ROUNDS THE CORNERS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 929, 20 December 1889, Page 17

ROUNDS THE CORNERS.

SMART! REAL SMART, SIR.

And the Colonial Secretary was quite carried away by M. Jouberfc’a proposals re New Zealand entering into the new line of business of manufacturing and exporting exhibitions. He may have been; I wouldn’t, for the world, cast discredit upon tlie newspaper report of the matter; but if it is true, the interview between Joubert and the Minister must have occurred very soon after dinner. There has been a deal of lavish dispensing of hospitality in Dunedin recently. Visitors there have been filled pretty full, and the right kind of Presbyterianism is not yet quite disassociated from the right kind of Usquebaugh. There’s vitality in it yet, boys, and you may be sure there has been some clinking of glasses going on lately up south. Mellow moments, mellow moments, and opportunity alone of those was needed to broach a project of enterprise to the ready ear of a complacent and well-dined Minister, and, of course, he approved it—how could he do otherwise under the circumstances? And the elated Joubert considered the thing accomplished, and duly notified the fact. He found it and made a note of it, but, bless you, dear boy, the Colony ‘ isn’t cn,’ however much a Minister may have been on a melting occasion. That fine of exhibition business isn’t the one for New Zealand, but of course it is understood how excellently well it would fit in with M. Joubert’s plans. THE CAUSE OF IT. How often churlishness is allied with the possession of wealth ? Why is it that gold in quantity stunts so many natures, oris it that gold is not to be raked together in quantities by natures other than stunted? That after all it is a muckrake business of which the many of those engaged in it don’t rise to the occasion, but continue mere money-grubbers all their lives, and hug their money-bags with feverish devotion. Ah, me’, how difficult it is to make such people • part.’ Consider that fellow the other day in Melbourne—drunk on the streets with £I4OO in his pocket, and after having been picked up and taken care of, declined to make the very poor return of a pound to the poor box. And so they fined him that sum, and took it out of him that way. And he no doubt went his way, grumbling, muck-rake in hand, sordid to the spinal marrow. I shouldn’t think that man had a soul Worth the name. PSYCHOLOGICAL ACTION. That man is typical of a numerous class scattered through society from the gutter upward. Their darling vice is inordinate love of money, and stinginess. The old Highland proverb about the open hand' is incomprehensible to them, because their hands will not open palm exposed ; like the quadrumana their fingers are always downwards, raking in and picking up. And they do both with marked success. Their accumulations are the wonder, and too often the envy, of their neighbours, the latter not perceiving the effect of wealth misapplied. Such utter selfishness induces a phas e of misanthropy, and to have no sympathy with kind is equivalent to being under a ban. And a grovelling covetous spirit very frequently reacts on the body. Many a renal trouble and fiver complaint are effects of it. And to such poor wretches there are but two colours in nature, yellow aud black —the yellow gold aud black dispondency. If they did but know that to be in close touch with humanity is a sovereign remedy for degeneration of the liver, and abundance of sympathy for fellow creatures a sure cure for structural disarrangement of the

rsnal organs, they would alter their pose altogether and open their hearts to the world. How many ‘pure’ dark—rnen there are who are about on the scheme always; their heads full of crafty designs of how to circumvent their neighbour and increase accumulations. These are the men who never really laugh; don't believe ‘The Barrister’ could thoroughly excite ’em even ; lucre to them is a snare and a mockery. They blight as they ■walk through life and when they leave it I, for one, wouldn't care to stand in their number elevens. GOOD FELLOWS. In fifteen cases out of twenty gxeat wealth congests some of the faculties, and a very good remedy for congestion is to relieve the pressure causing it. Bleed well—money was made to spend. And it is gratifying to know for the credit of the race there are many who adopt this as a rule, and having much are not cursed with a disinclination to spend it. They go about with hands open and it is astonishing how that Highland proverb is verified in them. Their hands are always dispensing and yet are always full. Their cruse of oil and the meal bag never run low There are one or two such men among us here ; telling examples of liberality and prosperity. I know of two wliese private benevolences are remarkable, and whose names are to be found, also, in all undertakings for the public good. At their doors cannot be laid not only covetousness and sordidness, but scheming and double-dealing, and that everlastingly ‘ working the oracle ’ for their own ends, that unfortunately is rather characteristic of latter-day business. And it is very frequently coupled with great outward demonstration of unselfish public spiritedne33. But after every little disinterested move it somehow becomes apparent, such people are a bit better off than they were before. This of course is common to politics; politics wouldn't be politics without it. And the commercial oracle is now as much on the work as the political, or very nearly so. Such is life, dear boy ; that is, one sort of life. THE DOUBLE EVENT. I heard a capital story the other day about the astute combined with the fervidly religious. He was an earnest minister of the gospel, and had charge of a very scattered district. It took him the best part of a fortnight to do his parochial visiting. It lay muchly on the seacoast, which, by the way, was somewhat indented. And visiting was most conveniently and quickly prosecuted with the help of a boat. And the minister had one, but wanted help to work it, help, however, that could dispense with payment. And so he struck a bargain with a young man in a commercial line, the latter to help work the boat on the understanding that he might push his business while the other spread the gospel. The arrangement works like a charm, I am told, < and also that the ‘ drummer ’ has by far. the best of it. I WITH REGRET. Good, John Duthie, Mayor that was, we part with you with regret, that is, the Mayoral part of you. Some day the honour will be thrust on you again, so well have you become it during the term. ,Your hand has been put forth right liberally, in many directions, and you redeemed the Mayoral position from a heap of obloquy that had been put upon it. We have had one or two useful Mayors, but you were the first to attempt to introduce stylo, and that, of course, meant disbursement. Well, you did real service to the city in putting a little gilt on the Mayoral chair, and your business throughout was good besides. May your shadow never be less, J ohn. AN AWFUL SMA3H. We have had the usual breakings up for the time of year. Wellington College has gone to pieces, and so has the Girls’ High School. The valedictory demonstrations were quite imposing. and soothing to parents and teachers. Everybody had done well. There was just an inclination to be lacryrnose on the part of the Wellington College, without however much occasion, considering the conditions surrounding it. With such a remarkably efficient system of State Education, to contend with, a secondary school, like the College, can scarcely expect overflowing patronage. A boy who passes the seven standards of the State Schools is pretty well furnished for the battle of life. That is really where the rub is. The record of the Gi»ls’ High School was more favorable, but whv d’d not the Lady Principal speak for herslf instead of by deputy? Vhy should not wom*n in public, especially one in her position? The time is past for drawing such stupid distinctions between man and woman. Th ‘ latter is now called upon to assert herself. HURRAH! Where the Union Jack flies there must be f reedom. Slavery pulls up stakes and retreats fun,her back. The flag is typical of the emancipation of humanity, the physical emancipation I mean, for there is a lot of mental enslavement of one kind and another under it. The latest shout of exultation has just been uttered by the Egyptio.i fellaheen. The last link of the chain h >.s fallen from his limbs, thanks to British influence, and he is absolute'y a free man. ‘ Corves ’is no more. If England holds Jong enough the leaven of her potent influence will work its way through the Upper Ni'e districts, and the dream of poor Gordon will become a reality. Slavery will disappear from the face of the land. Elsewhere in this issue is an article explaining 1 corvee.’ Asmodeus.

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