BY THE WAY.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 235, 15 December 1888, Page 3

BY THE WAY.

What a brilliant idea that was for the Sehool children writing to the Committee requesting ffn extension of their Christmas holiday, on the ground that they had been defrauded of some of their usual holidays ! I wonder what boy or girl it was who suggested the application. Such a boy deserves well of his school I know if I wore a pupil in that school, I should feel inclined to get up a testimonial a >d present the b<»y with a bag of marbles ; or, better still, a Christmas cake. If I were a teacher, I should make him an especial favorite. But supposing the request had not been granted, what would have been the result ? Would the pupils have resorted to the old-fashioned “ barring out ” or would they have adopted the modern and more fashionable strike? Goodness gracious, fancy a whole school out on strike! The school closed! Othello’s occupation gone! Ignorance becomes rife and larrikinism the order of the day ! The case is full of possibilities, and we should be extremely grateful to the School Committee for foreseeing and averting such a state of things. And now you’ve got your holidays, I hope, boys and gir-s, you will enjoy them, and I wish you all—-teachers as well—A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Germany seems to be reaping a bloody harvest in South Africa, and it will be well if England is not drawn into the difficulty. The property of the recently formed East African Company is not far distant from the scene of the conflict. The Sultan of Zanzibar is the nominal suzerain of some thousand miles of African coast line and extending inland for some ten miles. By a secret agreement with France and Great Britain, Germany has ceded to it about five hundred miles between the river Rovuma and Mount Kilimanjaro,extending inland to the borders of the Free Congo State. The English territory lies close by, running due noith to the river Tana, two hundred miles inwards to Lake Victoria Nyanza. Close by dwell the native free tribes of Amatonga and Swaziland. Great Britain has, in conjunction with Germany, already embarked in a cruise against the slave trade, which has of late assumed large proportions and to cope with which the Sultan was quite powerless. It is not altogether improbable that she may have to d. fend her possessions, for since the natives b.j.:ume embroiled with the Germans, other Europeans are not looked upon with favor.

In reading the account of the Port Chalmers episode, which appeared in Saturday’s Standard, I could not help being struck with the fact that the Port Chalmers people, departing from the usual custom, saw or thought they saw a resemblanoe in the child to a man not the legal husband of the mother, I confess, myself, to having often been guilty of a “ pious fraud ” in pretending to soe in the red putty faced babe, the exact picture of papa or the very image of its dear mamma. What always staggers me is to find, when asked, any particular feature that corresponds to of the fine manly gentleman or the finely cut features of the handsome lady. But I have only followed in the footsteps of hundreds of others who are just as guilty as I am. There just recurs to my mind an anecdote which shows that even judicial minds will err in this respect, so how can us poor mortals be blamed for making mistakes at times? All those who have read “ dergeaut Ballantyne’i Experiences ” must remember the story’ to which I refer.

The Sergeant wac engaged in a criminal case which necessitated an enquiry as to whether his client was the father of a certain infant. The evidence was pretty strong against the assumption and Ballantyne felt certain of a verdict in his client’s favor. What was his surprise then to hear the judge de;ermine against him ? Afierwards the judge met Ballantyne and sanh referring to the case: “You made a good speech and I was inclined to decide in your favor, but you know I am a bit of a naturalist, and while you were speaking I’was comparing the child with your client, and there could ba no mistake the likeness between the two was most striking.” “ Why, good heavens 1” said the astonished Sergeant, “ my client was never m the Court. The person you saw was the attorney’s clerk !” Aud such proved to be the case. The Sergeant does not say what came of the unfortunate mistake, but we may rest assured the judge would not again be in a hurry to draw resemblances.

A correspondent has sent me a cutting from a paper which, as it is headed Bow Street, I presume is an English paper. Apparently my remarks anent the credit system have enlisted his sympathy, and he desires to have it made known that the creditor does not always coma off victorious. Perhaps he has a grudge against creditors. The cuiting contains a report of a case' in which a m m summoned his creditor for abusive and insulting behaviour. It was admitted that the defendant went up to the informant in the street and said to him, “ Pay me what you owe me,” and touched him on the back. The touch on the back and the demand for payment was all that was really proved, and the Magistrate said it was quite enough. He read the Act of Parliament referring to the matter, which spoke of using “ threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior with intent to provoke a breach of the peace, etc.” He was of opinion that such conduct came under the meaning of abusive and insulting behaviour, and he would inflict a penalty of one shilling and casts. Let this be a warning.to importunate creditors.

When Gladstone introJueed his Home* Rule policy his henchman John Bright fell away from h;s allegiance. Over and over again the G.O.M. lamented the estrangement, and in all the letters and speeches which the political exigencies have called forth he has never, mentioned “ good John Bright’s ” name but in respectful terms. The Apostle of Peace has not been so thoughtful, and allowed himself at times to be led away by his feelings. The reconciliation of two such old friends, although political enemies, is a touching spectacle. The Home Rule campaign has got iffkeh to answer for. Even Bright’s son has fallen into the hands of the “ rebels,” and is in political antagonism to his father, while another father wrote to certain electors protesting against hh son’s candidature I

I am not fond of horrers, nor do I believe in pandering to -the tastes of those who revel in them. Still I cannot refrain from expressing my abhorrence of the diabolical Waipiro tragedy. No satisfactory theory aa to the cause of the murder appears to be forthcoming, There are seme who believe that no Maori was even concerned in the affair. They base thia belief on the superstitious horror the natives have of coming in contact with human blood and their great dread of getting it bespattered on their clothes. Some colour is given to this by the remarkable fact that in all former murders in this district the gun has been the instrument used to do the deed. In Rowland’s case, however, when the gun failed he fell back upon the axe. Rowland was a half caste. In this case it was upon a half caste that suspicion first fell. It is possible that the whiter blood in the half caste veins has thia wonderful effeet, and that whilst the Maori is abandoning the use of the tomahawk his whiter brother is con* verted by anger or revenge into a savage.

What a brave woman Mrs Pook must have been. In spite of her strange presentiments, she stuck manfully to her husband till the last. Many another woman would have become afraid, and would never have rested till her husband had sent her to some safe place. Not so Mrs Pook, however. Many a day must she have been alone dreading that something, she knew not what, would happen either to her husband or herself, with no white people near at hand. The position in which the bodies were found show that even in she was a brave and noble woman and that could her weak efforts have been of any avail her husband's life would have been preserved. Who knows but that she had ample warning •nd could have escaped if she would. I feel sure that when the ghastly tale is told, if ever it should, it will pay a tribute to the self sacrifice of a wonderful woman. I knew none of the parties, but from what { have beard of them, they were kind and*inoffensive people, and had not Providence willed otherwise, their pioneering work on the East Coast would have had good results. It is sad to find them out off thus early, but H Those whom God loves die youfig.”