"THE MATER DOLORES OF THE RECEPTION ROOM."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7008, 3 May 1884, Page 6

"THE MATER DOLORES OF THE RECEPTION ROOM."

TJsDZßthe above title the_ following letter has been sent to us," which we pass on to onr readers of. the crime de' Iα crime for their respectfnl consideration :—

-Mb. Editob, —I am a cosmopolitan on my travel*, having traversed over many seas, and journeyed over many lands, and in my days jh&ve consequently Been not a little.' There are ■om6 men who boast th»t they have seen everything ;-that there is nothing more for them to see. • I ain not dne of them. The more I travel the more I,find I have still to see. There is always a "last new thing" turning up, and some of them are Very queer and funny and sad things, and the funny and sad are semetimes combined. This latter combination it has been nfyipt'tb' encounter in your fair city—for beautifully '- fair "your city most certainly is. Bat let me to "the last new thing" without rnore.waßte of words,'and of your valuable space. ■When° on ray travels, it has ever pertained to me the privilege of seeing the iniideof Government Houses on other than mere recaption days. It matters not from what source my " free pass"—arises, it secures the private entree. But a truly intelligent always makes a point of studying "ye manners and customs otye abprignes," and when the-opppr-tumiy'aSdrds'j'hVcaii Have'no more fitting one. than at a vice-regal public - reception" day.'' I availed of such a day, when in addition to the •• At Home," there was added "the' Crisp decoration" being well assured ye aborignes would turn out strong. - ""And I was not disappointed,'for the - turn-out. was estimated an up to five hundred'strong,'at .least! I put in,an early ap'peirancei for the express purpose of having tf"fcotad"'lo*ok' if the crime— the crime "de Iα crime' were 'hopeles'ily mixed' up in the five hundred—and'a very good look I had. Bat, alas for the painful ceremonial, as enactedin the vice-regal drawing-room,- before the Criap decoration came. off. It was a new experience tp me. 'J have made my. bow at the Queen's Drawing-room, and to many of her representatives, as I did the other day here, and passed oh; bat L never either squeezed the Cfteen'fl hand, nor yet that of her ■representativee.; What wae my' ast6nishmeht~a't seeiDg nine-tenths — nay,'"' ninety-nine put :of the hundred—rush up to the lady, and And, with, tmflinahihgly through the ordeal! Howl.nishe.d they were ell; in her place,:, and.had got'the benefit of five hundred shakes themselves; then have realised what.,it -was ."to ehffer and be etrong "tinder such an infliction 1 Tirere , l9':a''sl?inEphrai»B,' 4 when deseribing a fight,' pf "* "getting'""it ."straight from the : shoulder^" .1' only , wish'that.every' one of these five hundred had respectively got. four * hun dred anil ninety-nine chakee, and then'they'would have known what it meant to feel it " straight ioth's" shoulder," if: not,' a good bit down their - backbones ;iato the bargain. Sir, oan'fc you raigedj;tliis;evll2-^youre,.deplonngly J Dexter ,- ■-■■ : .-:W.> J:''-:' /..■?;:;, ■• -.