Correspondence.

Otago Witness, Issue 1476, 28 February 1880, Page 22

Correspondence.

THfi CAMBRIANS SCHOOL ENT2RTAINMENT.

TO THE EDITOR,

Sib, — I will now, as I stated in my hat letter, hvre a few words to say regarding Mr M. W. Staok's letters. Although he Beems to be of the same opinion as myself regarding the nervouenaas of the childreu when oalled upon to rooite, yet all throughout his firsb letter he seems to be in Dear oh of a delinquent, and at last pitahes into someone for Baying that the table oould not be moved, whoa an hour afterwards the same table was moved for dancing. Now Mr S. must be perfectly well aware that as a table it oould not; be moved, it being a temporary con« struct ton for the occasion, aud the assembled company would hive had to retire to admit of its being taken to pieces, which Me {?, must admit would have been both inoocvenient and disagreeable at the time the jcpqaeab was made ; and, as I previously stated, the greater part of the company had retired before daacing commenced. Now I hope Mr S, will see that in that case there was in reality no opposition to the recitation. His religious feelings seem hurt at tny mixing up references to the Author of Good with foot-races, polkas, &c. I simply stated facts, and did not hare the mixing of them, aad did Bpaca permit I could give some amusing instances of that sttne mixing which have come to my knowledge in Cambrians. His second letter, published on January 31ob, is something amusing. After bringing forward Dr W. B. .Richardson to assist him in annihilating innoctnt paatime — and I really do not think the doctor had any euch amuse.iieafc3 ia view when he wrote that t-eatiae— he goes on to write of " annual bodily contests," strained veins, tendons. &c. Readers of the Witness will almost believe that in Cambrians we are rearing » race of Amazons and gladiators. Imagine the little ones engage! in these dangeious contests, surrounded by an admiring a«S2mblage of papas and mamas, and the unsuccessful competitors being tenderly cared for by mama and scolded for being defeated ; while pupa, anxious for the honour of his family, trots another little one into tha arena. Or we may imagine the little victor surrounded by admiring relations, his or her muscle well rubbed down, and the system gradually cooled off, with the view of preventing the diradfnl consequencea depicted by Mr S., and which happen in uiae cases out of ten to ■wives and mothers, according to him. The lauguoga he uses in referring to the fair sex is, to say the least of it, ungentle manly, and shßuld he ever find onß to take oompassion on his siagla ble^edueas, if a!; any time during the course of a conjugal dispute he feela inoiined to call her a brufce, I would adviae him to have the exact measure of her muscle befote doing si, in caua she should feel inclined to s;ive him a practical illustratration of hsr physical ability. Superstition, ho tolls us. is "the peculiar prerogative of the brutes." Our forefathers were generally very superstitious, but I do not think they •mvi Lru<e3.

I have heard of, and also hnow of, many wonderful instancaa of animal sagacity, of instinct almost amounting to reason, but this is tho first time I ever hoard anything in tha shape ef religion being imputed to them ; for religion is a recessary concomitant of superstition. Brutes of the preoent year act the came as did the brutes in the Garden of Eden, guided by tradition, bo ho tello us. Now this opens up an eutively now field for investigation, an oral account of eventa as they happened transmuted from one genoratiou to another. What msy we not learn from thess traditions of iho brutes. Even the evolution question may ?)a satisfactorily sol red bypsoper inquiry in that direction j and if Mr S. has masterrd the language, lot him immorts* liae himself by giving to the world, ftp result; of h.iu labours,

I might e»y a great deal more, but I will not trespass further on your fcpace. In conclusion I must, however, say that the residents of Cambrians have always been liberal in support of their school. To get t'ae eohool established here everyone assisted except two— if memory serves me right,— and these two have since left this district ; and any fresh arrival have always shown an equal willingness to assist. Thus all have shown in a practlcftl manner their appreciation of the benefits of education, deßpite all Mr Stack's talk about awakening tho brute nature in our children. I have now only to ask Mr ti. to remember that "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."— l am, &c, Cambrians Correspondent.