OUR YOUNG FOLKS' COLUMN

Mataura Ensign, 22 July 1909, Page 4

OUR YOUNG FOLKS' COLUMN

OUR MO TTO: "Whatever thy hand tindeth lo do. do it witb all tliy might." HULKS: 1. All letters for ttio week's publicatiun •should reach tho oQico not later tban Monday afternoon. 2. Correspondents should writo ou only cue sido of tho paper. 3. All correspondents must send their real names, n'ot necessarily lor publioution. 4. All letters should be addressed thus:— Press MBS. UNCLE PHIL, 'Ensign' Oflko, (.ioro

Dear Boys and Girls, —Tito l'orsians, taking a leaf from the Turkish copybook, have deposed their king and put his sou on the throne. Persia lias until the last few years been one of"tho most despotic countries inhabited by seuiieivilisod people. The Iving or Shah simply did with his subjects and their property as ho liked. 1 was going lo adtf rights, but lie did not consider that they had any. Someone has wittily divided people into two classes—viz., the Haves and the Have-nots. In Persia tho line between tho two was easily drawn: tho King was tho only Have and nil tho rest were Have-nots. It seems as if the Shah has taken his deposition fairly well. He lias promised not to interfere in political mutters at all. Ho may one day, however, consider that a promise given under compulsion need not bo kept. Then there may bo bloodshed. It speaks well for those who have, had pdwer enough to put liim off the throne that they did not put an end to his life. That is a ({iiirk way that usually suggests itself to half-civilised men when a man is felt to be superfluous. Another matter which may cause trouble is the lact that his sou is not old enough to rule and that a guardian or regent is appointed. Persia is not like most other countries if it does not contain men who aro jealous of the regent. And their jealousy may lead up to blows. Then tho question emerges whether the Persian people aro calm enough and wise enough to take a share in governing the country. People unaccustomed to responsible government are apt to expect far too much from the change. They feel as if things were never going to bo just the. same again. They are expecting to get all their own way. It is clear that such a thing cannot be, because everybody will not bo wanting the same things. And might comes in again, the might of voting power. Now the disappointed ones cannot see that it makes any difference whether this is tile outcome of one man's will or of many men's wills. "When you meet a people who take defeat at an election quietly you may be sure they are people in a high state of civilisation. They may bo bitterly disappointed and be determined to get a reversal of the day's voting, but it is to be carried out in a dignified.ami lawful manner. It may—it usually does —toko generations to educate a nation up to tins highly desi ruble state.

Persia, as you know, is a big t'Oimti'.v with ;in area of over 000,000 st\uure niitos. No one knows its oxact population. It has been reckoned at 40,000,000, but ilk; most; rm'iit and reliable arc,nut says 8,000,000. One writer is inclined to put it down at not more than 5,000,000. You have perhaps licard of the l'itllc hoy who wont to see ii travelling wax-works show. The only \vax«i figures won'' those of Wt-11 intoti and Napuleon, The Hoy paid his penny for admission, but not satisfied in his own mind which was Napoleon and ivhieh Wellington, ho wont bad; to the tent door to ask for information. The door-keeper gave him this most perplexing answer: "You pays your penny and you takes your choice." So with tlio Persian population question. 'J he whole thing is praetieallv a guess. The people are finely built, but the rich and middle-classes olteu ruiu their constitutions with dissipation. The poor class arc so poor that they cannot afford to give themselves proper nourishment. Tin* former generally live in houses; the latter in tents, moving them about according to the season. The Persian is particularly loud of Mattery, is obstinate and enduring bur lacks perseverance. Thackeray tells us that the Persian's boast is that he rides well and speaks the truth. Major-den. eral Goldsmid, a man Considered to be an authority on Persia, savs, " I'f truth or honesty exists in Persia, it must be looked for in the humbler or poorer classes." Burns said u similar thing about the Scoteh, "The cottage leaves the palace far behind.'' No street in all the cities of Persia ran bp railed respectable as Europeans rate respectability. Blank mud walls and narrow .ill-paved thoroughfares arc the rule. Everything is irregular, noth. iug is permanent but dirt, discomfort, a lid a total disregard of municipal method. Its chief products, ehielly in the warm valleys, are tobacco, silk, wool, cotton, wheat, barley, wine, and opium. One town (Shiraz) is celebrated in the sou.ee of the great Persian poets for its rose.-, wine ami nightingales. r.XC'LF, PHIL.

Drill* Undo J have been !Y;nlni;; your lor some time, ) tinnt:;-hi 1 v.ouiil nrilo ami ask if vou would aiv.-pr nn> a> <<m' of your niocos. \W nro vvvy unset tk-d wen I lira lu re lately, a> it lias boon freezing very hard fin- throe or four niglus, but tonight it is like rain. i; is not very nice going to school these cold frosiv mornings, is it. T"licit-1- 1 I mil in tlto sixth standard, and like school vorv well. There lias been lime!) sickness about lately. Xlv brother has been in the Invercargill Hospital for .several weeks with a had eve: but is recovering slowly, although he has had th« misfortune to lose the sight of it. 1 11111 \eiy pleased to see the spring Jituvcrs appearing onco again, as it shows us that the worst, of the winter is past. Spring-time, to my thinking, is the mast beautiful season of tinyear, when everything is fresh and green. This is all I have to say this time. -s:> 1 will close now with love to all the r.I'.NW and yourseli.— 1 remain, vours trulv, VIOLET. A\endou \ alley. [I admire your handwriting very much. Certainly you are 1111 nccepted correspondent, otherwise this letter would not have appeared." I am very sorry to hear that your brother's eye-

sight is gone. I saw him in town beioro lie left for tho hospital. 1 shall oxpeot to hear from von regularly.— Dear Uncle Phil, —I again take up my pen to write a few lines to the page. It is a long time since I last wrote, but I am going to try to write oftencr after tins. AYo have got. our oats threshed, and will_ be getting tho chaff-cuttcr soon. We are only milking two cows just now, and they do not. givo very much milk. Wo have sold nil our pet lambs but. one. As it goes about hopping 011 tli ret* logs we call it. Hoppy. It is not particular about its food, but begins eating papor, bits of cloth, and anything it finds. It even eats soap if within its reach. Tho mornings are very cold unci frosty just now, and the ice is bo strong that in some places it will bear mv weight. Air liull is going to show his moving pictures at tho school to-mor-row night, but I am not going. I will stop now, as I can't find anything mure to say. AVith lovo to all the TU'.NVs and yourself, I am, vour niece. LADY HILL. \\ endon. [I shall be glad to hear regularly from you. In about six week's the dairy factories will bo opening and milk, iug will be ill full swing. That is a very appropriate name for tho lamb. It must have a voracious appetite.— U.P.] Dear I tide l'liil,—l thought to-nipdit I would pen you a few lines. Thus far wo have had 11 splendid winter, only slight, coatings of snow falling on tile Ho kou liis. The fa unci's are now busy carting their oats; some aro taking tliem to the flourmill, while others are putting them on trucks in ordor to ship them to tlio Old Country. Mr Clement A\ raggo seemed to have a great reception when ho was in Gore. I would have liked lo have got down to hear hinij but was too far away. Whatever is our young folk thinking about? Hurry up Tough Brick, Tea Hose, Lady of Ilia Lake, and Avice. t AVrite. 11s some more letters. I think I 1 will close now as it is getting late. With good wishes to all file little folk and yourself, 1 remain, vour nephew, IIEMiY. Alandeville. [I am pleased ta hear I'roni you. AVe ( can dm nicely without, snow, don't yon think so? If is a pity that oals 'are not a higher price. Yes, Mr Clement W raggo had big audiences here. Il is 1 a bit laughable, 100, lo note tow his • figures impressed sonm people. Xow, take the ndviro you hnvo been niviug . oihors and writo oftoiKT.—CM'.]