LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 50, 22 November 1907, Page 9

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

"BROOM BEHIND THE WINDY TOWN. , ' KIPLING'S'OBSERVATION. .; : Sir, —Of course Kipling was right—he generally is; but your paragraph is wrong in two respects. Kipling's.'- words were not tho "broom-clad hills of Wellington," which you quote, and tho reference does not occur in "The Song of the Cities"; but in a very delightful poem entitled "The Flowers." The verso containing tho reference to Wellington is worth quoting:— - ■• ■

"Buy my English posies I. ' ■-.-■• ■ Here's your choice unsold 1 . •■ •-. ' ■ ' Buy a blood-red myrtle-bloom, , .. ■ Buy tho Kowhai's gold. Flung for gift on Taupo's face, ■:,„ • : • Sign : t-hat Spring-is come-^i ■■■ .■■■'■■'-'■ ' . Buy my clinging -myrtle vi'-; !w.»-.... ■;.■- ' And I'll give you'back" your home I Broom behind the , windy town j pollen o' the ■pine— ' •'-■■■ ..• '■■-'•..■•'■■' ■ .-■■■ ■:' . ■ Bell-bird in the leafy deep whore th.>ratas twine — '■ '■' :■:"■:' -" ■„•- :i. .-,; '•; Fern above thVsaddlo-bow;-'flss up m 'the plain— '••■• ••■••'.'■ ;■■ ■ ■■■ Take the flower-and turn the hour, ami'loss your love again!" There is no reference to Wellington in "The Song of tho Cities." The roference is .10 Auckland:—, , ~.. ~-,:■. . :| ..... .. .. . "Last, loneliest, loveliest, exquisite, apart— ■ On us, on us the unswerving season smiios, Vfho wonder 'mid,, our fern, wjiy ,men departTo seek tho Hap'py^lslcsJ" ..'. There is, no .doubtj gorse as well as broom' on the slopes of the Tihakori..Hills', "behind the windy town," ;but;it was tho'brdoih; that] wns in blossom and that caught Kipling's cjo' when he was hereV- For a'Aiorith or more now the broom has ; provided a glorious feast'6f colour that is a constant delight to thousands' of people in the capital, and it would.b"'a mistake to destroy'it altogether. Root-ouu the gorse' if you'will, and 'prevent tho'broov from spreading unduly; but, even in ,thes.i days of utility, do-not lot us altogether, destroy the amenities, for surely to be beau'ti-, ful is to be useful .—Yours etc., v " " . .', : ' : ■■■■■■■■■ ■ M:R. November 18, 1907. - : ■ ■•