PASSING NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13859, 23 March 1907, Page 6

PASSING NOTES.

That time flies one is reminded by the approaching opening of the Otag'o Central railway to its temporary terminal, Clyde. How many years ago is it sums the eyes of certain among us turned to that pleasant sun-warmed region of Central Otago as a. local Promised Land, wboro we might in dne time'recline under till) shade of our own vino and fig trees? Time lias been due, and overdue—its pleasant dreams have drifted away derelict upon tlio doldrums of unrealised things. The vineyards of_our fancy remain tussock plains ami rabbiF wrens, while a jubilaat Government, ships down golden- Clinsselas grapes from its experimental vineyards at. Wnerenga to the Exhibition, and retails them at threepence per pound. Even iu these past days of rosy dreams and unlimited faitli our tastes were simpler, oar pleasures more Arcadicui. Wo laww r»b the seductive (juatrains of old Omar Khayyam, yet had evolved for ourselves romc crude parallel to his happily-expressed— Here, with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough, A flask of Wine,- a book of Verne. — and! Thou B-esido 1110 -Hinging in tho Wildoniess— And Wilderness is Puradiso ena,v. The opening of the Promised Land comes over-late for some of those genial dreamers, and slips into the realism of tho extension of the Otago Central. A younger generation will "week-end" in those sunny valleys; will "mote" or "bike-" up to enjoy the fruit they did not plant. But what yarns wc elders shall spin ys of tlie good old times: of the jovial' V. P.. of mine host of the Monte Oliristo vineyard, of Harry Nettlefold and the old coaching days, of Captain Jacfeson Barry, with many another memory of days more picturesque than the present.

The development of our New Zealand vineyards would appear to lxs coming none toe soon. Generally speaking, increased knowledge as to the raw materials from which our simplest meat and <lrink are prepared does not conduce to our peace of mind; and especially 'has this been tho ca.se lately. The word " revelations" has come to possess a sinister meaning, and the latest "revelations" will cause tho German to hug 'himself in that be "is not as other men are" in the matter of " mixed -drinks." Peacefully and with an approving conscience he adulterates his wines by the ton. secure in the knowledge —good patriot that lie is—that they are not for home consumption. This samo conviction of the erring one's singleness of purpose must evidently dictate the measure of his punishment, for one wine merchant convictcd of selling "55,000 gal of wine which did not. contain one trace of grape juice " merely expiated his little peccadillos by two months' imprisonment and a fine. Hern is a nice question for my temperance friends to consider. Probably they jvvill leak with on even more indigent eye upon the triumphant production of 55,000 gal of eunningly-blendcd chemicals, which, however,, possessed the saving grace of not being contaminated by one single drop of grape juice! We, too. have had our small revelations in earlier and more strenuous days. Salt-, tobacco, and such light- appetisers in the beer barrel, vitriol, cayemic pepper, and a- few pounds of good' wholesome steak have all boen known to give their "body" to the rums and dark brandies of those "good old times." As T once heard an old pioneer say.- " "fwas wonderful what a man oould drink them days! The saints gave us the good digestion. They're apoor lot that's coming on now, and it's well for them that temperance is all tlie go!"

It has long been my conviction that the Homely Hero is a variety of the spccies too little regarded. He was beneath. Carlyle's high" vision, so remained unlabellod ; the world generally takes no stock of him; youth and beauty have no time for him. Tlie lot of the homely hero is ono of cold neglect; neither uniforms, vestments, nor insignia, are the rewards of liis inconspicuous heroism. Therefore it- is with appreciation that Cms points to the discovery in our midst of a hale and sturdy member of this unlabelkd class of hero. When, twine time in tlie tfebulous future, the amazing history of the Dunedin Municipal Council comes to be written, one pleasing episode will stand out in bold relief. It may be headed '■ An Autocratic Mayor" or "A. Heroic: Mayor": that will 'be merely a- detail depending on' the sympathies of the writer. Similarly, the comfortable figure of our chief magistrate' muy be portrayed mailclad, "Horatius keeping the bridge"— i.e., the trams: history pl'.iys st-rango tricks sometimes. In any case the Mayor has achieved local fame. His good sense was quick to save the situation, and the honours of that memorable year of "the Royal visit," with all its unaccustomed splendours of Windsor uniform and "trimmings," pa'e before, the victory of common Bonse over sentiment. Moreover, I do sincerely believe that my own subconsciousness detected a- ghostly elieer from the trim tramway officials themselves, who probably prefer some more attractive holiday than one which liearo so strong a family likeness to a Sunday.

Century after century we drew up the same old ideas in word-garnients cut and clipped or amplified and trimmed to meet the fashion of the times. There was a time when the injunction to "seek peace and ensure it" bore a different meaning, perhaps, from that- attributed to it in tho youthful days of our religious instruction. If 1 mistake not, the interpretation then was on all fours with the sentiment expressed nationally as a "peace at anv price" policy-domestically as "anything for a quiet life." The more modern expression of the sentiment, reads, "ensure peace by being prepared for war." Thus, while the I'eace Congress formulates its bland policy with touching but diflicult optimism, Russia remains coldly antagonistic, Japan announces with triumph tho construction of a torpedo that can be fired by wireless telegraphy, and Mr H. Maxim—whose very name has become synonymous with the apotheosis of the modern science of slaughter—contributes his share to the promise of greater ease, certainty, and rapidity in the noble emula-

lion of the world's slaughter-masters. Tlio motor has become for the time being our patent o£ colonial "smartness" and wealth —to "mote,", otii' ambition while unfu ! - filled, our boast when achieved. But with the -working of Mr Maxim's new torpedo, a. new and fateful word, apparently- own cousin to the panting motor and the closeveiled motorist, springs into being. "A self-coinbustiblo material" made np -into solid bare, and fitted with stoel cylinders, will be tlie material to be worked upon bv an invention which it has taken eight years to perfect, and which is to revolutionise navul warfare. The whole topic of Mr Stead with his peace pilgrimages, the Peace Conference, and tho neverresting brains and energies which concentrate the vital force year in year out-, patiently planning, triumphantly achieving instruments for tho wholesale slaughter of their raco sends mo back to William Watson's sonnet, "The World in Armour." Few finer things than this, have been written: both in power and suggestion it is trinmphant, and I commend it to "my readers.'

Wo havo all, I fancy, become a little shy of Russia as a topic—at any rate, as a cablegram topic. Thus many quaint paradoxes remain unnoticed. There was the case of thai eminent official tho Governor of Sobastopol, for whose recall the unfortunate residents have petitioned on the very obvious ground that he is " a source of public danger." • The petition seems reasonable enough, since the sii unsuccessful attempts to assassinate the general have resulted in the death of 42 persons and the maiming of 107, all doubtless guiltless of any other offencertha-n the fatal one of being in the way. There are many ways of becoming famous, and fame is not infrequently tlirnst upon those whothus become mere victims of fato. To win fame by being a source of public danger—in other words, a public nuisance —is probably more unpleasant than to win it by the sharper short cut of the assassin's willing aid. What a been sense, too, of the value of "manners" and the lubricating power of those kindly conveniens sometimes jeered' at by. the candid pei'son as " shams" speaks from another recent incident. liecause there wits no expression of sympathy or regret from Russian throne or Government on the occurrence of the late accident in the Chamber of the Russian Duma, the members were " indignant." In other words, becauso the autocracy were for once truthful, and declined to express a regret- they did not feel, the democracy is " indignant." Most of us feel a comfortable satisfaction in crying down tho shams of life and lamenting tho insin-ceret-y that surrounds üb, To read our vapourings the dwellers in some far Arcadia might well imagine that our most congenial surroundings would be found in the fabled Palace of Truth. We delight to touch with' airy cynicism on the "shams" of our age and hour, happily oblivious (hat they, are of our own creation and that we arc, perhaps, ourselves the greatest shams of all. Yet it is apparent that even such realists as Russian democrats are not insensible to the shotting influence of a little soft soap;

Music is one of the cheap luxuries from winch one would almost pray to be defended in these days. Mcclianical music, music reeled forth by the "record" from gramophones, music ofthe sham sentiment,'il order, pouring in t-he ■' record" from gramapliones; music of the crude aud undisguised amateur blend, hurled upon us within the sacred precincts of our own especial villa residence; music of the blatant and assertive kiml. reckless of sharps and flats, regardless of tones and semi-tones, heartiness atoning (if that- were possible) for want, of harmony, as "the Army " conducts its vigorous street corner campaigns—the air af the cities recks with it, and there is no escape! Questions on the liberty of the subject and the rights of the individual ferment rebelliously in the minds of long-suffering invalids and of those -who, appreciating music, detest noise in vain. What can't be cured must be endured, but in view of the miseries we unwillingly endure here one is inclined to hope for marked musical improvement, or partial deafness, in a future existence. One correspondent, writing recently in reply to "Tortured's" grievances, coneludes lus letter thus:—"Whenever I imagine heavenly rapture 1 havo a band of pipers with well-timed pipes in my mind's eye.'' On which a country friend comments as follows: —

Isn't there a little of the mixed metaphor about this? Shouldn't Mt Robertson have the hand of pipers with the well-ttuied pipes in his mind's oar (wherever that ie)? An,< after nil the reront talk <vbout Mt Campboil's Now Theology, have we to give up tho harp too, and replace it by the bsgpipos? Mr A. C. lioherlson has been unli' recently a Presbyterian missionary at Katnmii. Perhaps he might join Mr Campbell's newiyfwmed Theological League on the condition of tho lngmpes being substituted for the Imp. And if the bagpipes, why not any local band, as enc woman on coming out from the performance oi the Besses o' tb' Barn Band ot Hilton remarked that she would "sooner listen to their own band any day." Cms.