EAST COAST LETTER.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 381, 23 November 1889, Page 2

EAST COAST LETTER.

[FBOM OUB OWN COBBESPONDENT.j Pray sit by us, and toll’s a tale, Xorry, or sad, shall it bo ? As merry as you will. Wixtbii‘B Talk.— Jupiter Pluvius still in the ascendant. ” Water, water everywhere,” and Crawford's beer to drink; being altogether a decided improvement upon the ’< situation ’’ as described by “ Ye Ancient Mariner,” who also suffered from a redundancy of aqueous fluid — salt in his case, fresh in ours; but wet, very wet, in both instances. We also have the Pacific handy, but don’t trouble it as a beverage, any more than be did, more especially as the XXX before mentioned is quite as handy at Connelly’s, vice White promoted. We have also just now, a few million tons of the perfectly fresh (as the Auckland fish hawkers say) element, at any body's behest who will take it away. Pristine puddles have been resuscitated, soft spots (alas!) made softer, and our “ labyrinthine sloughs ” have degenerated into their wonted abyesmal fathomleesness. Eheu | If now I might only just have a slap at the C—-, but I mustn’t; 1 only quote A Tramp Esq., when he eaifl between Kawakawa and Hicks Bay that members of—Lord there J am again—ought to be put oh the roads themselves. He meant the County Roads,—l shouldn’t be eo particular,—l should say any roads, under proper superintendence. (Twig ?) This is the festive season along the Coast, when after a few days' ehearing, we have had about three weeke’ rain, aqd still 11 the rain, it' raineth every day.” Bosses, shepherds'of high and low degree, roustabouts, and the ovine fraternity generally lounge about looking as amiable, as the skipper ot a sailing ship with a head wind. Even the docile sheep dogs, limp, washed out, and bedraggled looking, are not to be trusted, but snarl and turn away, or worse, if you proffer customary caresses, Or pjvilities. Joking ajiart, Mr Editor, the late, and continuing, rainfall (it is teeming down from the S,E. while I write, 16th inet.) is becoming a serious matter here—and has been long unprecedented at this usually fine season of the year. Ot course it has put a stop to all industries connected with' sheep, and I fear is already causing deterioration if not destruction, of the low lying native grope, Our looai;(Waipiro) Maoris are very despondent, and apprehensive that (unless the weather takes up speedily) their cultivations will ba ruined. The Ven. Archdeacon Williams has just arrived, amid the pouring rain, The rev. gentleman undergoes some rough experiences while looking : after the spiritual interests of feis wjdely scattered flock. A young igdy qf the native rage, recently returned from Auckland, whither ehe went many months ago tor the good of her health, wae lately interviewed by a friend of mine, who I will call A. (who has a mate named Bill) with reference to doing some washing for him. She had washed for him, prior to her viijt to Auckland, and he : naturally thought pfee wquld, with improved health and personal appegrgnoa, not be averse to take up her former vocation, To his surprise she indignantly refused, and Bald she was going to alter her mode of life altogether, etc., etc, 1 What, are you married ?’ said he. ‘ No, my lord;’ ‘ Are you a maid ?’ ‘ No, my lord.’ 1 A widow then?’

‘ Neither, my lord,! 1 Then you are neither maid, wife, nor widow ?’ Measure tor measure, ■I am going to wash and 000 k too, for Bill,' said ehe.