PALMERSTON WOMAN’S SURPRISE

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 118, 12 February 1941, Page 10

PALMERSTON WOMAN’S SURPRISE

Brother And Sister Meet After 60 Years Dominion Special Service. PALMERSTON N„ February 11. To have her youngest brother arrive on tier doorstep after a separation of <’>() years, was t lie experience of Mrs. Caleb Smith. Palmerston North, one evening recently. The visitor wan Mr. Harry Flood. Qu island. Mrs. Smith. who will celebrate her ninetieth birthday in May. is the eldest of a family of 17, this brother being lhe youngest. Shortly after her marriage she left. Tasmania with her husband for New Zealand GO years ago. her brother Harry being then only seven years of age. Mr. Harry Flood went. t<> seek his fortune in Queensland when he grew to manhood, and for many years lost touch with his family, lb- married and brought up his own family, and eventually went back to Tasmania to gain news of his own folk, and so traced Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Smith spent her early married life in'Canterbury. Since her husband’s death she has lived with a married daughter. Mrs. M. E. Pitt, mostly in ’Wellington. Thirty-seven years ago she was a resident of Palmerston North, and 10 months ago returned with Mrs. Pitt to make their home in Martin Street. Mr. Flood Ims been promising to pay a visit to New Zealand for a year or so, mid at Christman time warned his sister that ho would be setting off shortly, accompanied by his wife. However, war conditions made it impossible to announce the. date ot arrival, and no one was more surprised than Mr. I 1 loud when he was told by an inmate _ of the house when he asked for Mrs. Smith that his aged sister was out. He expected to find her in mi invalid chair and certainly not out mid about.