Puzzle Column. [Edited by "Touchstone."]

Evening Post, Volume XLVIII, Issue 131, 1 December 1894, Page 1 (Supplement)

Puzzle Column. [Edited by " Touchstone."]

NOTIOBS TO CoMPETTrOBa. Answers to Puzzles of this date must be sent to the Editor of the Puzzle Column, Evening) Post, Willis-street, on or before Tubsdat, December 1 Ith, by 4 p.m. Answers dent in later than the above will not be credited. OUR CHRISTMAS COMPETITION. Messrs Blundell Bros, present two guineas, to be distributed thus: — Half a guiuea for the best puzzle, either triple acrostic, double acrostic, arithmorem, word-puzzle, charade, or enigma. Half a guinea f^r the best set of verses for a New Zealand Christmas Card, not to exceed 8 lines. Two prizes, seven-and-Bix and three-and-six, for the best Children's Story ; age of competitors — up to 17. Leagthnotto exceed 50 printed lines. A prize of five- shillings will be given for the best scheme sent iv by girls up to 17, for " Inexpensive Periodical Outings," to be given by them to their poorer little sisters. Children of the poor seldom have suuh a pleasure as a day's picnic by the sea or on the hills with plenty of good things to eat. Such a scheme as this would teach our young maidens to be unselfWi, and bring them nearer to the poor amongst us. A prize of five shillings will be given for the best scheme sent in by youths up to 20, for the same subject. Vbbse Competition. " Touchstone " off ers a prize for the best eight-line verse, on " The Ideal Man." All competitions must reach the Editor of Puzzle Column, 'Evening Post, Willisstreot, not later than Tuesday, December 11th, by 4 p.m. Competitors are requested to write on one side of the paper, and put what the'competition is for on the envelope. Otm New Quaetebly Competition. This competition commences to-night, Saturday, December Ist. Answers to date from Saturday, December 15th. New Rule Revised. — In* the rule re synonyms I inteud giving half a mark for synonym lights. ACKNOWI.HDGEMEI\T3. Dear " Touchstone."— l have to thank you for the Epigrammatic Prize, and to congratulate you on your success on hitting off the tastes of your competitors. You could not have chosen anything I liked so well as the book you sent me. Please offer my congratulations to the successful competitors. With kind regards, and good wishes, I am, etc., "Jumbo." — Thanks, "Jumbo," for your kind letter. -E.P.C. Dear "Touchstone." — Kindly convey my thanks to Messrs. Blaudell Bros, fo the very pretty leather pocket-book which I received as a prize. It will be very useful, as well as ornamental, and I am extremely pleased. Your Literary Column is progressing well, and should prove attractivo as well as amusing to its numerous readers. The epigrammatic sayiugs are capital, more especially the winner's and those immediately following. With hearty congratulations to all fellow prizewinners, aud good-luck to all, I am, etc., " Pukaki."— Thanks Cheery Bird.— E.P.C. "Priucess" writes thanking "Touchstone" for her nice prize, which she is much pleased with. " F. Howe" says her prize was a surprise, and she is much pleased with it. " J.L.M."— I read your letter, and was both amused and interested by it. I will write to you soon. No other puzzles are admirable but the ones named. "Curly Looks." — Your puzzles are very good— thanks for them. There is no chance of a Young Folks' Column at present. Our space is too limited. I was sorry it lapsed, but it was the Young Folks' own fault. Why not try the "Old Folks'" Column? There are always some easy pnzzles. There are some competitors only 15, who have done well. "Viola." — Thanks for letter which was a very pleasing one. Will write soon. We welcome into the Courts of Puzzledom, "Excelsior," "Bogey," and "E.K.A," new competitors. Have "Ohiro," "Atlas," "Tessa," and " Ganymede " received their prizes ? I hope all intending competitors will send in their names at once to Editor of Puzzle Column, Evening Post. I should like to see all my old friends competing this quarter, and a lot of new ones as well. There will be nine prizes. "Pukaki." — I could not do without the the Cheery Bird's photo. He ia one of my oldest competitors and, I trust, he will not disappoint me. No. 1545 — Teiplb Acbostio. By " Sylva Pencil." Good— E.P.C. Initials, to discuss; centrals, to bound; primals, condensed smoke. Lights. 1, A famous English painter ; 2, a Shakesperian character ; 3, a province of Canada ; 4, three united. No. 1546— Woed Puzzlb. By "Pax." Good— E.P.C. Find a five-letter word meauing an indivisible thing, which, transposed, gives — 1, A celebrated friend ; 2, old name of an island ; 3 a groan ; 4, a tribe : 5, a title, 6, a New Zealand bird ; 7, a Latin verb ;8, a biped. No. 1547— Chaeadb. By "Ganymede." Good— E.P.C. To choose my First, a solemn rite — Perenial joy, anxiety — To ladies all a dear delight Ne'er followed by satiety. To Next a mystery it seems Such weight to First attaches And his sleep, his troubled dreams Take form of bills in batches. Devoted to the arts of peace, My Whole a learned doctor; Or one who dreads as thieves, police ; The unrelenting Procter. No. 1548— Diamond. By " Jack Point." Good— E.P.C. Downwards and across, a great composer. 1, A letter ; 2, a lever ; 3, an ancient language ; 4, to please ; 5, to disburden ; 6, the word ; 7, to affect ; 8, a notice ; 9, splondour; 10, a pronoun; 11, a letter. No. 1549. — Double Aobostlo. By " Ohiro." Good— E.P.C Primals and Finals name something that is always interesting. Lionra. 1, An apid ; 2, mould ; 3, an aboriginal ; 4, that thing ; 5, an opiate ; G, a race of people ; 7, a plant ; 8, a guard. No. 1550— Chaeadb. By "Tessa." Good— E.P.C. My First expresses the sentiments of the fair sex towards my Second ; my Whole is a poet. No. 1551 — Double Aoeostio. By " Touchstone." Initials— Used in war. Finals — Its destination. LIOHTS. 1, Used in war ; 2, a savage tribe ; 3, to soothe ; 4, to malign ; 5, waste ; 6, this is either eaten or drunk. No. 1552— Half Square. By"Conviva." Good— E.P.C. Top line and downwards are a question you are often asked. 1, The word ; 2, a lid ; 3, an animal ; 4, in fact ; 5, idle ; 6, a \ essel ; 7, a gold ornament ; 8, a vase ; 9, part of whole ; 10, a letter. No. 1553 — CONBNDEUSt. By "J.L.M." Good— E.P.C. Why is it almost certain that Shakespeare was a broker ? No. 1534.— 0tm Epigram. On "Progress." Oue Verse Competition. On " The Ideal Woman." ; The two verses published are highly commended: — MY IDEAL. Would you learn my ideal woman P I would have her fair and kind, Her lovely face the index to the virtues Of her mind ; E'eu as from the modest violet, though reared in lowly state, To all who dwell around it, doth a fragrance emanate. Of tall and gracious presence, yet withal not a shrew, Her broad and generous nature, all scandal shall eschew ; She must not rave on politics, or sigh o'er party factions, But rather cook the dinner to her husband's satisfaction. ' Yet I would not have her stupid, for it r would me provoke, If, when I said a funny thing, she failed to see the joke ; Bright, winsome, animated, but I never hope to find Such a blending of the graces in the realm of womankind. — "Schneider." THE MODERN IDEAL. She is lank and she is long, She is brown and t>he is strong ; She has muscles like an ox, She can row, and she can box. She will wear divided skirts, Collars, ties, and Sunday shirts ; She can piny, and she can sing, She can talk like anything. She will know the newest slang,

"Dandy," "Daisy," "Blow," and "Bang"; But within that manner bold, There's the woman's heart of jrol«l. — " Auroih." LITERARY COLUMN. This Column is open to original literary contributions, prose or verse, serious or comic ; good — but short. Two Prizes will be given at the end of the quarter for the best. Appended are two poems— one by " R.L.", tho other by " J.'f . W." Both are highly commended. "Princess." — Our rule' is that the real name and address must be given when a competitor wins a prize, for the satis • faction of everyone. Your lines are very pretty. " Buttercup." — Your charming little poem on " The Soa " will appear shortly, A BACHELOR IN THE BOTANICAL GARDENS. "In happy homes he saw the light, Of household fires gleam warm aud bright." The devil "banked up " his fires one day> And then out of Hades he took his way, Till he came where the earth was enjoying the spring, Where buds were sprouting, and birds did sing, And all things smiled upon the earth, Till naught was heard but joy and mirth. Now sailing along through the deep blue sky, Unseen of course to the human eye, He espied on a bank where daisies grew, And the pines' warm scent to the breezes threw, Two lovers reclining in love's own fashion, With all the signs of a springtide passion. So he stopped his wing as the seagulls do, And went gliding down through the glorious blue : Then perched on a bough of the fragrant pine, Ho made up his mind for a jolly good time. Now the devil is mean as you've heard before, So he watched, and listened, and much he saw, And heard, come up from the flowery floor. There were sounds of kisses and rounded words That came through the air like the songs of birds ; Apd many a tender squeeze he marked, Till strange to say he got somewhat "narked." For he envied this fellow who loved his girl,. And his tail began to twist and twirl Like a cat's, when it's angry, will sometimes whirl ; For truth to tell Auld Hornie'a a heart, And he longed in those joys to take a part. Then it filled him with auger to think that he Must go on thro' all eternity Without any love to cheer his lifo, Without tho wealth of a loving wife ; No children to prattle about his knee, And fill his heart with their childish glee. So he said to himself, " As tho devil 1 am, Whom God had decreed for evrr to damn, I'd better go back to hell stiaight off — For there at least, I cau burn uud wsolf — Than gaze at a heaven I may not nhare, For the sight of lover.s I cannot bear, Tho' much the garment I'd like to wear." So he shot away to the depths of hell, And when he got there he rang his bell ; And this is what he told thorn to do, Those little black imps (waiters) who serve him true, Stir up the fire, and make up the blaze ; Then he swore that in hell for tho rest of his days, He'd always remain, for 'tis better, says he, To bury one's self in their misery, Thau gaze on a bliss I may not share, Out beyond in the balmy air ; So he settled himself in an ocean of flamo, And vowed he never would leave it again. But, " 'tis better to marry than burn." — "J.T.W." WHEN MAGGIE SINGS. When Maggie sings the winds are laid to rest, Each little bird sits quiet in its nest, Aud listens reverent, pleased, with folded wings, When Maggie sings. When Maggie sings the flowers wide open spread, As sunflowers when the sun is overhead, Each leaf seems stirred with joy as living things, When Maggie sings. When Maggie sings my heart forgets its care, And happy dreams steal o'er me unaware, Love, joy, and hope, up in my bosom springs* When Maggie sings. — "R.L."