SATURDAY NIGHT.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13374, 16 March 1909, Page 9

SATURDAY NIGHT.

(SPKfIAU.Y WHITTEN FOR ''1116 PBE-SS.")

That all things may have a proi>cr beginning, enter t.wn on th-_- top ot n double-decked traincar. It is good, it is amazing, and. at first, almost terrifying to watch how the crowd make way tor its passing The people, give it so litlle room, and move m» very ilowly to make way tor it, that you are left wondering what would happen if some man should l'.-avc his dodging a moment too late, or if the crowd should surge suddenly arid sweep some unfortunate beneath the wheels. Such things aro ahvajs possible, they always seem probable, and, on occasion, inevitable—but they never happen. Do not leave the tram until you reach the Squ.ire, for it makes a very fine base Irom which to direct your wanderings. The observations that jou will make ar<> to be merely casual. This expedition is v.v be an amusement, not a business.

"' Man is incurtl ly religious,'" says Gaiitkr. Religions oi clivers sorts aro represented in the Square. Creeds, dnetiines. nn<l idja> are voiced i>nd cxjmiuikK'il t'ri.'fly, and sometimes, it vvoiii-l M'cm. .iliiio-t joyously. Not only in t!ic Square, but at many stieetuinu'rs a: gathered little groups ol with instruments of ni":sie. some without : some with collection boxes, some—but very lew —without. Whatever their paraphernalia, all are eagei to benefit mankind by making it even as they are themselves. Tho trow J aniiles at them cheerily, maybe dnnatis n thieep;>nnypiece. and {xij-ao* on its way. It sympathises with such men iir. 1 iK-miivs them as baring the cour-

u<-<- of their convictions. A rude boy m:iy make remarks, but the crowddocs in. worry them—unices somebody whHpers "Mormons. , ' Then the crowd j)-iivsues the apostle- much in t.he surm> <i)i'i'riul spirit a.s that in which iho .\okel playing kis-s-iu-the-riiig i>ll rs ues the- temporary object of his affection's.

If you arc a stranger to Cs you will have heard only of our Labour Laws, our Women Voters, and our Licensing troubles. The effect, or alleged effects, of tho labour laws are all fl round you; there aro no poor peoplo to be seen. Tho women voters? You have women in your own country and you have Kipling's word for it that vi! women are iilike. Tho mere fact of their having the suffrage. Ikis not altered them. But of liquor affairs you will l>e able to sco something for yourself. Come to this big hotel. Note, the lights, the warmth, the style of the httings, the sound of the talking, tho laughter ol the buuy barmaids, the pop ot corks, tho ringing and clicking of tho cash register. Above all things note tht number of young men. Jiat look at what they arc drinking—light liquors for the- most part. 'Jlit* young >ew Zealander is a comparatively hard drinker of comparatively koIL drinks. Come round to sonic other hotels. There is a good deal of drinking in all of them, but practically no visible signs of drunkenness. The New Zealander, you will note, is teuiperatc in all things except his statement of his views.

Saturday night is a splendid opportunity for stuaymg the question, of thi» iucK of parental control. (jirls of uil ages, from thceso just reached tiie ciguity ot' boing claa in. blouse a.iKl Hkiirt to • those wiio arts in the early twenties, are roaming aimJestJy up aiul clown in little grouna ot twos and tlirees, iin,atton<it>d by either parents or guardians. All aro well dressed (fc.om« ot tne costumets aliected &emg sn,a.rt almost to the verge of outre,), but their clotning gives no mipresaion ot eiLiier ouraointy or worth, i'iiore a,ro explanations tor it all. They an: in tno streete neoause they work iii, factorieu ail oay, tneir homes aro f-ruaJJ, and tn-eir ouly cliance ol getting air is in. the puiMic streets, 'lney drtce as they do Decause they earn gotxt money, thoi'r expenses are low, v n<l as a consequence tney aro enabled to gratiry encn latest "wnim. of tasnicn as tney Know' it. •

The young men are standing hero and there m little knots discussing tho latest sptirurg event. From the'r taJK one gatuera that they are keet. ou- sport, rrom their appearance tbat they <i© not take part in tho sport themselves. It is not that they are lazy, it is clear that th-ey are not lacking in interest, so it must be pretviuKxl it is merely that they axe in tneir way philosophers. The game it-' sell is The onlooker see» most of the gaone. Wherefore the onlooker gets tho most excitement. Therefore these young men are onlooki!is only.

The oldtv peoplo are tramping up and down, stopping to make purchases, to glue their eyes to shop windows, or to yarn with chancemot friends They teem lct>s exuberant in their greeting than their children, less obvious in their cheerfulness, more tired in their waiting. It is not so much that they look older as that they seem to belong to an older school, a school whoso members take their pleasures sadly. There cannot bo much pleasure in tramping streets that have been traversed many times before, bearing burdens of parcels and infants, tewing young children ochiuu them, and 'staring at and colliding* with peopk- such as they see every day. Saturday night is emphatically not the best time for doing the week's shopping, but a groat amount of shopping is done on it. Saturday night is an institution and an accepted thing; shopping provides an excuse for observing it. Now Zealand) is clow to forget established custom, 'i nas weekly trip to tho lighted town proves that.

At nine the- -windows of the drapers' shops are shuttered, and a most power-fi-1 attraction for the ladies is removed. Tluit i;ono, they lw»<iin to leave for home, taking their menfolk with them. Tho tired shop assistants flock out and rush the outbound cars. Town empties itself quickly, ami when the theatre-goers have gone is left practically empty. By twelve o'clock only the policemen and a few belnfcer? travellers ar-.» abroad. A couple of hours later, the calm of the Sabbath has grown so intense that all things are as still as though the village were deserted. Christchurch goes early and quietly to its rest.