DEEPLY PATHETIC.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 933, 28 September 1910, Page 5

DEEPLY PATHETIC.

ONTHE^tITTLE' BARRIER.; THE ■ HUSBAND'S OBSEQUIES. - :.. . ..: (By .Telegraph.—Press Association.). ; : j - ; -'- -, Auckland,.September 27;'; ... A pathetic story of' one of. the '.saddest . .tragedies -,'. of .real'Uife: was. brought, to ~Auckland, this.:afternoon by,.the Goyern;Jment.'steamer Hinemoa from Little Bar'■::•''tier 'Island. The -Little ..Barrier-is : one. ■■'".v.'cf-,.;the.::.Govern.nieat-'-'.Mnctuaries : -;for-.''Nnf -■tive. birds, and is guarded .from thtf rav--.."ages' of poachers .by- a.caretaker appointed ■ ■■.. .by.:: the Tourist -Department. [ ,Tnere are no other-inhabitants on the island, .which ..has no communication with the mainland. / -Mr. Hunter Blair was the caretaker, and,' 'with'his iwife,.: had lived/oh the. island ': for. some months. He died.- last .Wednesday night,' and-his: wife .watched .the body -.'. for- two days-in the. hope that.somebody ":"■ would oaii. at the island,','of .which, she ;;. ; was:theh.:the sole resident. -Thursday and :'v;Friday. : passed, without any-,sigh.;of callers, ' :.ahd;-'oh-Saturday' morning,'she. made, the ' preparations lor the vperforhi-;'''.'.-aice'',.of- the 'last ', sad, offices 6f;,the-dead. '-. She collected some-planks and;boards,.and ':made' a /rude>'coffinV;-■;, She then; dug .'a . ;.grave"near,- the .house, the work .'being ' on Saturday.' ;•. Oh..Sunday.-.last ■';. she reverently, committed' the.;body '-, to its ; resting-place,'-'-the .burial, service vbeing : 'read', by. the solitary, mourner, at thegrave;:v: gidei:;'' V'.'■•'. ! ,','.-\.,-: ; ■--. '.'';'"■'■"•. ''■'■■.; W'-S-;'' .-.'.-.- -V',:...;:.Mrs/;:Blairl'.', who f.was naturally-' much, '•h affected by -.the severe■': trial; to 'which ! ;she .'.was'.\subjectedj,Remained -:at': her''lonely '■: -habitation.' with : no-company., save the' :birds;till-;M6hday; evening,: when .the-ar-. .'. ;,riv'al..'of,';:the'Hinemoa. brought, her. subh ■ ■ eokceas human-sympathy ..and assistance : , can.afford/ She came .on to Auckland 10.-day,:and,"-•'in': .-day,:and,"-•'in': a -few-days, will leave'to '-,-. join/friends, in ~._:;. ;• :- : ,/:.\