OUR YOUNG FOLKS COLUMN.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 1598, 1 February 1906, Page 6

OUR YOUNG FOLKS COLUMN.

OUH MOT 10 : Whatsoever thy hand (indetb to do, do it with all thy might. 11ULES. 1. All letters for the week's publication shuiihl reach the oflice uot Inter than Monday afternoon. 2. Correspondent.) .should write on only one side of tbo paper. 3. All correspondents must send their rent names, not necessarily for publication. 4. All letters bhould be addressed tlius : Piess M.SS. UNCLE PHIL, Ensign OQice, liore.

Dear Uojs ami Girls,~V™ are, 1 hope, watching the pupers lor the re suits oi thu Home flections, and sonic of you ure doubtless puzzled ul the way in which the political parties are named. I.aborites will ije tumiliur to us as Labor members. Ily the w»y, how aro these Laborites to support themselves during their term of oilier ? The Labor party will hardly consider anyone u Luborite unless he is a working man. Any other might, utter being elected, neglect, Labor interests. And Home mem tiers of .Parliament, unless they are Cabinet .Ministers, get no pay. I suppose the Labor Lnions will support the Labor memoirs. Conservatives we also know, and Liberals. too. But what about .Nationalists und Unionists '! To begin with, they aro opposites. In the \eui l'S<o<) the Irish I'arliunieiit, sitting in Dublin, was Inudly dissolved, and Irish members were no longer to form an Irish Parliament, but were to become part of tile great X'arliament sitting ul London. It alreudy contained, jcsiclcs Dullish members, also members from Scotland and Wales. A great many irishmen never liked the merging of their Parliament into that of London. They hat ed the thought of it. Rebellious, ending in bloodshed nud bitterness of heart, were raised and quelled, and the cry went forth and still goes on for an Irish Parliament in Dublin to manage Irish affairs. About eighty years alter the union, one of the great statesmen of the time startled the English speaking world by proposing that an lrisn Parliament should again be sci up in Dublin. The Irish people were again to have the right to Mile themselves. This proposal was called Home liule, and this great statesman was William Kwart Gladstone. liritain was split up by this proposal into two warring camps-those who wanted to renew the Dublin Parliament mid those who lulled such a proposal. Do not run oIT with the idea that men tool; sides on the impulse of lie moment. and having once decided which side to <upport, out of mere obstinacy, u> if blindly. Wrv almost nnunswmibli.» arguments could be both lor and the ilome Uulr Kill. .Mr Gladstone, the yivat Liberal lender, who, as J have .>aid, was ihe maker of the iloiiie liule Kill, caused many oi his followers to have him by his proposal. Men who had stood by one another in inunv a stern polit i-al light now took opposite sides and political feeling ran high. liespect for their loruier great leader the -•eeeders still had, but for them he could be their leader no more. What were they to do ? 'l'hey could not join the Conservatives. They must needs form a new party. They were .-till Liberals, and they were determined to maintain the union of the Knglish and Irish Parliaments. They therefore culled themselves Liberal I'nionists. Often the word Liberal was omitted and tin- term I nionist alone was used. The Nationalists were the Irish members who, by their persistency, had induced -Mr Gladstone to make his startling proposal. They Were, and are, the men who want an independent i'urliament for Ireland. Mr Gladstone had to stand torrents of abuse. Some of his warmest political friends became his political enemies. It was a heart-rending time for tile old man, but lie bore himself with nuiguilicenl fortitude. With exicrable taste, some thoughtless mortal, punning on Gladstone's liist name, called hiin Home liule liill. lint one of his admirers, speaking ill Parliament one day, pointed to Mr Gladstone and said "that Grand (lid .Mun." The; name clung to liini, and his hosts of followers loved to call him the Grand Old Man. lie was a great speaker. The words came at his bidding and fell into their places so that he never had to pause in order to find language to express himself. Kspccially he appealed to the masses. Jie was often called the people's William. lint it was not in his power over words alone that lie swayed men. llis tremendous energy and earnestness curried conviction in to many an unwilling mind. llis commanding presence, tin- clear, sonorous v >ice. the Hashing eye, his every gesture and his broad sympathies gave him a power over ail audience thai, to be understood, must be seen and heard. When he stood for Midlothian, in Scotland, liis speeches roused the whole land from John o' Groat s House to l.nnd s Knd. Ituildings Were erected to hold the tlious ands that thronged to hear liim speak, and, when he had goi*c. were pulled down again because no audience large enough to till them was ever again likely 1o assemble. It was a triumphant march. Men sat enthralled by his resistless eloquence the Grand Old Man eloquent. llis style of was slow and a! most, one would think, ali'ectcdly dis tinct—e.g., "Mis-ler chairman and gen-tle-men." If any colonial speaker were to imitate this'style so fellow at the back of the hall would soon interrupt by calling out : "Oh ! go and lake a bun.' Itut ii was not affectation: it was the ncivssitv of slow, distinct speech, laid on ;! man who was addressing huge audiences, who wauled cvi-ry \\oi. lo be heard, and who succeeded iu doing what lie wanted. 1 have never seen a picture ~i .MiGladstone tlmt V.ns unlike liim. I had no dilliculty iu picking liim out from among a number ..f men whenever he appeared. I'ncle Phil. _ Dear I uric Phil.-This is the ser,,ud time 1 have started t,, write to you to-day. The lir-t time, which is oiilv about hulf-uu-hour ago, I was in such a lovely secluded spot, at the top of a sleep liill. ] wa! j stretched out on the grass with a writing desk in front of me, and I was just starting to ; describe the scenery to you. when a heavy shower of rain cauie on, and I had quickly to shift my quarters to the house. 'When once there 1 decide,! to go into my grandfather's, which is (piitc close to our own house, and whrre 1 could again begin my letter in peace; but this is nothing to the outside retreal, which would not now be very bcnclicial to no health, as the Crass is \ cry wet. However. w>- will imagine thai 1 am back again, and I will try to give you a dcscriiition of what I saw. From the hill on the top of which 1 was lying I was looking down into a wiili-. deep vallev. I lie opposite hill, which helps le form the valley, is not quite s,, high or s,, Sleep as this hill. lint it is covered wuh patches of bush in one or two places, while this one has many rocks projecting from it- pivcipitioiis "ides. The distance between tin- bases of

both lulls is about half a mile in a direct line from wlhti- 1 am mnv ; but from there the opposite liill takes a more course, which widens the distance, while from litis J><>inI this liill takes the shape of an almost Hemi-circle. The point, whieh com pletes tin* semicircle, i- about a- sleep and as a* this; but in'in that point tli.- liill takes lli.* shape of a an-jK', ati<l ycntl\ slopes down until it yets fairly low, ami then turns ami tnK»-* t!i»- «>M .'imrsi, hut, as lar a- I Ln«»\s, ii n»*ver hen* I can s-.• no fullli* r iliun tin* latter point, wlnli- the hill c<>j)tinni*s m-iv t'l'a'luallv for aljotit lmlf-ii-rnile, wleii il taKr*. lln--hap'- of an aenl«- j«ij-1. an<l rnniuni. - for an'>tli»*r half mil", it tliHi taK«-s a ri-l.i al<«>, ami then 1 can s»-#* no more. On tin- imi linin -nle ilic hill, after taking litany t\\ist< ami turll>, a-'ain fornix a riuhl aiul n'fM's to it J tile other hills, which continue until aliout half a-mile from here, antl then (Ih-n u-.i taKe the form of a ri^'ht-antfie, an«l for a short distance both hills run the sumc as they do before nie. Itihii the allele until the other hill hides hj, thi-« hill i< far higher l>u( m<i so .-t»-.-p a* where f am, and about half way up tlie hill and a mile from the the Ardlussa station stands surrounded by many shrubs ami tree*, while the Wai* I a:a I'lains station stund* 011 the opposite hill a mile and a half aw:n. I'Vom here it appears as though the two hills met a little ab<»\c tin- Aid lu>sa station, so the valley appears le a peninsula surrounded by land in stead of by w.iti r, it>i with hills in the shape of a triangle. We muM now come clown from the hills into the \ alley. The first thiuy to taKe our notice is the Mataura river, as it runin many pretty turns from where the hills se»-m It* join until il »lisappeats from Olir view. It UerpS ch»s«» to the <»j)posito hill, until the hill sh»pe-> away, while it eo.-s >iraiuhl on. IV«»in the river we may turn to look at the whole valley. .Straight in front of me is our house, whieh is Mptare, and a few yards away is my grandfather house, whieh has two rooms, and therefore, obloiiL l . About housts an* many outbuilding"-', l irst of all. there is a lony, white luoldine, whii-h, it We entered. Woltld pl'o\e to lie a a roal and a fowl hoi He. all under one roof. Then there IS another lony" buildilej, which is n I Uii|L r >' ll«»tei'. while Oh one 'ide <.f this «i iv hoards put tip in a way that they hx L \el\ mueii I i 1 e ,-h»'ep \ In one corner of the«v a small liotis.., which I<Mi!.* li; e a' pii: sly. but i-. in reality, a raif house. Then we ionic to anotlie,- buildihj.:, all eiior :ioiis btiildiiiL- thi- time, whhh proses to be U stable, it I li:i!'!' !|. Hi-o- a row -lied, aiel a lander sb, d all under one t'oof. 'I In- lies 1 thiii:.- i- a piu'siy. and then we at la-t to t he l-arn. a it one s ii le. wiiich prove- to be a -milhy. In front of the hiy hoii-e is a garden with ;,ll -...i ~f fruit on on - side the oath, while on the ■ th. r si,|.. many Kind- of vegetables m-e L'fowine. On lioih edjjvs of tinpathway many flower- are in bloom. An ideal farm hott>e, i- it not, t'nele? After nivinir y«»n a description of a t.utn house we must a-jatn yo on. About half-a mile i.- a house with outbuildines. but. alas, it i* un inhabited. We then look about a mde down am I w ■ -• e a little two-roomed house, whieh is the neaiv-l ni-iehboi s that we ran see, while just opposite it. if we could only 5,.,. it, the ehool and -ehoolhouse. All the rest i-. of course, laid out in paddock-, -»o tilts is the i-olated -pot | told you of in one of my letters. I wa- once told that this valley was ..me ihe bed of lite MolyleMi \ ri\er, but 1 do not know whether it is so or not. I shall l< e\ haw 1.. 1 tlii- loim lrti.T 1.. a i-lus.', \. i 111 low |,i All \.-,. an.l tinyoiin- folks, no! for-.'Uintr \our-;,-If. I mil. .'tr.. lolliv. Arillii-isa. (I coiilil not t.-ll wli.-ilii-r the valley Von nam.' \\:i- oiirc tlie Ix-il of 'hi- Molyn.'UV or not. 1 j.-i-jmsi■ in 1|..-i-oiirs.' of a-.'s soli!,- of tli,. Ota-o riv'■!'s lia'/.' i|nit.- i'!iaii-i'tl tli.-ir .'oiu'*'.'^. II it li.'li.'V.'d that at on,' tinu* tln« ii|,|.or .Maliiiira floui-il into l.aK,- Wuli«ti|iu. 'lll.' Oivti in liy-oii.' lur ,. s j,,|. lou .'d tli,* pri si'iit c.»ni s.* of I In- n|i|»<r Matnnru. V..11 iiiui I umilil nr.',l (<» Rtlllly -i'olo L .y to 1111(1. I's|;,!,.| til.' lall.l forms |iro|M'i-ly. 1 am olili-.-.l to x.m for tli- il,'Siri|ition of your -iiiroiiinlings. Writ.' ai;,.iii. 1.e.) lie ll' I Hi,'l.' I'liil. 1 liiHi- In-, nt liiiil. in- ..f writing to \.mi this 1.,n- tini.', i nl it is in-t 1 o-ni -lit 1 lia\,- ,nm|.' uj. i:iy mill.l to do s.l. I nni lliirt.'i''i years old and I have two l.rotln rs mid li\.' sist-rs. two of uli. in ;ir,' r.l'.X. s. I lia\*.- 1.-lt -eliool iuid am nor Ki- on a farm. We aiv Imvin- very unsettled m-allier just now. Some of the /i.rin.'i-i I'.-ie |.;,ve not 0,,t their tnrni|>* sown y.-l. I nil otli.'is have -<>t tlleln thiillleii. I ll ';il' I'llf-le. ill".' t he I .e.N. s miiiiu lo h;i\e ii j.i. iiir ill the I iish 't I think it Uoitld 11, a fiaml idea for a .lay's ontiiii;. I must llott s t, )| 1. as It is -_;et t ill" Ileal' ll.'il I'll' With I o \ e t,. 1,11 tli. V.l'.N. s anil yoiii'self. | am. -le.. I'.lacksinit li. Ot una. tV.ii oil-lit to writ- re/tihu l\ in older to keep 1111 your |ira,-ti,v in writ in- and ,oni|iositi..n. 1 hnve not vet heard of an\ arran-ein. 111- for ' i' t .I'.v |iienie. Write a lone.-r letter 11l ill' I lie]" I'liil. I'ei'ha|.s, after nn lli-ultet to our |.„ee. y,,u will he a little -iii'|iiis,-d to hear fioiu me iind will think I had lor-oi ten \, >, 11 ,-s i -1 eliee. < III! 5e11,11,1 holi.iav- will |.e " v "'' le 11 lor. 1 week, anil til, ll We shall li it \, ■ io d-'iot,- ~ur time t.. the l.s - ,I.ls whieh liine ~ Well |,i-h for

gotten ilm-inu ll'" vueulimi. Our Hello, il lutiee it wn- |„.|,| I.', ni.<l hii. „ ifival 1 ym,. n i'l-riiali..i,, "Kirii; lli'iirv (In- V.'k Np«'.-.-li t«. I,is i,„„ ~V I, (1 f Airlll . •-•>111-1 . lIIkI ||„,|; | )u| ~ j„ iii-in-. T|„. (JUu-iliut.-i ">i ll'- li. an.l I ,v,,.iv,-,l „ l„v,.|v fur K.ihlikli mm,l I."tin. \,. u | ' ,Vl > "■■■ I'M nil., nil.l "< iii- .-in/,.,,. »|*'lit ill.-II holidays tit Kiv.-rton, al)( J 'in a line day iiuiiilh'i'H went nil iu Omiilii, »)ii],. moil.- tli. *ir ««v lo 111.. lii'iirli .>i' i,, tli.. I,mil. Hut s "i»l"V 5e11,,,,] |iic,ii.- Ls i„ |„. J..-1U on the Lllll illsl., mi,] |i n ,. K.-ut1,,.,. j, Iltl 1 1.' IJ >lll. <l. 1 t, y tlmt lII.' 1...1-.' -.'1i,.,,| (li, hi.- Ink,. ~lu n. <■" Ih- .11-i iii-i., anil that ii iimtcli I- ii- |ilnv,'i| |j ic bonlinj, t , ris ,„ "" 'lav. Kvcrvonr- i* l'"l' ! " L ' "ill be li. J.) and il would |„, umlv hold M Ll.mi in,-,1,1, „„ yr „ lt| "ii that dux. \s | linw |„, iu,, r ,. "I'll,, I lii u .|,,s". Mill, 1,,\. „|| ll'" I I'.Vs. ami -If. 1 Kiny 1 >t-'< i 1 .il \. IUV.TInn. I \"|| nr.- a Im.■ writer. If ull voiii -"'••I- -iiiii-i- a,,. w .-ii *<>ll oiiflit 11. Inn,, in, x- ill y'lilliL' il IM.K- ill ,„. X | y.ai'V' (nil , >.-rwe,. .'Vaininai i 1),, „,,t ( t>rirl ., ! <>">' lull'.' f..1 1,,„ L . u . 1 .I'.) ! WWKH TO < <il{Ui:s|'(i\|)j;\T. 1 I.AIiA, ICu-i Tuieii.-Your letter and <ll.l..sin-.- iirri\.'.l f,,r whieh |ta W . aerept 1.,,| thanks. 1 kIiuII be ti'" l ' a lony li'tl.'i- for tin|iau.' -.on.