RATANTUI.

Clutha Leader, Volume XL, Issue 72, 17 March 1914, Page 3

RATANTUI.

A SCEEED FEAE SCOTTY. Leaving Catlins in tliae morniu' train for the Clutha, Tammy Ayson gaed up alang. Xoo, Tammy is gie canny gaun loon wha has a grocer's shop up the brae frae the railway station; him and Steve Latta are pairtners—they have everything gie handy, and onything ye want frae a needle tae a pair o' broon stockings. We see the oat crops as we travel alang the line, some o' them gie thin. Taking aboot oat crops brings me in mind o' Billy Maloney, oot by at Forest Hill. I met him in the train one day, and speaking about things T asked him what kind o' crop had he this year. Fine crop, man Seotty! Man, am glad to hear it; hoo many ton to the acre, Bill? Give me a show, man; you mean how many acres to the ton. So you see Mr Eeditor, it was gie fine.

Noo then for a wheen news aboot the place. Weel, last nicht the fouk o' thae Presbyterian Kirk had a social for onyboily that liket to gang and pay their shullin' at the door. As usual, the fouk o' thae pairish cam' frae a' thae airts the wuml can blaw. Oor auld freen Graham was at the door taking the siller—a shullin' for the muckle fouk and saxpenee for thae wee anes. .Tuist in a wheen minutes the kirk was crammed fou to thae door. The moderator o' the kirk opened thae proceedings. Weel, as near as 7 can mak' it the following is a list o' thae items we had for thae nicht:—An anthem by the choir, led by oor auld freen Geordy Overton, an' ma word, he had them trained awfu' weel. Oor ain kirk organist played thae music on thae kist o' whustles. She is a handy lass yon, for milking kye and looking aifter thae Royal Mail she is a busy body. A solo by Percy Shaw—he had tae gie them two instead o' yin, he sang that weel, — his brither playing thae music; an address by the moderator—a very able ami substantial address; a graiind duet by Miss Ethie and her sister Alice. Then Mr Petrie gave a fine able address on "Socialism"; a solo by oor ain skule teacher, a very painstaking kind of a Dody, Miss Gillespie—weel she had simply to sing twice the fouk wad lot her sit doon in peace; song next by the wee laddies—it was singing glory all the day, and they did it awfu' weel. Then oor auld freen Geordy sang "Wait Till the Cluds Rool by, Jenny," and siccan an encore he got Ah thocht it wad raise the rafters o' the kirk; weel, he sung again, with music played by his ain gude wifey. Mrs Overton. Anither awfu' guid anthem by the choir. The next item, Mr Eeditor, was tea, and we a' joined in that; ye maun ken the ladies of thae deestrict brocht their baskets weel rilled wi ' a' thae gude things ye cud think o'. Oor auld freen, Wully Williamson, made thae tea in a muckle cauldron, and ma word he tellt me it was a gie ticklish bit o' wark. Weel, man, for a wheen minutes a' the fouk was vera. busy. Aifter tea a graund selection by Mrs A. Perry, wha played her ain music on thae kist o' whustles. Then what they called thae "Sunbeam choir" —a lot o' young lassies trained by their skule teacher—they sang awfu' bonnie, juist like a lot o* nichtingales. Then oor freen the secretary o' thae kirk, that is Graham Dawson, ye ken, he read oot thae bal-ance-sheet for the year, a gukl yin; weel dune, Graham. Moderator gave a short aMress, an' said he was awfu' weel pleased wi* the sheet and wi l the fouk arooud aboot Batanui, and he proposed that we wad a' gie Graham a hairty vote of tlianks, and ma word, did he no* get it) A solo by Mrs Perry; Mr Atkinson ah address on '' Prayer.'' Then thae great laugh o* thae nicht, a humorous reading by thae skule maister; a solo by Mr Wilson; then a graun recitation by Miss White, of Ratanui. It was aboot what women can do, and ma word she made a graun job o' it. Then a short address by oor ain mecnister entreating thae fouk to gang tae thae kirk; then the skulemaister was called on to move a vote of thanks to the speakers, and they got a gude yin; then Wullie Williamson calling for a vote o' thanks tae the fouk that ha' a baud in the social. He also gave us a bit o' a speech, which was very humorous. He spoke on some o' thae subjects that had been spoken that nicht. Yin was & prayer—a graun subject; he says it brocht him in mind o' twa Hieiantmen that was oot at sea in a gale, when the yin says tae thae ither, "Say a bit o' a prayer.'' Weel, Donald starts and says, "Weel, Lord, ye ken weel eneuch it is fifteen years since Ah asked ye for ony[thing, and if ye take us safe tae thae shore it wull be another fifteen before Ah ask for ony mair." Then a hairty vote o' thanks was giver to Wully for making the tea; then an anthem by the I choir, then- the benediction by the (moderator. Then we scaled ooto* the I kirk and daundered awa' hamegie near thae sma' oors o* thae mornin'. Ah think that is aboot a' thae aewfl at f reseat, n tt-t&thie aeo,