THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 24, 27 January 1877, Page 4

THE WEEK.

Last week was essentially a sporting week? ■ Tba odds on the |oq trigger -Saeft ■ was to a large section of th v e I* qaestioh^f' -boDaidarableV irtspbrtaoco, and whether thaSeqrQt or tba Gannpt was the winner pf ; , the. yacht race waa ,la r afjectj J r the _ vftwJfr, balance^ of i gooa ? ! bad^ staked theirtndneycin oheor febe^ other. The complexioa of this week ia of a different hue, Churoft mstWre being the leading topic in the .minds of many local pesideola-aa-well as of- the numerous visitors, clerical and "lay, who for the ti^: FBaicg haVa tai;eß. up: thetr abode in Nelson. But, standing pro-miqenily-folr^ard, and iakio^ precedence of all other 3abjaot*. whether sporting or religious, is one melancholy : erettfc T which deraaadSi special aotioe. • This day-. week ».man full-gf, Ufesapd? yigor^, a husband, and ft fatper pi six children, was amongst us. Nov?.he lies in our cemetery, his wife a widowV his'children fatherless. And his life^ffitpht have been saved. Had the very aibipie precaution repommended by more itpan one of the ideal newapaperaaoaiei^ elye months ago, when a similar , calamity occurred' iis the -same bathing' hole in the JSlartaT been, adopted, one valuable life might have been, saved, ang ere this the wife and children now mourning their sad loss a,t Onehunga would probably have welcomed back to his home the head of the family. It is perhaps to be pardoned that the City -Council did not act upon the suggestions thrown out at the time of the last fatal accident in tbe Maitai to the effect that ropes, poles, and life, buoys should be provided it a 'bathing place : so ' inrfch 5 resorted to, for they might have argued that one accidental death did' riot prove that it waa needful . to .provide such appliances, but, should they continue to ignore this claita-upon them; they certainly will toy tbettiselyeji opso to a charge of culpable negligence. ,1 don't think, however, that they will- do so. They are a reasonable, sensible body of men, and in common with the rest of the public will; I aWsaref admit vl th'af' it is their du,ty* M mskelhbae Very small and inexpensive provisions that are required^ to render another such rcaau^Uyaa that of Monday last improbable/if not irapoaaibW-- 7 '-^^-^;":^-/",'-^^ ' £: " 1 - > " u : In common with agood many others I atiendedjthe service at^hristjChurch.. on tfie occasion of She opening of 'iHe^ General §yabd' r of ■'' the ■■"- ChcSrch / )>f England^ and, I, think I may again say in 'common with many other e; I was very .much, pleased with /the:; manner in which it was conducted. There was a'soKemnity and reverentialair about it .that must j have cooimended itself id the minds of all who ; were: present, and there was also a certain amount of parade and. show befitting an occasion 6P such importance to so large a section of the religious community in this colony. So far aa tbe Church service waa conceraed, it may, I thi<ak,*be said that nothipg could havebeela;better arranged 6r inpre efficiaotly earned out, and it' is only " a- . pity that the r aame %regard for appearances has noCcharacterised the arrangementa in : th9,2rovinciai Hall where (he .Synod holds its meetings. Perhaps I - shall better explain iny tneaniog 1 by relating^ whit iop^ E place close |to.;|ne\, wheja; " the" President was delivering his opening, address. A lady/ who was .possibly anzioua^io. inspire. .her offspring with duejreverenca for all matters connected with the Church, of which she waa a member, and^wßoee teachings her children warp to be taught ; tp respect, had beeo sufficiently indiscreet to take her little boy^abPat five years old, to witness tbe proceajdinga,' apd it), sit out the" inaugural addreW . sooner had the members taken their seats than tbe little chap wUhan ill concealed smile_on his countenance pulled, his mother's sleeve, and said in an .excited tone of voice "Lpok ]tfa," look.*' He received a reproof which quieted him for a minute, or two when he again repeated the operation and ejaculation, this time stuffing, .bis ,i little knuckles info his little snout b in a vain endeavor tb conceal his laughter. A" Ydv naughty boy, what ia the matter ?■' said his mother angrily, when the youpgeterunablo to restrain his curiosity ifkpy.-lpDger} blurted out as well, as his tendency to laugh would allow, him, ''Ma, why do they put that man in a cupbbafd?" From T the direction in which he pointed, it was imp'ossible to mistake-; his meaning. "That man " I am sorry to say was intended to indicate the Most Reverend -the Primate, and (<t the cupboard " was the term he in his childish ignorance had applied to the extraordinary and abominably, ugly thing— l know no better term for it — that does duty as a screen behind the President's chair. I really should be glad if those with , whom 9 management lies would realise the fact that others besides very young children look upon itiat hideous pair of folding-doora in the same light as did that naughty and ill behaved little .boy. I have been sorely exercised in my mind of late with regard to the future movements and prospects of a brother newspaper writer. I refer to the editor of the Lyell Argus, perhaps one of the most unique specimens of a newspaper to be found within the four corners: of the colony. It is the size of a sheet of letter paper, and* its articles and paragraphs are fearfully and wonderfully constructed. In the latest issue which has come uriHer my notice is a leading article df the average length of those which appear in that journal, referring to tfi^ future of the Argus. I think I may venture to give it in full, merely premising that the original punctuation

-~1 s : Has been strictly adhered to in this my copy of it. It is dated January 13, sad runs as follows: — " We would ask our readers to forgive our shortcomings tiig week, Our Staff having been a bsent on pleasure and business oomfc ined, We have much that is interestiig to lay before our readers. We blave laid down our plans for the year 1-877, sorely we confess it against our vfill; as we iu face of the miserable farce now being enacted in this Colony termed Government, could only see before us a dark and dreary future and bjad therefore come to the conclusion to return to N, S, Wales. As owing to a ? ise and enlighteneJ form of Governn >ent that colony is fast going to the fore. We dont suppose our remaining here will do much good but if all goes ■ ; v ell, we shall remain and as heretofore e ideavor to do our duty." Now this is :« hat I want to know: Is the Argus g Ding to shut up, and is the " we " who wields control over it about to start for Ifew South Wales, or is he going to remain where he is ? These are questions that, after reading the above, I am quite unable to solve, and I should like to know what others make of it. | ■ F.