SUNBEAM COLUMN

Grey River Argus, 1 April 1922, Page 2

SUNBEAM COLUMN

Greetings to all. Good thoughts to all the world. Good thoughts to Te Wihoi. Good thoughts to all Sunbeams. Good thoughts to our Uncles. Have you ever been away from home and felt the pulse of your heart-beat mildly as you returned to that one loved place, Home, where you are always welcome and where hearts boat warmly for vou?

Now suppose you were about. 70 years of age and believed that the capitalists of Europe and America got together, and made a human slaughter house of Europe in the interests of capitalism and big profits and you knew thousands, nay, millions of workers

felt it your duty to speak; for time has proved you right though capitalism gaoled you and kept you gaoled, de spite the fact of your being right. After being in gaol for years for your principles you found yourself re leased. The prison gates opened, and you are told that you may go home to your loved ones.

Half dazed by excitement and emo tion you are called upon to speak to a crowd of comrades whom you know love you ami feel for you, who cheer you when they see you.

If you can imagine these feelings you will have some idea how Eugene Debs felt as he spoke to thousands of people who gathered at his home in Terra Haute. He spoke these words from the porch of his home. Mr Mayor and Friends—and Neigh

hours—and Comrades, —Home again! And what a wonderful, beautiful de monstration! What a.picture to greet the eye and the heart and the soul on my return. How vain words are! How meaningless all language in the presence of such a marvellous, touching and inspiring scene! From the very depths of my heart I thank you for your kind welcome. I thank every man, woman, and child who have been the cheer and support of my dear wife •nd family during my absence. And I thank you over and over again foi your devotion. What a beautiful home coming! I felt on leaving home you were with me in spirit and 1 was sus tained by your faithfulness and devo tion. I thank every one of you for the efforts you have been putting forth so long in my behalf. You have succeeded at last. But I am not free so long as any are in prison. I have a heart for my fellow men. I shall devote my life to the liberation of those who are imprisoned, and I shall know no rest until they are restored to their families. I was saddened because I was compelled to leave behind in At lanta my fellownien in prison. In my [heart there is no bitterness, only a re solution not to yield, but to remain true to my honest convictions and to my ideals. I could not do otherwise. I have no regrets. You and 1 may dif fer from time to time, and yet may grasp each other's hand in fellowship. On this touching occasion, how littlf of the emotions struggling within me can be expressed in words! I see your glowing faces to-night, I hear your sympathetic heart-beats. I would it were possible for me to put arms around you and express the love I bear you. I cannot make a speech to-night, but J

can again thank you from the bottom of my heart. This wondrous picture will remain for ever in my memory’s walls. It can never be forgotten. With |U heart overflowing with grateful thanks I now bid you beloved friends and comrades, Good-night and God speed. ’’

One of our big grown-up Sunbeams who loves our page and its children has given me a prize of 10 Art Union tickets in Labour Machine Fund Art Union or 10/- in cash to be disposed of as best I think fit in the Sunbeam Circle. I had a talk with Uncle Jim and he suggested to give it as a prize to the best letter from a Sunbeam on what you think a Sunbeam ought to be. I had thought of asking Uncle Ned to act as judge. I think he will, for he surety cannot be let forget us so soon can he? Now all in favour of Uncle Ned as judge please say “aye.” The “ayes” have it.

Please Sunbeams write for Eastei . Saturday, April 15, and let us have a real good muster. Do not be afraid, for all of you are welcome. Remember the prize is to be given to the one Uncle Ned tells us is best and we will all agree, won’t we? The Saturday after next is our Saturday, so do try to write something. Aunt Flora is delighted with her Millerton Sunbeams and Blaketown is coming on very well. What a darling Sunbeam you arc, Jack, to write and only in Primer IV. You have a good mother and I am sure you love her, don’t you? Some day you will write me such a long letter all by yourself; that is when you arc older won’t you, Jack? T hope our Newton Flat Sunbeams come along and take your hint Eddie. I am nearly wearv of watching for a beam from them What good Sunbeam to promise me • letter every week! Hazel and Annie you deserve our good thoughts, sure enough. I hope your mother gets a prize with her ticket, don’t you? Greet tings and love to all. AUNT FLORA. SUNBEAM LETTER, Blaketown. Dear Auntie and Uncles 1 --The Sunbeam Column is getting larger but not- so much yet. Now I would like to see the Blaketown Sunbeams write letters, for they have had a long spell. Sunbeam Mary and Sunbeam Clara have not written for a Jong time. 1 think it is time they wrote a letter. I don’t think they have written one letter since Christmas! Sunbeam Haz-

dis trying to write every Saturday Sunbeams Lily and Lena have not wrn ten either for a long time. I think it is time L must close. With goot thoughts to ail the world at nine, from SUNBEAM ANNIE. ‘‘Newton Flat.” Dear Aunt Flora —lt is many weeks since J last wrote to the column, an 1 feel rather ashamed of myself ft, neglecting te write; but ] noticed tha the ether Sunbeams, too, had bee; i) having a. rest; so there is? consolafi tion in knowing that we aren't theonly ones, ami so Newton. Flat in itturn is awakening from slumber Well, Sunbeams, do you really thin], that our good Uncles Ted and Ned, go tired of waiting for our letters, am so gave us up. 1 hope not. Any wa.y wc must all get to work aga.i; and shake off the drowsy feeling tha seems to have got hold of us all Now V attie, you too have been asiecp through the summer as well as us, s< now lot us work to keep warm. Dif you say the- eel you caught was five

pounds in weight, well you haven’i seen an eel yet, \\'hy, Arthur < aught several in the Buller River, just at the hack of our place, two beautieamongst them—one 15 pounds and th< other 15| pounds. So yours would be classed as shrimps, but keep oi

fishing and perhaps next ,time you’l make a better haul. I don’t know Why Te Wihoi has deserted us; w< all miss her letters very much here and I can tell by the way the othei Sunbeams are writing that they miss her too. But perhaps if wc ear always remember to send her good thoughts and let her see how much we all miss her, she will come bam to us. Well, Eddie, 1 think w* might easily give you the name of

“Our Hero,”' for keeping the circle going as you did; you are a brilliant Sui beam, for while we have been lazy yes, for its nothing but laziness I’n sure; you have kept on shining al the while. Sunbeams May and Char lie have to ride nine miles to schoc and its not very nice for them nov as the days are growing very cold. May won the first prize* for plus ticine modelling at the A. and P. Show hold a.t Murchison last Friday, and first prize for free-hand drawing. Th pony that she was riding got secon pi'Jy.e too; so she did well. sui beams Elaine and Oenone have go in away to school so they won’t get .

very good chance to write now; v miss them very much here for the were the two eldest girls of our uni neighbour, and now they have gon

things niv quieter than ever. You must have h;bd* heavy rain out vou way, do all that 'damage; i hasn’t been t bad here; I ~shout say we missed that lot. Well Sun beams I must bring my letter to : close now ami I will try and get tin others to write next week. I'm rathe; late myself with this letter, but bet ter lurk next time. Good thought> to you. Sunbeams. Good thoughts to all the world. From SUNBEAM ROSEMARY. Millerton. Dear Auntie ‘and Uncles—Good thoughts to you Auntie and Uncles, and good thoughts to our Te Wihoi ami all Sunbea-ms. Good thoughts to all those poor miners and cauldron and mothers. The eworld if. getting worse and worse, Auntie! Ihe other day, a man came a round collecting for missionary wo k to serci people out to stop the saviges from eating one another. Mum if

things kept on as ’hey arc going, some ol the poor people under the flag will have to do it, if they want to

live ! mum read once of a. poor mother, whose husband had m*t bad any work for ages, an 1 could m t get an> The poor woman drowned herself, and her tittle baby; and twcive ‘•■wise’ men said she was “mad." Don’t you think those men were mad, Auntie, not the poor woman, who just could not live and see her children starve? I am so pleased to see our Blaketown b unheanis back again. Good thoughts to all the world. From SUNBEIAM EDDIE.

Dear Auntie and Uncle—Greetings i and good thoughts to you Auntie and to all our Uncles and Sunbeams—good thoughts at nine always! What a lovely world it would be, Auntie, if 1 all in the world would think good thoughts, or do some good deed every morning at nine. J think Uncle led s way of making a new world is the right way. We have been taught m the churches for ages, God is love; and that we must love our enemies, and “Thou Shall do no Murder.” One day in the week we are taught that, and five days we are taught to drill and sing ‘‘God Save the King,” and get ready to fight our enemy! So, Auntie, we are taught to live in a lying world. I am sure, if the Bible is true, t’hen the world must be all wrong. Don’t you think so? I have a Sunbeam Card now, thank you Auntie, but will enclose my name for the Sunbeam Book. Good thoughts to all the world SUNBEAM MAGGIE. Te Namu. Dear Uncle J im all( j Aunt Flora— Greetings! Greetings to you all! It has been very wet to-day so we had to play games in school. The little kitten are very playful now; the oth-1 er day when I went into the bedroom httle Fuss was romping about with the bottle of ink but she did not spill i any of it . Wei think that Peggy, th e | calf, is dead, for we cannot find’ her ’ anywhere. \Ve also have another ' s.ck calf-her name is Beauty, we , ave her medicine but it does not seem to

do any good. Good thoughts to all the world from Sunbeam JEAN. Rosencaih, Wollongong, N.S.W. Dear Uncle Ted—A lew lines hoping you and other Sunbeams are well and happy. Since mamma last wrote 1 have learned to walk very nicely and I look quite a man by mamma's side walking up the street. My cousin, Sunbeam Bora, and myself, are learmnto dance and the grown ups knock a. great deal of fUn out of us. They inugh and show us what to do to make ourselves look silly and we get annoyed finally and commence to fight Ulen we are put to bed in disgrace Still we forget all about our quarrel when we awaken and begin as happy as ever and giving every one who comes in contact with us a little joy. 1 often think this dreary old world would be a happier place if each individual would try and imitate a little baby to some extent, and, instead oi trying to cutdo some one else, to grow better in tlying to wake up -vci-y morning with a “clean slate,” forgetting yesterday’s grievances, pains and troubles and start afresh. As 1 grow 1 hope to Bud my mamma teaching me to reach this goal. It is iu reality your own idea, Uncle Ted. Good thoughts at nine, in which the love and Brotherhood of man are expressed. My Jove and Good thoughts to you and all Sunbeams SUNBEAM. JIM. I Millerton. I Dear Aunt Flora—l am sorry I pave not written to the Column lately. lam very neglectful. Thank Aunt Flora, lor keeping the ColW lllu I uui sorry for the little from Elmwood. Aly mum says

igphe th,ink(S sO-mc up people joJave forgotten they were ever children, So the first time 1 they hear or know bf a. little child uoing anything wrong, they condemn that child. They do nOu seem to think what a load they

are putting on tnat chiia s uack. ■•‘iVelcome, Maggie to our corner. 1 hoix*' you will be*. «.»6ie to influence some more Sunbeams to our corner, So that when L ncle Tod pays us his long promised visit, the County Hall will bo packed right out with Sunbeams. Good thoughts to al. Comrades, and, Te \\ iJioi, Good thou jits to yon. f hope your sorrow has passed and that some comfort has come your way. From TOMMYTe Namu. Dear I'ncl, Jim and Aunt Flora—’routings to you all, not forgetting uncles led and Ned. There was a ».ew more letters in the column last ( veek, but 1 hope there will be still more next week. 1 have been linking for

.vard for at- letter from To Wihio. The olumn seems lost without her. \\’e nearly lost a calf to-day; it fell into the creek and could not get out again, but Dad got him out safe and sound. I think he will live all light. AVell L nclej and Sunbeams, there is no more news this time; so I will close. Good thoughts to all the world. From SUNBEAM OLIVEWestland. Dear I ncles and Sunbeams—Greetings + o you all! Greetings to everything lovable! But dear little Sunbeams above all ! Greetings to that dear soul who lately stepped out of the ranks and took a. position greater than that of any qc.cen. Greetings, dear Flora! Good thoughts come to you, overwhelmingly and make you very strong! Hold the fort, dear one, until someone comes along to help you! Dear little.- Sunbeams; now is the time for you to show your loyalty. Encircle your httle queen with letters of love do it every week; use the same simple words as you do to mum when you come home from school, when you throw your arms around mum’s neck and say, “mum I do love you .dear.” Yes‘ and put in all the other kindly things you say to mum., and if you have never done so before to mum, do it now, and always. This is vour duty. Dear little Sunbeams; this writer has been watching your corner from the- beginning. He is one who loves you all very dearly. Later on he may tell you why lie loves you and all little ones, and that will be a big order. There are lots of other things he may also have to say to you. But dear little ones, you must try to do better; bring the page back to l what it was up to the late holidays. Look Sunbeams, at that bi'iave Eddie of Millerton. My, but ho is a little trump ctard. Do as Eddie does, little ones, say you will n,ever miss again, and when you have said it, keep to your promise. Shower heaps of good thoughts and letters of love on your dear little- queen, Flora, and so prove yourselves to be true and loyal Sunbeams. Good thoughts to you all from DAD. Blaketown. Dear Auntie and Uncles, —I was verydisappointed on Saturday when I picked up the “Argus” to find only two letters from Blaketown. I am very late in writing this week, as I have been t°o busy. I see that we have an Auntie now: it is very nice to have : a lot of people thinking of us. Please excuse a small letter this week as I |am late in writing. I will close with, good thoughts to all tlio world at nine. From Sunbeam HAZEL. Te Namu. Dear Uncles and Aunt Flora, —Kind Thoughts to all the World at nine. To-

day I shot a lot of birds with my ah rifle and shanghai. Tha thrushes art very tame; they hop inside if every thing is quiet. I have caught a 10l of eels lately, and I am very fond ol ‘ them. Sunbeam Eddie, you :re I bright sunbeam for writing ever\ 1 . week. I wish 1 could get into the wa\ of writing every week like you. Well Uncles and Aunt Flora, I think 1 wi! (dose. Good Thoughts to Sunbeam r i\ ■ Wihoi. From SUNBEAM WATT IE. Te Namu. Dear Auntie and Uncles, —Greetings to you all. Welcome to our Circle. Wt - want all the Sunbeams we ( -an get I hope our Uncles will soon come bach ; to our Circle. There is a lovely sun set now, and 1 think it is going to b( a fine day to-morrow. I hope all the Sunbeams like their teacher, because I do. Good Thoughts to all the world, i From SUNBEAM LILY. Te Namu. Dear Aunt ami Uncles, —Good Thoughts to you all once more, especially to dear Te Wihoi. Good Thoughts also to Dr Gandhi and th? poor miners of South Africa. How I pity all the poor men who have to go down into the dark mines to work, more especially those who are forced to work under difficulties. Welcome, Sunbeam Maggie, to the Circle. We want all the Sunbeams we can get, so that wc can fill a whole page again. The Sunbeams must have been feeling very energetic then. Good Thoughts at nine, from SUNBEAM OLIVE. Te Namu. Dear Aunt Flora ami Uncles all, — Greetings! Greetings to you all. Good Thoughts to Te Wihoi and all the world. A hearty welcome to Sunbeam Maggie, and I hope she will write again. I am pleased to see our Blaketown Sunbeams writing once more. Where is Sunbeam Leila from Te Namu? She has not written since Christmas. Aunt Flora said we were a bright lot of sunshine, but I think we could do better; don’t you, Sunbeams? We had ten little pigs born on our farm last week. I am looking forward to Easter, for then we are having a picnic on the beach, ami I hope it will be fine. Well, Sunbeams, I think I will close now, From SUNBEAM MADGE. Te Namu. Dear Uncles and Aunt Flora, —Just a few lines to help our Sunbeam Page, as I notice it is small compared to what it used to be. Those Sunbeams who have not written for some time are sadly missed, especially dear Te Wihoi, and the Newton Flat Sunbeams and others who helped to swell the page. It is a golden opportunity for the young people to get in touch with one another and it gives them an idea of the conditions of life in other places. I send good thoughts to all

j those poor men in South Africa who I have had such a bad time againstCapitalist oppression. Also to Dr Gandhi and others who are suffering for I our sakes. Surely if we all unite and work hard the time will some when there will be no class wars and we will all be a large, happy family. If we all send good thoughts every d: v it will be doing something towards it. Now, Sunbeams, all try and till the page again. A GROWN-UP SUNBEAM.