A MORNING'S RIDE. By Peripatetic.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1551, 10 April 1877, Page 2

A MORNING'S RIDE. By Peripatetic.

I will commence my yarn by stating that, like all the rest of the world. I am fond of travelling, and to gratify this fondnew, I asked for and obtained a holiday from my good-natured employer. 80 on a certain daylatt week I oommenoed my wanderings, and at all journeys have a starting point, to had mina, and I can aMiire you that mine is ronowned in Eastern history, song, and ■tory, being no less a place than the beautiful vale of Bagdad. This valley lias In a snug and co»y comer, at the foot of pioturesque mountains, whose grassy «dei ■lope gently downwards, and whose tops are orowned by the sharp-pointed north and south peaks, their distent sides being Indented here and there with deep gul> li<s, well wooded, and watered with a dear little stream at the bottom, from whioh the wild boar tak« his morning refresher. On the morning to quttWon I was op betimes, and t had my|inner man fortified by

• cold breakfast before the high peaks had thrown off their oloudy nightcaps, whioh at lait they did, after their covertog of watery clouds hod struggled in Tain against the conquering ohampion. fiery King Sol, who at onoe, in token of hit viotory, crowned the hills with gold. But the valley was still In shadow, and like tho fabled valley of old, glittered with pearls of the first vxxUr, After I had settled in the saddle* and drank tho ■timip oup, I took my way for a ramble, the horse going at an easy pace, and dashing the dew from the olover as he strodo over the pretty undulating downs that lie between Bagdad and the straggling town of Hompden. As I passed on I noticed that all tho grain, with fow exceptions, is thrashod or fust being thrashed out, and notwithstanding the fears and growls about floods, &c, the farmers in this district seem to havo growlf (I and quaked to no purpose, as the return this year oomparos well with that of past years, and is far above expectation. As I rode along everything Beemod full of Hfo. Flights of goldflnohes whirled oYor-hoad, and seemed quite at homo in this— a strange land to them, while sovoral brace of pheasants rose from under tho dewy tussooks. Tho flight and noiso of those birds seemed to give offence to my four-legged friend, and I felt anythkur but comfortable as lie plunged sud•rny to ono side, my hat nfc tTio same time going to tho other. Thoughts of John uilpm passed through my mind, so I put mysolf in n position not very graceful, but ono I considered safest in my oxtromity, Aftor getting all square again I continued my journey, acoompanlod by another flock of bright little birds, importod from tho old sod, and their chirping brought vividly to my mind long-buried rocollootions of the Emerald [slo, and I could not help thinking that if a number of honest poor from tho confined narrow lonos and alleys of our Home orowdod oitios wero rolegated to this pretty part of tho country, they would enjoy a now loaso of lifo. A fow ohauges have taken placo in this quiet neighborhood. Now and aaain one is oallod home, while others are brought into th's world to play their port, for all tho world's a stage, and before the ourtain drops I trust this volcanic upheaval of ours will be alive from valley to mountain top, with a largo and oontented population. Coming out on tho main road, a couple of bow shots below Hampden, I met an old i friend, who is a man of experience, and - ho assured mo that the late floods were littlo or no stoppage to the harvest, and that no material damage was dono oxoopt * that tho wot weather had tho effect of hurrying on tho work, and that lads ond lassos, gontlo and simplo, did their best right morrlly to soottre the golden grain. Ho flnid that ono or two smart farmors cut down as inuoh as 18 aorcs, and ono an A nmoh ns 22, a day, whioh ho remarked was vory good work indeed. He also told * mo about a woll-known and favorito t tlominio who wont into the flolds, and ft workod liko n Trojan, turning his hand to ovorything, somotmids assisting in handling tho ribbons, and with suoh goodwill that tbo old ourso on man was fully veriUod, for not only his brow, but tho whole of bis body, was glowing with perspiration, nnd tho hand that oan guiuo tho pon so gracefully was soon worse off than that of tho worst truant that ever preferred linhing-lino and nesting to school work. I know a place called " Sleepy Hollow," but Hampdon scorns to be in a trance ; for an you como within tho township ono la apt to think that all the inhabitants' nro from homo, ovory thing seems so quiet. Yet thoro havo boon numerous changes flinco I saw tho place lost. I see the school houso has got a much needed addition, whioh speaks well for tho nrospority of tho placo in the way of school Dliildron. I also notice that the apnroachoH to the bridge leading to the Domotory aro completed, while tho bridge itself Jihh roceivod a coat of white paint which jjivos it amoro finished appoaranco. Thoro in u nhinglo bed near hero, whonoo tho mou aro carting shingle to mako up uomo of tho streots in the township, and while ivt work tho other day several foot (hotwoun 8 and 0 foot) below the surfaco, ono of them ploked up a greenstone ohinol vory noatly formed, as hard aa stool, and about 0 inohes long ; tho stone wuh uh good as tho day it was mado, but tho hand that usod this anoiont tool to Form uauoo or war olub has now tnrnod to dust, and helps to fill a hole for tho ap Hatnpdoii llnad Board. — . And, by-tho-bye, this leads me to rolato a littlo conversation that I heard p between n couple of men on this samo ■*- road that tho shingle was used for. As ono of tho contractors was putting down tho gravol a gontloman rode up on horaobaok, looking at tho work with a critical oyo, and abruptly asked how doop was tho gravol to be laid on. "Nino inohos," repliod the party asked, as he oloancd cut tho bottom of his dray and commenced to spread to tho required thickncHS. " Well, look hore," sold ho on tho <iuadimnod, u Whatovor you do, Archie, put ■Who bit stancs to tho bottom, or thoy will play tho misohiof with us when wo are going homo at night after ha'on a woo drappie owro muokle." " Ah, wool," ropliod Arohio, " Vo maun just tak' your chanco, and if vo oraok yer shins, thon tho County won t bo muoh tho losor. " « Hut it was now high noon, ho I put on a littlo more steam and mado for Host fthorwiu'fi, where I refreshed both man uiul bount bofore neekiug further advonturt'H in Terra Inaufnita, —