SUNBEAM COLUMN

Grey River Argus, 6 May 1922, Page 8

SUNBEAM COLUMN

..Greetings and Good thoughts to all. Good thoughts to Te Wihoi and Dad. Good thoughts to the man who told the “Vag> s Understudy” he had come to the wrong house. Good thoughts to the publican who refused to give even | a penny to the hungry children of Rus- I sia. “I was hungry and you gave me not to eat. I was thirsty and you gave ma not to drink.” Send out good thoughts, Sunbeams, to those hard hearts who may never know what it is to be hungary. Are they as far fi’om this earth that a good thought could not reach them ? Hammer away at the door of their hearts and perhaps a ray of love may get in somewhere. Good thought to those who are trying to collect funds for the hungry children of Russia. 1 am sure that if we could look into the heart of one little Russian that was saved from death we ' would never stop being happy. Think of it, Sunbeams; why, my eyes fill up and I could shout out for joy: “One dear little life saved: one little child to live.” If you sec a man or woman coming along the street to-day selling flowers and asking for money for Russia’s children, smile and give your best. Aunt Flora went to the Pantomime on Tuesday last, and oh, it was just a glorious sight. A hall full of crildrcn —full of sunshine, full of mirth. I did not enjoy the pantomime one bit, but I enjoyed the children. As I sat there looking down on nearly a thousand happy faces I felt sad, for I thought of millions of little ones just as they in front of me who would at the very hour have hied of hunger in Russia, because cruel capitalism wrought on them such ruin. I should/ were I capable, have liked every litle child at that pantomime to have given his or her 1/1 to Russia’s children, and I am sure the joy of one hundred rescued little ones would not fit into one Opera House. Not ten of them—not a thousand of them. So you got a surprise to know that Aunt Flora was really in Greymouth. Keep on Annie. Yes, Eddie, I am sure Uncle Ned and Uncle Ted never miss our page — no matter how busy they are. Some day we may be surprised by a letter from them both. Keep sending them good thoughts; that’s what brings them. If you do come to Greymouth, Jack, you can easily see Aunt Flora Just ask Uncle Jim and he will tell you where I live. Uncle Jim will be only too pleased to show you how your letters arc printed. Yes, Gladys, there are a lot of Sunbeams in the world, and some of the very best are Aunt Flora’s Sunbeams. I. wish you every good luck, Mary. You are a good sunbeam and you will bring joy to some poor hungry child over there. Think of the joy of saving one life. I hope you collect quite a lot of money. I wish you a happy birthday Hazel, and some day 1 hope to have your letter too. I am glad Annie was pleased. Good thoughts to everybody everywhere, from AUNT FLORA Dear Aunt Flora, I am very late with my letter this week, but I believe I have time to send you good thoughts; and all Uncles and Sunbeams; and to our dear To Wihoi and Dad. They need our good thoughts. I send you love and good thoughts, Dad, and so does mum, too send you and To Wihoi and Aunt Flora her love and good thoughts always. We had a holiday on May Day and had good fun riding around the hall on sacks while the men pulled them to polish the floor for a dance—and the funds were to go to the Russian Famine Fund. I hope they get lots of money. I wonder what is the matter with all our Newton Flat Sunbeams? I think mum said we had to send good thoughts to some man who keeps a pub and refused to help the starving chilren. The Vag’s Understudy wrote about him. You know he would get no return from starving children, but he would from footballers and sporting mon. Good thoughts to all from—SUNBEAM EDDIE. Westland, April 29. My dear Aunt Flora, Uncles and Sunbeams, Greetings to you all; Greetings from a returned prodigal! My dear ones all; Although 1 could have wished that you would have all forgotten me, the strain has become too overwhelming. Every time any one of you dear ones make mention of the little name “Te Wihoi” a stab goes to my heart, crying out: “guilty, guilty!” Yes, truly, and in the face of all your kind words I feel to be, as it were, the prisoner at the bar. “Condemned by all.” Ami yet, dear ones in the face of it all I plead not guilty. There are circumstances do appear at times over which we little ones have absolutely no control, and it is here that I take shelter. As to what those circumstances really are, that must of course remain a secret of the prison house. My dear ones all: our dear farm (that was) is ours no longer; it has passed into other hands, but my poor old Dad is still there, and likely to be for a while longer. Yesterday, I went away out to pay him a visit. H-e was very pleased to see me, but so changed. We had much quiet talk, and, although Dad knows all, he asked did I not wish to write again. “Listen,” he said, “how the little ones are calling! Are you not going to answer them? See the example you are setting, others to break away!” And look little ones, the stab of guilty was even there :;t my elbow. Yes, Te Wihoi, must write to her dear little comrades sometimes. There arc some true Sunbeams among

them —yes and many also, like Te Wihoi, taking shelter behind circumstances; but it won’t do. We have now got a jewel for an Auntie, so my Dad tolls me. He says she is the “queen of queens,” that we have to encircle her with letters of love, not only sometimes, but every week and always. How will poor Te Wihoi get on with that shelter in her way We shall sec; may be have it destroyed utterly. Oh, you dear little mother, you arc indeed able to soften a heart of stone, as my poor old Dad says of you: “That dear soul’s every sentiment is ever coloured with truth and love.” Greetings to you dear one, may peace and happiness be ever yours! And you, my brave Eddie, «arc you listening. Never heed praise further than to seek in your own heart if all that is said of you be really true, and should you find yourself wanting, try to make up the balanc-c. You have been a brave and ' true Sunbeam always, try to keep going. And you, my dear little Jack, of Millerton were you with the othcis calling for Te Wihoi? She is here little ones; she has come to visit you at last. Greetings to you all! Dear ones, how line it would be to name you all but see where it would land me! Love and good thoughts to you all. From TE WIHOI. Blaketown. Dear Aunt Flora.—Greetings and goqd thoughts to all; also to the poor little Russians, to Dad and to all those that kindly subscribed to the Russian Famine Relief Fund, and all those that didn’t. We have got a lovely lot of letters this week, and I hope that all Sunbeams will keep on writing, and keep our Column going. Dear Aunt, I had a lovely Australian parrot. He was so tame we never used to cage him up and he used to go about anywhere around the yard, until the other day a cruel dog came in the yard and killed him. I miss him very much, for he was a lovely pct. I have buried him in the garden, and J have put some nice white stones around his grave. Yes, Jack, it would be ii.ee if you could walk in and see our dear Auntie, and the wonderful machin *ry working. It would do you good. I must close now with good thoughts to all the world at nine. SUNBEAM ANNIE. To Namu. Dear Uncles and Auntie.—Greetings Io all the world at nine. A hearty welcome to our four new Sunbeams. If every Sunbeam was to write we would surely fill a page; dont you think so Sunbeams? It is a miserable day to-day; it hasn’t stopped raining since this morning. We all went to the sports on Easter Monday and had a lovely time. It was not a very nice /day because the sun was not shining, 'and it began to rain in the aftct:.o?n, but all the same we managed to enjoy ourselves fairly well. It is lovojy 1o see some new Sunbeams coming along to take the place of the old ones who have grown tired of writing. Well, Sunbeams, I will close now with good thoughts to Te Wihoi. SUNBEAM, MADGE. To Namu. Dear Auntie and Sunbeams. —Greetings once more. Welcome to all the new Sunbeams. Welcome to Sunbeam Willie and Winnie. I hope you keep on writing, Willie, for we want s<me more boys in the Column. I am st.ll looking for the letter from Te 'Wihoi, and I hope it’ is not long before she tells us some more about the farm. ? send good thoughts to her every day. Good thoughts to all the world. From SUNBEAM WATTIE. To Namu. Dear Aunt Flora, Uncles and Sunbeams. —Good thoughts to all the world. Greetings to all our new Sunbeams. How nice it is to sec new Sunbeams rolling up all the time. I am still living in hopes of seeing a letter from Te Wihoi one of these days. I am sure she will soon write if we all keep on sending her good thoughts. Sunbeam Kia Ora said in her last letter that if there was a God, wouldn’t he help the poor suffering Russians? But she must forget that there is one called Hute or Satan who is equally as powerful as that one called Love or God L expected to sec far more letters on what a Sunbeam should be; than what there were; but I suppose That, although they know in their minds what a Sunbeam should be, they find it hard to express it in words. Well Sunbeams; good bye for the present. Good thoughts to all the starving Russians from, SUNBEAM O'JVU. To Namu. Dear Auntie and Uncles all. —Greetings to von. and the Sunbeams. I am glad my little friend Winnie Ims become a Sunbeam, and I hope she often writes. I was sorry to see one of Dad’s lovely pigs dead this morning when J got up. Good thoughts io one dear Te Wihoi, Good thoughts io rtll the world at nine. From SUNBEAM EDD Westland. My dear Auntie, Uncles and Sunbeams. —Greetings to you all from Dad. My dear little Sunbeam Annie, do you reall mean it, were you truly pleased to see 16 letters'? And further, do you really hope our page of letters will grow every Saturday? According to your past record, dear one, Dad feels himself quite safe in answering all these questions by saying, “yes timely’’ the dear Sunbeams is quite sincere. But dear one, look at the number who have said all that you have said, some have even gone so far as

to tell us they intend to write regularly every week bilt were never heard of again, and others not for months after, and yet all these little ones signed themselves as Sunbeams. Now, it is well known that a Sunbeam is something very bright, and shinning, too bright for the human eyes to look at, don’t you thing dear one, there is a mistake somewhere? Dad can see no brightness in such conduct, he is beginning to feel suspicious, h-e is beginning to think all such little ones are being paid by the grab-it-alls for the purpose of causing ructions in our little fold. My dear one, Dad, has much more to say, only he feels sure, many true Sunbeams will want to make , this a Jubilee Saturday, so we will leave it at that. Farewell for another week, love and good thoughts to you all. From DAD. Millerton. Dear Aunt Flora.—Greetings and good thoughts to all. How nice the Column is getting! So full of good thoughts. I am sure some one 'must reap the benefit sometimes. I must thank Dad for his kind letters, send him good thoughts every morning, and 1 hope his trouble may soon pass over I am sorry for the poor Russian people, Aunt Flora, and I do hope they will soon get some relief. My mum says Russia is a brave country and the people should not be alloyed to Gie just because a few people do not hold in with their Government. Now good thoughts to dear Te Wihoi. I am sure 1 when she reads so many nice letters l in the Column she must feel better. Good thoughts to Uncles and Auntie and fellow ■ Sunbeams. SUNBEAM TOMMY. Millerton. Dear Aunt Flora. —Good thoughts to you Auntie, and to all our Uncles and to our Te Wihoi and Sunbeams; all good thoughts. I am so sorry about our dear old Dad. What can be wrong? I am sure he will son be better if good thoughts will cure him. I send love and good thoughts to him, and so does Mum. I enclose 2/6 for the Russian Famine Fund. With good thoughts. From SUNBEAM JACK. (Aunt Flora thanks Sunbeam Jack for his kindness in sending 2/6 for the children). Blaketown. Dear Auntie and Uncles. —Greetings to you all; greetings to the poor Russians. I just love reading Auntie’s and Dad’s letters. I was very pleased to see another Sunbeams letter in from Blaketown, and it was Sunbeam Mary’s Wo have just had our first term exam, and we have not been told whether we have passed or not yet. I am sorry to hear that they did not hold May Day on Monday, but they had a dance at the night. Dear Auntie, please excuse a small letter this week as I did not have much time to write it. I will close now with good thoughts to all the wrold at nine. From SUNBEAM HAZEL. Mananui. Dear Auntie and Uncles, —Greetings to you and all the Sunbeams. This is my first letetr to this wonderful column. I have always taken a groat interest in reading the other Sunbeams’ letters. Every week I look forward to the “Argus.” I am 13 years old, and I am in Standard V. I was very sorry when 1 heard about Te Wihoi, and I hope she will soon be writing again. This is a very short letter this week. I think I will close now, with good I thoughts to all the world. From SUNBEAM ROSE.