THE HOLIDAYS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 516, 26 December 1877, Page 2

THE HOLIDAYS.

♦ CHRISTMAS DAY.

Grave doubts were entertained up to the eleventh hour that the ardour of pleasure-seekers in and around Oamnru would yesterday bo damped by impropitious weather. Fortunately, however, these dismal forbodings were not realised, and the great Anglo-Saxon festival was ushered in by weather such as could not have been suppassod had it been ordered for the occasion. Even at an early hour in the morning everybody was high busy, and later on crowds of people, big and little of both sexes were wending their way along the thoroughfares of our town, resolved, if it be true that facial expression is ; an honest indication of (he emotions, to utilize to the fullest every opportunity that oti'oved tor enjoyment. There was the delighted father, accompanied by the participator of his joys and sorrows, and ; followed by a string of young hooefuls j brimful of expectancy, bearing hampers, j if we are not greatly mistaken., replete | with almost every delicacy of the sea- ', son; the young couple, just bursting into maturity, whose future, as viewed by j them, in their sanguine moments, bids fair to be one of unbroken felicity ; and the j forlorn and. apparently confirmed bachelor, j adorned in his best, and with a sweet I smile usurping the place of his characteristic sourness, hastening on as though a happy thought had struck him, or. for the lirsi time in his life Ids tough heart had become vulnerable to eupid'.*. dart, and he had been captivated by the charms j of a pretty giif Chiistmas certainly] seemed to put everybody in good humor. I for our stmts were yesterday literally' full to overflowing with happy fa.vs. \ There could not possibly be m-.re couohi- ' sive evidence of the extent and Import- . ance of the < ;ai>'e:.'. it iLm the ! crowded it ate. of the streets during ibis! holiday :;ear.oii. The town on .Monday ! night was so crammed that in some parts j it required careful navigation !<• enable; one to steer through without eo;ii : ii.j i unpleasantly into coidae; wish fellow : business in iov, n was l'o-.ieg..-d •■ -n. -tab!-. I

those •>; the stationers, drapers, ijiii?i: 1,■:.-,. fruiterers, grocers, and pastrycook-. Jn .some of these business ].laces it was el times imp"S.-ih!" to move, except with ihe crowd, and they were kepi: open till well on for t'lirb-i'mts m.riiing. Wl:e!i the hour for closing eame, tliose estabbslinienls where !"is :md hooks, and .titer

Chrisimas pros, nts were dispensed, presented a eoiuioal appearance, and ihe t\ \v hooks that remained on the shelves uvie disconsopi tely loaning; oi.j against the other, '.yliilat the ioys on the show- f aoioSeethed .as thoogii they had b-oti Miiij. e! d to a .siri.nis eivii war. We were goiu g u> r. mark liiat tin- ravage.-. I el; erra'.ed In ihe pla.c.-, ml' business We havi enumerated v--, iv ipiiie appalling: lmi they will have the pleasant ctleet »i making this happy season the mure enjoyable to the business people of lids town, w>:os; ivcip'.s in h ird cash muM have been vciy considerable. »;.i!Min A'l'in.i.'l If seoui's. Tiiese spons cause oil' yesterday, and proved highly successful so far as the competition in the diil'erenf evtiils we'e concerned, though ihe attendance <>|' spectators was not by any means numerous. 'This niay be attributed to tin: fact that ninny people object io sport.- of ihi;kind taking place on Christinas Day. ;uid, therefore, refused to attend the Ngapara gathering. Owing to some rnexplained cause our correspondent has failed to supply us. as promised, with lite results of the di!;'crciit events.

stkami-'.i: r.xcri;siu_\. Owing to tiie higli sea running and the consequent im]><>f=sil)ility to land passengers at Moeraki, the steamer Waiiaki did nut make liie excursion as announced. M:uiy persons were, disappointed in eonse'pienee. for had the Waitaki been able to make the trip she would undoiibt; iliy have received a large measure of support. St. r.u'i '* si'iii-iii, t-ic-Mi-. Tiie .immal pio-nie of the Si. Paul's Presbyterian Sabbath School was held on Christmas Dav in a paddock north of the town, kindly lent by Air. Falconer, The children, assc'.nhh-d in the Church at halfpast nine, where a short service was held before leaving for the day's en joy men I. Having fallen in, two by two, lings with various mottos, such as "'Love your enemies," "Cod is love,'' and "A merry Christmas," were distributed among them, and a start was made for the paddock. The children proceeded along ilumberstreet as far as the town boundary, and after crossing tiie railway line here, wended their way along tiie Esplanade for a little more than a mile. \\ hen

tlioy arrived at ihe ( );kl<took, cricket, footl>:ilf (regardless of" the season of the year), and other .sj n irt.-s v,v;o engaged iii by young ami i.lil. Others spent the time in raci-vg, while ii;t girls enjoyed themselves at skippiii-., French tig, in 1 tenser, ami other suilal'le games. A; intervals* during the day, all assembled in (he centre of the paddock, where cakes, buns, lollies, milk, and sandwiches were provided. Mefoiv leaving for home, hymns were sung, and iioa.i ly cheers were given for those who h.yl sent, the good and those who hail helped to make the day pass so pleasantly. About half-past 4 o'clock, the children and their friends separated for their homes, and thus ended one of the best pie-nies of the school. BOXING DAY. The weather, although a trifle sultry, was again glorious for holiday-making today, and aluic-.H every method of reaping enjoyment has been indulged.. Tiie whole of the business places have been closed throughout the day, and tin; town has been almost entirely deserted, the great mass of the people having apparently wisely deemed a change of seem; and air advisable. Hundreds availed themselves of the opportunity offered by the Good Templars of paying a visit to •Moeraki under favourable circumstances, and hundreds more made their way by all manner of conveyances to Ivakauui. where a capital race meeting took place, while others indulged in pleasant little private pic-nic parties.

i;ooii TKMI'I.VK Hr-NH I Inn of the most successful o\ents of today's holiday-making was tlio first annual pic-nio hold at Moeraki undor tho auspices of tlio .several Lodges <>f Good Templars in iSurth Otago. Tho whole of the preliminary arrangements in coiineetion with this event had boon earned out with considerable care, and there was, as a consequence, a lack of aiiv Verv noticeable hitches. Shortly after 10 o'clock, a numlior of the nieuilier.s of the order, headed liy file hand, marched down to tlie railway s:ation. Here they were joined by a hi rue number "f ot her members ami friends, all hound for Moeraki. Within a very short space of time, the whole of the carriages provided were literally crammed with a living freight,

and very considerable additions had to be made to tho number of carriages. Altogether, fully (100 persons must have travelled to Moeraki by tho special train, which left tho station'at 10..'!"> a.m. wKsr.RVW siiiodi, n,-\n . Tho children .'ittendinu the Weslcyan Sunday School were, treated to a da\'s outing to itay. in lhe shape of a picnic, held in Mr. Lane's mi the Main North H-.ad. Tho' children assembled early this morning ill. the Wesley Church, and proceeded by various means to (he -eeii'' of ihu day's pleasure, accompanied by a number of lhe teacher, ,ind friends. During tho day the c-hiMrcn indulged in a number of sj.-.u-is, and were regaled with an ample -supply of provisions.