ~!■.•--:•'!." ir"- time t«» £0 ro tlie store I -:-t o"ii.-e r'nr uuiil. ami aUo for any .l.ncriis th«t are necessary. Up thu li■ II I toil, pufling .mil pantina ;;t i'v:rv step. Down ihe other side I 1 LIU "No, the mail's nut in vet," Mrs. Sto-ckcM?|«r -ari affiiMy. "Th:; launch ; . ju-t poisis into tlanly'i now—-ee: !t"!| he rm-ther twenty —half of butter, ilitl vim -■'■}'! — niinuf* or half an hour vet." D"v<>u want the "Star' to-mor-row 7" "Oh, ypf,* , I -av. "Ye*, of course, be-caii-p we'll want th.> Bml^i-t. ,, "Yen got your badge while you were down here la.-t year, didn't your" Mrs. .Storekeeper certainly affable to-day. I as-ent, make good my escape, and take tip my po-i:i"ii under the po-t oiik-e window, hi twenty minute* the window slides back and Mr. Storekeeper's head pokes out. "Oate-i!" be grunts. ;::id a biinille of letters towards nie. There an- «i\ loiters for n;e —and one i< from the Budget. It holds a riveshiliing prize I have lately won.

Of course I'm rushed when I uet home. K\-n Judith has received a postcard. and we a!i retire to our several bed? on the verandah. -[ pot a letter from Mnhhcr," fhantJudith from round the '.vrner of tli-2 verainlnl:. "I pot a letter from Mubbcr — from Miibber! , ' the chant comes neuter. I fervently hojje that -he'll go in the front door, instead of coming to rav bed; but this is not to be. "I pot a letter from Mubber," says a littie voice in my ear. "It's a nice one too. Look!" and a small hand thrusts the card in my face. ""Yes. it's very nice," I agr?e hastily, taking the corner of the curd out of my eve. aiid Judith goes away quite happy. It i« some time before I can continue re; , ('ing. though. The afternoon passes and we assemble for tea. Ji'ditii is very tired, and very bad-tempered, and absolutely refuses to ■-• .T ru>r tea. "I want to go to bed, 'cos I'm going to Ijs.l, 'co-5 I want to go to bvd."' sbj t-liain- again. "I v.ant to go to bed, Yos I'm ™uiii;r to bed, Vod 1 '' ""For heaven's sake come to bed," cries Caryl. ""We're glad to gtj r ; d of you."' Judith goes, and silence reigns for a while, broken only by the elatfer of teaoii |'s. Then from the verandah comes a sleepy voice: "I'm home to pet a drink, "cos I'm firsty. I wan' a (irink. an' Kay said "No. , an' Bera said "No. , ami Bibbie said "Xo. : an' Doyce said "No, , and Eileen said 'No'-, an' I'm goin' to a-k mum, 'cos I've got a sore foot, an' I wan' a drtnk to make it hotter." All this is true, for the tank water is absolutely too ba.d to drink, and we have had to keep infusing ber the drink all day. We finish tea. and. settle down to our various occupations — letter writing ruo-tly. When inspiration fails, we till in time by pa-s;ag remark? about each other. - ""Why rlon'r you loam to write. Joyce." I I iciy gazing at ber wiia caligrntihy.

"I can't do everything well, can I?" return* Joyce. -Vi); you can't have hair ar.-i brains. too." Vera says.. Ami so the evening passes, until we retire at 9 o'clock. A few whimpers ai'u hoard, and. oc"a.sionaUy a gi;r<:le. l>ut at i.i-r there is silence, broken «>nly hy the ripples and gurgle of water, as it washes iijrain-t the side of t ,, ■ nouse. Thus ends a da? ;t Ocean View/'