SUNBEAM COLUMN.

Grey River Argus, 25 July 1923, Page 8

SUNBEAM COLUMN.

GOOD THOUGHTS TO ALL! GOOD THOUGHTS ALWAYS TO ALL THE WORLD. Dear Sunbeams.— How are you all this week? 1 hope you are all over the 'flu, and quite ready for all the tasks ahead of us. 1 saw Gladys today. She is now quite well, and ready for school again. I send good thoughts to all Sunbeams, sick and well, and I hope you will all make up your minds to write soon. Myrtle’s brother called to see how we all were keeping last week. I am sure ho thought to find us nil in bed, for he seemed surprised to know we had not yet had very much Jlu. T am very tired to-night, as i have worked very hard all day. and now I feel I must go to bed and sleep; but before I go I must, take my notes to the “Argus" for the printer tomorrow. I will give you sonic more of the Parable of the Water T; nk as follows:— “And the words of the agitators which they spake to the people were this-wisc: Ye foolish people, hov* long will ye be deceived by a lie, and believe, to your hurt, what is not? For behold, all these things that have been said unto you by the capitalists and by the soothsayers, are cunninglydevised fables. And likewise the holy men, who say that it is the- will of God that ye should always be poor and miserable, and athirst, behold, they do blaspheme God, and are liars, whom He will bitterly judge, though He will forgive all others! How cometh it that yo may not come by the water in the tank? Is it not because ye have no money? And why have ye no nicucy? Is it not because ye receive but one penny for every bucket that ye bring to the tank, which, is the maiket but must- Render two pcnlnips for every bucket- kc take out, so that the capitalists may have their profit? See ye not how, by this means, the tank must overflow, being filled up by that ye lack, and made to abound out of your emptiness? See ye not also that the harder ye toil, and the more diligently ye seek and bring the water, the worse, and not the better, shall it be for you by reason of the profit, and that for •ever?" After this manner spake the agitators for many days unto the people, but none heeded them, but it was so that after a, time the people hearkened, and they answered and said unto the agitators: “Yo say true? It is because of the capitalists and their profits that we want, seeing that, by reason of them and their profits, wo may by no means come by the fruit of our labour, so that our labour is in vain, and the more we toil to fill the tank, the sooner doth it overflow, and we may receive nothing, jthiejrc ip too much, according to the words of the soothsayers. But behold, the capitalists are hard men, and their tender mercies are cruel. Toll us if ye know any way whereby we may deliver ourselves out of our bondage unto them- But, if ye know of no certain way of deliverance, we beseech you to hold your peace, and let us alone, that wo may forget our misery. .And the agitators answered and said: “We knew a way. ’ •’ New, I ’ll tell you some more next week. I fhopcj all -are >vpll. Good thoughts to Uncle Ned, and Uncle Jim. and all Sunbeams. Good thoughts to you all. AUNT FLORA. Paroa. Dear Aunt Flora, — Good thoughts to you and all tire Sunbeams. I hope you did not get. tin 1 influenza. Auntie, or that you do not get it. It is a terrible thing, and seems to start so simply. It generally starts with a co'd. I was in bed for days, but. am glad to :sary 1 am all right again. I was very sorry that my letter was not among the rest last week, but never mind, 1 will make up for lost time in the future. Y-es, dear Dad, 1 remember those bright days very well, when every week we Sunbeams would try and fill up the whole page. I hope 1 your encouraging words will “wake up" some of the Sunbeams that used to write. My word, Atm tie, I do like reading the “Parable of the Water Tank," and every week I seem co gain the meaning of it. The Otira tunnel is near completion; and I was very sorry indeed when I heard that only people who were invited could be present at the official opening. I know that many more people disappointed also. Many of the girls were looking forward to going up to Otira on the excursion I will conclude now with good thoughts and love to little Myra, Uncle Teel, and all the world at nine.—Gladys. Some day we will have a Sunbeam picnic at the Tunnel, eh, Gladys. That would bo good, wouldn't it? I am glad you are over the ’flu, and I hope Ed tin is well also, now.—A.F. OMAHA G. Dear Aunt Flora,—This time I shall . tell you the kind of weather we arc having in Otago Central. Surely this must be one of the coldest places in New Zealand. We have been snowed fn for the past three weeks and it is still snowing. Whenever a little thaw sets in it snows again and makes things worse than ever, because the snow deepens, and daddy has to shovel it. away from the doors and paths. All the water service is frozen up, and the big vat which supplies the houses round about is frozen too, so wo have to carry the water up from the river. How would you like to live here, dear Aunt? For one thing you would see some pretty sight*, because every-

thing is snow-white. All the willow trees along the river-bank look like huge feathers anti the wifp-netting (wo all have wire-netting around the fences to protect our ground from the rabbits) looks like yards of fleecy white lace. Thon it is nice to see the trains coining along with their snowploughs in front of the engines, tearing through the snow and sending it flying right and left. In some places where the snow is feet deep, the engine leaves the train standing and runs along to clear the lino, then it comes back again and gets coupled on for the journey and that gives it a splendid start. We also sec the pathetic side of life too, because all the animals, especially the sheep are wandering about looking for food, and lots are dying of starvation and cold. I shall now finish with good thoughts, best wishes and love, to all the Sunbeams, yourself, dad. and our good uncles, —Snowdrop. ( Aged nine years.) 1 thank you for your letter. Snowdrop. I should like to see all the snow but it must be cold down there. Yes, ih-e poor animals feel it, don’t they? You have a fire to get warm by but they haven’t.—A.F. MATA MATA Dear Aunt Flora, —Greetings to all the Sunbeams. The wall shall be built up soon. I am very sorry my letters do not get published every week, but we have a long way to send them. Send my best wishes to poor Myra, and I hope she will soon be well. Wasn't that a dreadful disaster down the Main Trunk line? There were fifteen killed x and thirty injured. I was looking at the paper the other day. when I saw there was a dreadful accident in Roumania. There were sixty-three killed and two hundred injured. It is a dreadful thing to think about. We have had about four frosts and since then it has rained and rained. I wonder when Dad is coming to see us up here. Well, I must now conclude, —Olive. F. have published aIV letters so far received.. Olive. What, a long way up you live, and Snowdrop lives away in Otago Central, in such a cold place — A. F. SOUTH BEACH. Dear Aunt Flora, — Greetings and good thoughts to you and all Sunbeams. I thought I would write to your most wonderful column again. I have been very careless in not writing more often, but I love reading the Sunbeams’ letters and yours also Aunty There are several pupils away from our school with tire influenza, which is spreading round the district. I sec the Greymouth S-chool has closed today, and by the papers they have pneumonic influenza- in Christchurch which is very bad. I send good thoughts to all sufferers for a quick recovery. Well, dear Aunt Flora, I will conclude with good thoughts to all the world, from —Sleepy Head. You have been living up io your nom-de-plume. I hope you are awake and write often. —A.F. South Beach. Dear Aunt Flora, —Greetings to you and all Sunbeams. T see our column has decreased this week, no doubt on account of the ’flu, which is raging around us so badly. 1 wish all sufferers a speedy recovery to good health. We are all well at our place so far. ami I hope we escape the ’flu. Well, dear Aunt Flora, wasn’t that a dreadful accident up at the Main Trunk Line? l„send all relatives my sincere sympathy. Well, dear Auntie, we will soon have the Otira Tunnel opened ami won’t it be so nice to go to Christchurch so quickly. I see we are not allowed to go, as all children cannot go because the head ones are going to it. I am trying to got Sleepy Head to write again to our column. I hope Sunbeams Gladys and Edna will soon be better. I will now conclude with love andx good thoughts to all the world. SUNBEAM BERYL. How lucky you are, Beryl. I wish I could say that. I thank you for encouraging Sleepy Head. All arc want cd.—A.F. Dear Aunt Flora ; —Greeting and good thoughts always. Good thoughts to little Myra. Come on Uncle, can’t you spare a little of your time. Auntie and all your Sunbeams are expecting a letter, but we have not had any luck yet. Isn’t the ’flu very prevalent at present, Auntie? I see where the State School has closed for a while. We have not had it, and don’t want it either. I am sorry that Gladys ha? got the ’flu, and hope she will soon be better again. Good thought to her. Te Wihoi must be having her sleep while Dad is doing his share. Our column was not quite so large last week, but, never mind, I suppose the Sunbeams have got the ’flu, so they arc forgiven. Well. I must now conclude, as it is getting late. Good thoughts to all. / MYRTLE. lam glad you came. Myrtle. I hope you never get the ’flu, as it is not nice to have it. —A.F. To Naniu. Doer Aunt Flora, —Good thoughts to you, to Sunbeam Myra, and to all the Sunbeams who are down with the’flu. The sickness has not reached here yet, and we dun’t wish it to. I was sorry I did not write last week, but I was away from home, otherwise I would have written. Thanks very much, Eddie and Jack for those nice books you •tent me. I am sure it was very nice of you to think of me. Good thoughts to all our Sunbeams. Come on, Sunbeams, and write to our j>aper. I am sure Auntie and >ad feel down-hearted at times. Cheer

up, Sunbeams, and send your g-oocl thoughts to Sunbeam Myra and Uncle Ted. MADGE. I hope your cheery words will help all those who do not write. Madge, I hope the ’flu does not get as far as your place.—A.F. Westland. Dear Aunt Flora?— Love ami good thoughts to all. Dear Sunbeams, this week Dad had so much to say that he had to give it up, anyway, this is a very busy week, and so we will content ourselves with sending good thoughts everywhere. Dear- little Sun beam Myra, there are hearts aching for you. We want to see you well and able to enjoy life. Cheer up, dear one. Let us know are you getting better Dear Olive, your old Uncle sends you all his love and best wishes. Keep right on, dear one. Good thoughts to all those who are sick and in trouble. DAD. Dad, again to the fore. I thank von. -A.F. , Millerton. Dear Aunt Flora.—Greeting and good thoughts to you, Auntie, to Uncle Ted, Dad and Te Wihoi. I send good thoughts to our little Myra also, and do, hope we will hear good news of her soon. Out Dad is good, Auntie, he forgets no one. My Muni is very ill with the ’flu, so Jack and I have to help Dad do the work. I hope you do not get it Auntie, or our poor old Dad. I do not know' what will become of our Corner. Mum says the ’flu is awful this time, and it is very prevalent up here. Our doctor must be getting very tired. I hope the fine weather drives it all away. Good thought to all the world. EDDIE. T hope your mother is bettor by now' Eddie. T send her good thoughts. T have it, I think, but not very bad. 1 thank you for your wishes. —A.F.