"UNCLE TOM'S" GOOD-BYE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 124, 21 November 1914, Page 8

" UNCLE TOM'S " GOOD-BYE

TO THE CHILDREN. 10 THB EDITOR . Sir,— Well played, Wellington— seven hundred, and not out; Te Aro nearly a century, and still at the wickets. I am glad they , beat Mount Cook ; but am aorry that Mount Cook didn't beat them. But, boys, it was nobly done — one and all. I can hear the chink of the "brownies" in that kerosene tin yet; j and am sure the owner of it will hear tho metal music in all the years ahead of him. Say, chaps, I don't believe that the memory of Mr. Guy Fawkee, from the year 1606 to sth November, 1914, was ever used to so good a purpose a* the "Brooklyn Highflyers" used it on the latter date; and I am sure the Kaiser will be a proud man when the hear* how skilfully you all manipulated his moustachio to raise tuck for his intended Belgian subject*. Seven hundred pounds. How many lunches will that provide for the Beiges? The only way I can get an answer to that is by remembering how much we paid when I went to school in the Old Country. This bit is for u« boye only; the grumpy ones can hibernate a wee : Brother Jack and I used to have a long walk to school ; and that we might be free to bird-nest, jump a dyke, catch a roach, bow and arrow, sling at a crow, and Borne things I musn't tell you, we would rather go without a luncli than carry it. So we often, got round mums to give us a, Joey to buy lunch for two in the school village; and this was kept quite separate, so that we could do what we liked with our own — a penny loaf and a ha'porth of treacle in a cabbage leaf 3 and the school 'pump free of charge. And I can see a number of anxious eyes to get a lick at) that cabbage leaf before we quite reached the hollows in it. Now, then, we have it : half-penny into seven hundred pounds, and divide by three — just do it yourselves; it will take up too much of The Post to put the answer in ; and if you want' to know more about that school just ask Dad if he went to old Saint Nick'g. B°ys, you played the game right up to drawing stumps. But grownups would say: Where all did so magnificently it were highly improper to make, any 'invidious distinctions. . Well, I know" you boys ; but I don't know the girls ;- so please thank them for me and yourselves at the same time; and do it in your Own way ; and if you don't know, how ask ydUr teacher.' I told you if the girls in to keep your eye on the figures. Look up The Post and see how much the Mount Cook kiddies put in the bag. "My, it was an eyeopener," and when her babies climbed ten rungs up the seven hundred ladder the Lady of the Kinchin's was Queen of the Tournament. Boys and girls of Wellington, lam proud' of you, and of your £ea,chers ; and of the whole education system that proproduce such splendid results, in duty to your neighbours, in kindly charity, *nd in self -sacrifice. Just one word more as VUncle Tom" retires into the mists' and shadows, and it's to the boys and girls who not only worked hard for the fund, arid also denied themselves their annual feux d'artifice, but who also emp* tied their money boxes into the basket. In my range of English I have not a word that will express my thought, so perhaps I may use the words of a kingly man if — as one Josephus has said — "If it be lawful to call Him a man"—"lnasmuch as ye- have done it unto the least of one, of these • (Belgians) ye have done it unto me." -. ' ' Faithfully yours, • ' . UNCLE TOM.

An improvement in Mr. J. R. Blair's condition is reported to-day. The latest addition to the Belgian Children's Fund is £3 5s 6d, being the proceeds ,of the sale of a doll at Mr. Wilford's meeting. The Union Company announces that the Patoena is to resume running in the Wellington-Picton-Nelson service on Wednesday next. The Mapourika sails for Picton and Nelson on Monday, and on the following Wednesday will sail for New Plymouth and Westport In Everybody's Theatre, to-morrow, Mr. H. E. Holland and Mr. H. Sajtt Bennett will speak and reply to statements made by, the Hon Messrs. Herdman and • Fisher in the last addresses to the electors. _ Tho- Watersidere' Band will pUy selections at Island Bay at 3 p.m. to-morrow. The quarterly summoned meeting of the Excelsior Lodge of Druids wifl. be held on Monday evening. Christmas portrait postcards can bo obtained at the Electric Studios, 80, Man-ners-street, portraits being taken cither day or, night > One of the most popular outings for Petone people is the annual picnic of the Gear Co. employees. This year's function, which will bo held at Day's Bay on Wednesday mext, promises to be- as successful as its predecessors, the coramjtlc« having arrangements well in hand. Any profits that may be derived from the picnic will be handed over to the Belgian Relief Fund. Still another effort is to be m»de to help the Belgians, this time Under the auspices .of tho Moral and Physical Health. Society. On Thursday next, a lecture is, to be delivered by Dr. yon Danneville, of the Lahmann Health Home, on her thrilling experiences in the Russo-Japanese war. As tho lecture is a short one, the rest of the evening is to be devoted to a musical programme. Amohgst the artists will be Misses Cara Denhard, Rose Segrief, Irene and Evelyn Marsh, and Ruby Scott, Messrs. Exton, Logan, M'Donald, and Norm*n Aitken. The Wellington Head Centre of the Royal Life- Saying Sooioty advertises elsewhere > in this issue th»t free olasaes of instruction for men will commence at tho V.M.C.A. on Tuesday evening next. The useful knowledge to be gained by attending theso classes should attract both swimmers and non-swimmers.