SUNBEAM COLUMN

Grey River Argus, 22 July 1922, Page 8

SUNBEAM COLUMN

Greetings to Uncle Ted! Good thoughts to all the world! Good thoughts to a:l {Sunbeams! I once more stood on a railway station waiting for a train to come in. that was to bring to me a brother who had been away five long years. Th« train seemed so long in coming; in lad 1 felt it would not come. Oh! When it did come! Then the meeting! 1 clasped his hand and our tears fell in t trrents—not witlh soriow but with yes’ 1 cried for Joy. and 1 must tell you what he said. “It is worth fuming home; i’. i- worth it every time.” He had come from half away a ross ili • world, whit her he was driven by Militarism because he would not be a soldier; and he came home to sec us Ml. ’I lia i is just hov. I felt w hen 1 picked up the “Argus” and read that 1 mde Ted iiad com? back to see us all. he came home to see his Sumboni.,s and 1 am sure the Sunbeam* wi'l make his welcome a ringing one. I want every Sunbeam to write ••i.i.i ’ di us how glad they are that Un- ‘ Ted has come. 1 shall leave this o.'k and next week for rejoicings and th ■ . I will want you all again. Now please do not forget to write and tell I'm.- Ted how delighted you arc that ■ 1 las i i no. And to think that our dearest and most loved Sunbeam To Wihoi was not with us. When Uncle i; vr ,• I felt the brick hole and was sorry you were not with us, but • will get your rejoicings 1 am sure. I want to thank you all little Sun beams for your persistent appeals to

Uncle Ted, but do not drop out now. Let us away to our next work and there is quite a lot. But let us first of all rejoice and be happy over our win. J want to tell you little ones that to Te Wihoi and her alone belongs all the thanks for getting our Uncle back. Was it not she who stated it, and was it net she who persistently pleaded and begged Uncle Ted to write for us to keep her. She is responsible, so let us thank her one and all. I am sure To Wihoi has rejoiced us over and over ami over again for bringing her back. Now little ones; our first rejoicing was our dear one coming back and now our dear one bringing Uncle Ted back. Oh, its good to be alive. Thump, thump, thump went every little heart. 1 am sure, as they read Uncle Ted’s letter full of love and appreciation of our dearest Sunbeam Te Wihoi. Who can deny that good thoughts do not con quer after all? I must first of all extend a hearty welcome to our three new Sunbeams—Tui, Eva and Godfrey—a hundred thousands welcomes dear ones. Keep on writing; the more the merrier. 1 am sure you will all nr kc good Sunbeams. Your little incident of the form dear Edna was very good; it gave you pleasure 1 am sure to find wee Ivy’s ball eh. Your smilt? raiser was good. 1 quite enjoyed it; there was a lot of sense in it. You will be doubly pleased Rose with Undo Ted coming back. T th l , ught I could sec you and your calf Jim. I am sure you love all animals. I am glad you passed Tui. Nov? that the exam is over you will write <d!tvn. Your letter arrived too late Annie; but you had the honour of having the two of them right beside our dear Uncle Ted's. You can bet on it. Hazel dear, old D: d and Te Wihoi will help n all

they can. Look what To Wihoi ha; done by getting our Unde Ted to write to us. Ought we not feel proud of her Your wish came true Madge. I’mli Ted was there sure enough-. Our <!<••• Sunbeam Kate, I send you my gooc thoughts and I thank you very mud for writing to us. With people like yoi the making of the world better would be sure an easy task, but we have sc few who wish to help us destroy cap italism and all its aims against human ity !' .- t nt times, our task appears hope less but we struggle on. Only think of it. Our dear Unde Ted came to see us last wook and we are all so happy. Dear T’lvina, keep on encouraging your brothers to write and then we will have another Sunbeam and that is what Aunt Flora loves. Do not let it be so long before you write again Edna, will you. Somdhiivs Irone I do feel a chilly breeze when the bricks are not there. I van hear you saying “please come back Undo Ted we all love you.” That was just lovely and Aunt Flora is proud of Jack. You had a good afternoon at the sea Gladys. I should love to sec you and Edna Tn the foam; you did have fun I’ll bet. I shall post you your card Eva; I hope your dear mother is now quite well; I send her my good thoughts. I am sure you know Eddie that were all the birds to die ourplanto and trees would die too for the bird* eat the insects and so are of use. 1 can picture all the To Namu Sunbeams last Monday when the “Argus” ar rived. I am sure Lily you -were excited ; nd delighted too. I hope you take the chance often dear Loveday, for I like to hear from you. I hope the day will come. Maggie, when men like Debs will ride the world. Everyone loves Debs because he is brimful of love. * : ood thoughts to all the world. Greet ings. AUNT FLORA. Hooray! Hooray! Sunbeams listen! Once there was a very learned man who poked fun at our Sunbeam Column. He was a nice man. He is a nice man. He is the father of nice children. But he poked fun at our Sunbeam Column. This nice learned man was and is the Editor of a nice paper. But he poked fun at our Sunbeam Column and now listen Sunbeams! Put your little noses down close to tho paper and hear mo whisper. I have got some black plates home. They are round and they have got some funny little scratches on them. And when 1 put a needle in an arm of a hiarhne and whizz the plates round, I can hear a dog bark, or Madam Melba sing or some big man recite. So get a needle Sunbea if. Put tl • u< adle ( n these funny little scratches and you will see the point. He poked fun at onr Sun be- m Column. Ami now Sunbeams! Ami now Sunbeam.\! Such fun, such fun. He has started a Sunbeam Column in his own paper. Oh; semi him good thoughts Sunbeams. To-morrow at nine Semi the Editor of the “Sun” Christchurch good thoughts. Good thoughts at nine. And why not write and congratulate him. A\ e can’t have too manv Sunbeams, and it is a compliment to us Sunbeams. Semi him good thoughts. On a post-card. Ami now Sunbeams Uncle Ted cannot write every week. But he wdl ■write .some weeks. Next y " '■ - will 1 • ome stori ■- about Parliament. Send good thoughts Sun beams. To all the the world. UNCLE TED. South Beach. Dear Aunt Flora.—T am writing to you, to see if T may become one of your little Sunbeams. [ have been taking an interest, in reading other Sunbeams letters. Sunbeams Gladys and Edna were

great school mates of mine last year. W’e arc having our examination this week and 1 hope our school teacher has a good pass. 1 have a sister Beryl who will soon become one of your Sunbeams. J think I will now conclude with good thoughts to To Wihoi, Lucies Ned and led and Dad and all the Sunbeams. Good thoughts to ail. Greeting and love. From SUNBEAM MYRTLE. Dear Aunt Flora.—Good thoughts to you and Lucie Ted, Dad, To Wihoi and all Sunbeams, and welcome to Godfrey and Eva. 1 should like to hear more about, your calf Jimmie. 1 have no pets only a cat. I wonder if the other Jack has any pets to tell us about. Te Wihoi, arc you happy now, I guess so. Good thoughts to all Sunbeams. JACK. Millerton. Dear Aunt Flora.—Good thoughts at nine to you Auntie and Uncle Ted. Good thoughts, and welcome back to our corner once mon?. Good thoughts to Dad and l’e \\ ihui and Sunbeam Kate and all those dear to her, good thoughts 1 L guess Auntie, that man who called on Dad was sorry he had done so, I think we should all send him good thoughts and he might feel better. What a loveiy lot of letters Auntie last week Oh, you will be happy now, To Wihoi; you see our dear old Uncle was ill and we send you lots of love and good thoughts Uncle Ted to keep you well, and hope some day you will be able to come end see us ail. Good thoughts to all Sunbeams and to that man who tried to rob us of our Dad. Good thoughts to him and I hope ho will learn to live for love and write to us also. Good thoughts to all the world. SUNBEAM EDDIE. Paroa. My Dear Auntie, Uncles and Sunbeams all.—Welcome Sunbeams Tui, Godfrey, and Eva to our Column. Dear Sunbeam Tui, 1 was very pleased to see that you had started to write, and you made no mistake when you said that we were old chums of yours. Dear Sunbeams, a letter from Uncle Ted last week. I was very pleased to see that he had not forgotten us, and the “Sunbeam Column.” Dear Te Wihoi I was very sorry at not seeing a letter from you, but I suppose you were ill or some thing else the matter with you; but I nope that you will write this week t will draw this short letter to a close as it is late. I will close now with good thoughts to all the world. From SUNBEAM GLADYS. Millerton. Dear Aunt Flora.—Greetings to cverj body. How pleased we were to set a nice letter from dear Uncle Ted. 1 am sure wo all forgive him for his seeming neglect but we understand how busy ho has been. What a nice lot of new Sunbeams wo have. M? Auntie brought me some nice plasticint from Westport on Saturday. It’s jolly stuff. My mum and I did some mod ■oiling last night, but were were no' very successful. I was sorry Wattii killed birds dear Aunt Flora. I have killed one bird. It was about twe years ago. It was a little lark, mum

used to feed it and it got very tami and one day I threw a ston-c and killer it. We were all sorry when the lark died, I throw stones now, but I only frightin the birds. I hope you will ex cuse me for not writing lately. I am lazy. Good thoughts to everybody and to dear old Dad too. TOMMY, (aged seven years). Westland. My Dear Aunt Horn, Uncles, and Sunbeams, —Greetings to you all. Mj dear ones all. joy, joy, nothing but joy. Nothing but cheers and bon fires will meet, the case. Our deal Cncle Ted, is ours still. He has told us himself, and Te Wihoi is now sat isfied. No ma*ter now my dear Uncle Ted. should I never hear from you again I know that you are ours, and Te Wihoi is your little' singing bird still. How I wish to say much more, but space will not allow it this time. 1 have got something to tell that should have been told last week, but like some others, I missed tho bus. Here it is, dear ones all: I went up to the farm to pay my Dad a visit, and while there, ho told me a most pitiful story, here it is in his own words: “Oh girlie, last Saturday night 1 had a most dreadful experience, *t eight o’clock 1 was sitting here by th* lire when all of a sudden Dick began to bark, and that being unusual, I went to the door, but scarcely had 1 opened it when 1 heard the 'most heart-rend-ing cries from two little ones. The cries seemed to come from the swamp away beyond the tall white pine buSii. When [ heard the cries my heart almost leapt into my mouth; they sounded so terrifying and mournful, I slipped on my boots, and off up the paddock at top speed, keeping close along tho lino of ’.all trees. When 1 got to what I thought far enough. 1 stopoo 1 to listen; yes there could be no mistake the little ones must bo out in the swamp, and now, foolish like, instead of going away back, anti following up -the creek. I struck a line to fairly cros? the line of bush. The moon was Alining brightly, I thought it would r>: alright, in fact. I gave little thought to anything but the poor kiddies; how they may be freezing to death, however on I went, and very soon had to pay for my folly. When I got to where the trees are tallest, everything but away high overhead was in total darkness',' and worse still, the cries had now ceased, and J got into water-holes, and in my floundering round about I also lost mv bearings. How long 1 was in this fixture is quite beyond me to tellit must have been for hours. I had come to a standstill, but long 1 dared not stand, it was freezing hard, and bitterly cold, and 1 wet to the skin. At last, I made up my mind, come of it what may. 1 would go in a certain direction. but just then the cries came once more. This time from behind me, Oh. I was glad, and now, for the first time. I answered he cries; for a while I kept on calling back: "‘I am coining little ones, cheer up;” an' -bon tho . lies ecas.-d again. 1 thought 1 must have frightened the little ones, but no matter, f emild keep my course now. The trees too. were becoming ever lower, and then, oil joy. I heard water running not far away: it must be varils, ami 1 was standing on the bank of the creek, oh, it was fine, everywhere bright, as day, and just then, ah, more joy, the cries came again, this the creek, 'and if was. A few more lime from down stream, not not far away. I emihl now run right through the scrub, in my mind’s eye 1 had the little one- already wrapped up in blankets before a roaring fire. I hud them in the eart taking them home. Oh, I felt glad, no matter now about

. all my past misery, and so I kept run- . uiiig on, when suddenly 1 came out in the. open on the farm, and right there in front of m? behind a rush bush sat two cats lighting. I took no notice; 1 could not, nor would not believe it. 1 called out “Where are you little Qiies, don’t be afraid.” But all to no purpose, and then 1 ;’’might back on it all. By no stretch « imagination could I persuade myself i .1 what those cues had come from human little ones, and so quite dejected, worn out. and weary, I made for home. When I came inside it was a quarter past twelve. .1. had been away four hours, and the lire being black out, 1 changed clothes and went to bed, but never got a wink of sleep. thinking, thinking, thinking. Jus’, think of it, girlie, several times 1 was on lhc point of collapse, so completely was I exhausted, and it was so bitterly cold. Had I stood still only for a few minutes it would have been the last of me, and then, the whole community would be out searching, but no one. would seek in the bush and swamp, I would have remained a mystery for many years, and then there would be,the mysteries to solve of what happened, and what brought me there! So it may be us well 1 am here to tell what might have been. Good thoughts to Uncle Ted, Aunt Kate, and all the Sunbeams. From SUNBEAM TE WIHOI. P.S.—Oh you naughty Aunt Flora whatever made you say all that? It was your duty to check me even if you only thought that I was overstepping ’.he mark. You arc a dear good Auntie anyhow.—S.T. PRESTON ROAD. Dear Aunt Flora and Uncle Ted. — Just a few lines to send good thoughts to all Sunbeams, to Dad, Te Wihoi, and Mum. You must excuse a short letter from us this week, Aunt Flora, as we ha\o been shifting. We are both going to send a long letter next week. With good thoughts to all the world and the poor Russians. —From, SUNBEAMS ANNIE AND HAZEL.