A BAND OF HOPE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 36, 2 June 1876, Page 2

A BAND OF HOPE.

t<> tih: i:i>m>i: of the evening mail. Sii:, —Vour correspondent, " Jfugguiiin," li.-i.-i taken more pains to explain my letter than I slinuM have thought merited. However, if he was, as he says, of an inquisitive turn <>f niiii'l, ami one who has devoted so nittr-h time to the reading of problems, "lie would imagine it would not take such a genius long"to have come at the meaning of my letter. Hut, of course, he is like many other blind '•paralogism'' people. He says I have four children, and I dare say those same children have seen that very same father drunk a dozen times or more. Therefore, my reason for advocating that all children should embrace temperance ; not because I think they are certain to turn out like their father, but because it might be a safeguard against it. He wishes to know if we live in a civilized country. The majority of people would say yes ; but they would also say there might be many very uncivilized people in it like him. JJut, of course, when such a don as you seem to be at the pen comes against one, it is time for him to shut up. For to go against such a learned foe, I .should have to go to school again, but 1 am sorry to say, " mother says I mustn't." lint, I suppose, because "mother says I mustn't" go to school, you say I mustn't go to the Hand of Hope when it is started, because yon have thought proper to misunderstand me. I say, as do your four children, that you must have been drunk, or else your great study in problems would have helped you more than it seems to have done. But I must say I was rather surprised that such an Art emus "Ward as you would have taken so much trouble over my little letter; if you go on I shall consider myself quite a hero. I was always led to believe that wise men like you, that study problems, had no time to wiise. Hut, in future, 1 shall not believe all that mother tells me.—l am, &c., T. Thompson. [Our correspondent is evidently under the impression that the letter written by " Muggutiiti " emanated from the editorial pen. We have no sympathy with what " Mugguffin " has stated, and can] hardly agree with our correspondent in every particular.—Ed. E.M.]