A Private Tutor.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 998, 17 April 1891, Page 9

A Private Tutor.

HIS UPS AND DOWNS IN NEW ZEALAND. EXTRACTED FROM HIS DIARY. (By Wanderer.) WRITTEN FOR THE NEW ZEALAND MAIL. (Continued.) We soon reached the homestead, a quiet, primitive-looking little place, well shaded by trees and shrubs of various kinds, and a tastefully laid-out garden in front, gay with many flowers in various coloured blossoms. The house was small, but scrupulously neat, and every article painfully exact in its place, while the lady of the establishment, or, as she was styled, the ‘ missis ’ was likewise primitive (Wesleyan), but she gave me a cordial welcome to ‘ Maidstone Park,’ the name of this bush home. I was next introduced to my pupils, three in number, regular specimens of colonial bush gamins, sturdy uncouth looking boys who looked at me askance, and evidently did not relish the idea of being placed under tutelage. Having answered numerous and exhaustive queries respecting my acquirements, former employment, and pedigree, I was invited by him of the severe countenance to visit my sleeping quarter’s. I noticed, however, that we left the dwelling-house, and as I followed he became most profuse in his regrets concerning the smallness of his mansion in conjunction with his numerous olive branches, and grew quite eloquent on the various additions he contemplated making, such as tutor’s quarters, &c. At last we reached a shed entirely open at one side, in one corner of which I descried a bunk; but guess my astonishment when my guide, with a lofty wave of his hand towards this corner, exclaimed, ‘ This, my friend, is where you will have to sleep for the present. I will put a threshing sheet in front, and I guess you’ll be pretty snug. Yaas jist temporary, you know.’ In speechless wonder I gazed on my new dwelling-place, and was forcibly reminded of Mr O’Linn and his illigant cabin, which he thus described ? ‘ There was a way to swim in And a way to leap out, Shure it was illigant-cool,’ Said Bryan O’Linn, and was only aroused from my reverie by one of the lads bringing me a plentiful supply of clothing. I thought it better to take things as they were, for I was tired of tramping about, so as soon as the drop curtain had been arranged—night had arrived by this— I turned in. Never shall I forget that first Dight as I lay awake—sleep was out of the question—for while the mosquitoes were having a battle-royal in the air for possession of my nose, the fleas were engaged in deadly contest for possession of my nether limbs, while the rats were holding high carnival all around, only interrupted occasionally by the harmonious sounds proceeding from the cat-concert, which was taking place on the roof. Oh, it was delightful ; even the stars which twinkled at me through the numerous ventilators in the roof seemed amused at my discomfort, and as I gazed upon them and thought of that ‘ home ’ so far away—home, what a myth !—a great glob of rain would suddenly descend and obscui*e my vision and banish all sad thoughts for the time being. I soon got into a general routine, and found my pupils far more tractable than I had expected, the second son, called after the late Prince Consort, being a particularly bright boy. Things went on thus in the even tenor of their way

for some months without, however, the additions being made. My schoolroom was in the dwellinghouse, and of course I had a seat at the family table. The lady of the house being a Taranakite was of course a cuisinier par excellent, and I was regaled on various marvellously concocted dishes, ragouts, stews, &c., the component part of which I discovered were chiefly kumikums and vegetable marrows. However, she had a kindly heart, and that is saying a good deal. My employer himself was not a bad sort taking him all round. He had a vile temper, difficult to rouse, but while the fit was on he was a veritable demon, and used to invoke the twelve apostles to his aid in the choicest of phraselogy; his hair would stand on end and one eye would close. During these, I am happy to say, rare occasions, he was generally given a wide berth by all hands, and when he became composed Richard was himself again. I used to meet him outside sometimes in the township, when he would always insist on ‘ shouting ’ for me, a bad habit I have discovered, easily acquired, and peculiar to this countxy. When my teaching was over I used sometimes to vary the monotony by stock riding or helping my boss in and about the farm, and he was good enough always to lend me a horse if I wanted to go anywhere. But a change was near at hand, and came sooner than Lexpected, for one day just as I had finished teaching I was informed that a school was about to be opened in the 1 reality, and my employer added wiili a radiant smile, ‘I have been elected chairman of the committee,’ and finished up by paying me a compliment as to how well pleased he was at the progress his boys had made by offering me the head mastership, which I accepted, as he told me that of course his children would go to the school when opened. It was evident that the new chairman was new to official honours, and from this time he was a changed man. He was now no longer a mere settler, but chairman of the ‘ Rag-tag ’ Aided School, and was consequently in his own estimation a person of consequence, in fact should in future take precedence of even the great J.P.’s. To illustrate how changed he became, at breakfast the following morning—and I may here mention en passant that grace was always said before meals in this establishment, except when foi’gotten—l commenced the early meal before the other members of the family, who were late, when I was suddenly arrested in the middle of it by a stern solemn voice exclaiming, ‘ Mr will you be good enough to cease eating, and wait until we are all assembled, and the divine blessing asked ? You know it is a rule in this household, and, sir, while I am here discipline must be maintained.’ I was quite nonplussed for the moment, but receiving a sympathetic look from the * missus ’ I said nothing, but doubtless while * grace ’ was being mumbled by the son and heir, his progenitor was thinking how' much more imposing he would appear as chairman of the Ragtag School were he able to attach to his name those mystic letters, M.H.R. (To be continued.)