GRIT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10057, 23 August 1918, Page 6

GRIT

A letter from a "sole charge’’ teacher up in the foot-hills tells a tale that speaks well for the pluck and endurance of our young New Zealanders, says too Christchurch "Sun." Many of her pupils drive or ride three or lour miles to school, and last week—had enough in town, but wintry in the extreme away up country—four little girls, whose home is three and a-half miles from school, turned up smiling every day, looking most times like a gig full of little snowmen ! The worst day of all was when the Evre river rose suddenly. The children found that they had better not try to ford it in their gig. Nothing daunted. they left their vehicle at the nearcot house, crossed the river on the narrow swing foot-bridge a couple of chairs long, and walked the last mile to school. Going home they had further adventures. The river was raging harder then ever. A channel that had been drv in the morning was now a foaming torrent and the swing bridge did not span it. The biggest girl took the smallest op 1 11 1 r back, and the other tyo followed her. Clinging to a partly submerged fence to keen themselves from being swept off their feet, they struggled '■■ross. the water ui> to their waist'. Then they collected their gig once more and finished the homeward iowney And they came no smiling at school roll-call next morning.