PASSING NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10619, 14 March 1896, Page 2

PASSING NOTES.

One by one the illusions—cherished or otherwise—of our youth are disappearing. Beneath the relentless scrutiny of tho scientist many o£ the fond dreams of earlier »nd less scientific days are being rapidly dispelled. For example, wo were all taught in boyhood's days that

Early to bed and early to rise, Makes a man happy and healthy and wiso. It now appears that this is an altogether mistaken idea, and that thd effect of early rising in youth is much more likely to be the production of a lunatic 1 So at ioast says Dr Talcott, ah eminent American physician, who traces the prevalence of insanity among farmers and their families to " perpetual early rising." I wish thßt Dr Taleott bad been bom some 40 years earlier, and I might hays been caved much misery in my younger days. I can still remember being wakened by the brazen tongue of the " getting up bell" on cold and frosty mornings in the old country, when the ice was frozen in the water jugs and all around was dark and cheerless. Dr .Talcott and his admirers have lately changed all that. The early bird is no longer the admired of all admirers.. The poet' now sings— ' " ',"■•■

'Tin the voice of the sluggard, I heard him complain— j 'Don't call me so early; you'll make me insane 1' <

Personally I am obliged to Dt Talcqtt for emphasising this great truth before the cold weather sets in here, and I intend to enjoy my beauty sleep in the approaching frosty mornings without the qualms of conscience that were wont to disturb my matutinal slumbers. :

lam afraid that poor old Scotland stands no longer where it did. Fancy golf being played on Sundays hear Edinburgh I I can scarcely conceive such a thing. Oho would imagine that the stout old Covenanters would rise from their graves in Greyfriars'Churchyard and elsewhere and solemnly denounce the impious players who thus dared co profane the " Sawbath "; and yfet Btmday golf seems to be an accomplished fact in the Northern Athens. Possibly w 4 e may have it one of these days even in {Godly Duhedin 1 To tha Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh is due the credit, or discredit, oE having achieved this remarkable result. By 108 votes to 96 the . council repealed a by-law which forbade the playing of golf on the links of the Burgess Club on Sundays. Cr Cranston, who proposed the resolution, personally objects to games of any kind on Sunday. Still; as he told his fellow members, he sees no reason why other people should not have liberty to play golf on the first day of the week if they wished to. After this, who shall dare to say that Scotchmen are bigoted 1 I wonder how the City Council of Dunedin would deal with such a question. Would his Worship the Mayor dare to risk the displeasure of. the Rev. Mr Gibb and the discipline of the kirk session o£ First Church in Older to bring about a similar state of things in Donedin 2 I trow cot. Verily, wa have much yet to learn from " Auld Reekie " and her inhabitants. <" . ..../... ■

I am afraid Or Haynes, too, would take a somewhat narrow view of such a burning question. I: must confess that lam disappointed with his utterances at the adjourned meeting of the National Association. That august body does not seem to have profited by the sound and disinterested advice I gave its promoters last week, and the natural result has followed. It has to some extent, and speaking, metaphorically, put its foot in it once more. The Hon. " Tom "Fergus has apparently rushed in where the chairman and. acting secretary, feared to tread, and the result has been dieastrons.1 MrColclougti and his attendant deities—" a parcel of spies," na Mr Fergus called them—seem to have been " chucked out" in a very summary manner, and no doubt by this time have seen the error of their ways, paid their xespeotiva 2s like men, and become active members of the National Association of New, Zealand. At the same time an unfortunate impression has got abroad that tho National Association is ill the nature of a secret society, and

that none bat those bappjr (?) beings mho -wear black costs (and- silk hats on' Sundays) are to be admitted within the fold of the association. Now I am quite erne this is a great mistake. The " platform "of the National Association is quite-broad enough and strong enough to bear many men and many opinions; I notice that'Mr Fergus explains in a letter to the newspaper that he need the words , complained of by Mr Colclough purely in a Pickwickian sense. I trust that this candid and straightforward explanation will ba accepted, that the past will be forgotten '• and forgiven, and .that In the future the j National Association -will go on. conquering j and to conquer'in its self-allotted task of ! setting the World .to rights.

A correspondent thus addresses me:~ Dear Civis, —Do you notice how frequently of late the expression "and who" or "and which" is used, whete the "and" is quite superfluous. The American journalist \. is particularly fond of it, and even some of the colonial men make the same slip occasionally.

Is not " Scotch "merely a convenient abbreviation of " Scottish "?

I ihalT take these queries in their order. " And which " and " and who " cure creeping into general use. lam ashamed to admit that I myself have fallen somewhat into the slipshoduseof the expressions. Of coarse there may be occasions when the use of the words is justifiable. But that is very seldom.- It might, for instance, be justifiable in-Biich a case as the following:—"The orator'who recapitulated the events of the last session, who described bis own connection therewith, and who defended the stand ha had taken, waa,"&c.; or, " The event which I described,which writers have given prominence to, which poets have snug about, and ■ which has had the greatest influence on the history of this colony, was," &c. Bat it will be observed that the usage is clearly defined. The" and which" and " and who" to which my correspondent refers is quite another matter. I might quote an example of this also: " The example of the honourable member is one to be avoided, and which must be diligently censured." Tbis is not so uncommon as might be'supposed. None of ns jfl'perfecfc; we all fall into looseness of speaking and writing sometimes. I have even caught that purist Mr ifish tripping sometimes.

As to the word " Scotch" being a convenient abbreviation of the word " Scottish," Itbink there can be no doubt about it. The word " Soot" comes to us in many shapes. In Anglo-Ss&on it is Scotia, in Icelandic' S&ottskr, in Dutch 'Sctot, in German Sehotle, In Irish, Scuite, and' in Gaelic Sguit— a wanderer. The word Scotia also has a meaning in Greek and Latin of darkness 01 gloom. Now, doubtless the fall adjectival form of the word is "Scottish," but in connection therewith a well-known factor in the development of language has to be remembered. The inhabitants of cold and bleak countries develop the use of gutturals from their unwillingness to open' their mouths. The inhabitants of sunny and warm countries open their months widely, and hence their language. becomes soft and fall of Towels. The, inhabitants of Scotland had occasion frequently to describe themselves. A Scot is never at home unless be is abroad, and is under the frequent necessity- of stating where he conies from. Following tho habit of his forefathers, and keeping bis month Bhot as ifar as possible, he calls himself "Scotch" instead of "Scottish." Hence trie .abbreviation. If anyone, can furnish me, with a ' better explanation I shall be glad to hear of it.

A gentleman named M'Hardy, who appears to dwell amid the rural beauties of Limestone Plains, is unfortunately burdened with political aspirations, and has thus early in the day favoured the public, per medium of a meeting of the electors, with his views on things in general.■" Naturally, bat somewhat unfortunately, Mr M'Hardy's views are somewhat neboloua, and I gather from a local report that it was: with some difficulty'the enlightened and intelligent electors extracted bis opinions from him by means of questions. Mr M'Hardy'B heckling seems to have been a very joyous affair indeed—for the questioners. I append a few specimens:

Are you in favoor of abolishing Bellamy's ?— (The chairman explained that that was where they got the "booze" in Wellington—laughter); Whit is the odds to me whether they abolish it or not—(A Voice: You might drop in occasionally).. Yes.—(Laughter). Will you pledge this meeting to remain sober while you're in Wellington ?—lt would be some time after tbis before I could give you an honest answer.—(Boms of laughter.) .Would you be in favour of reducing the publicans' licenses P—To reduce the licenses might increase the number of hoteU. There are two sides to the aneation.

■#ontd-yon reduce the Governor"* salary ?—I don't know exactly what he gets, but I think he needs all he has to keop himaelE and do justice to the country.

IteleoWdj will you do your best to take the franchise away from the women?— That is tho very last thing I would go in for, directly or indirectly; . Would you ba in favour of taking the fluty ofi whieky ?—No, and that's as plain as I can make it.

Would you favour tha olosing of hotels at 11 o'olook instead of 10?— No, as it would only ba for the advantage of those who wenb from tha " straight."

Are you in favour of establishing.distilleries in the coloDy ?—I am in favonr of encouraging local industry, but I dp not koow whether that would do any good.

It is abundantly evident that Mr M'Hardy's claims to bo elected a representative are not taken by the elector* at his own appraisement. But what Would you? Every'eledtion in this free country, where all men "are equal, brings to the front men of this stamp. Even in Dnnedin we have seen snob, candidates. Thero is ono good feature about their efforts. They are productive of much hilarity. Hence it is not surprising to learn that an ironical motion of thanks and confidence was duly carried, and that the meeting broke up "with singing," ■

.Somebody has kindly sent me a brochure of 20 pages, consisting of " Aorangi and Other Verses," by David M'Kee Wright. The pleasure of becoming acquainted with Mr Wright is one which the future has yet in store for me, but I have seen his name occasionally nnder lucubrations in the "Poets' Corner"—that grave of so much unrecognised talent. I do not suppose that Mr Wright has published his little book in order to show the public that an error was made in selecting Mr Außtin for the post of Poet Laureate. If any such intention actuated him, it is rather a pity some friend did not counsel him to postpone publication until the child of his muse had attained a presentable size. Bat, though Mr Wright sings in a re/y minor key, and does not sing to much length, he sings somewhat sweetly:—.,..'

Down amid the deep pine shade, Soft ferns rustle in the breeze, ' Rata blossoms brighten all the glade, :' Long vines trail about the trees. Come, love, down amid the shade, Soft ferns rustle in the breeze; ~•'■.. Fancy that the world for ms was made,— ..; You snd'ine, the robins, and the trees. It might, perhaps, be not out of place to remind Mr Wright that his shade is somewhat suggestive of dampness and consequent'rheumatism. But when did poet ever think of tbeumatios? Give him his leafy arbor and bis love, and the warnings of the prudent may go hang. Yet some idea of this kind appears to have presented itself to Mr Wright, for we find him saying, or, rather, making his sweetheart say:

And she said, " Be ■seneiblo and wait until the

■ ~, ■•■-■■ (Streamlets sparkle aiidskies are blue.) When the flowers are awake again and birds

, ■ begin to sing, You can place upon my finger a goldes wed- ' ding-ring;

And I'll be your sweetheart, fond and true." Though our poet is characteristically modest, I think it would not have been amiss if ho had taken the advice of his sweetheart and waited until the spring. His poetry would then bo more seasonable.