Easter Match.

Otago Witness, Issue 1640, 28 April 1883, Page 23

Easter Match.

[This letter hai been rather long in reaching us, but the writer iivei in rather an out-of-the-way p»tt of Now Zealand, and is a great enthusiast of the game.] WILLIES REPLY TO SANDY."*U certie, man ! but mv heart loupit wi' p'eaour* when 1 read your letter i' the last week's Witoeu. I'm ve< ra fu»<l o' our aid avid Scotch tongue, an' o' the yaino o' draughts as weei ; a.' when I tell ye that ye'il iiae wjuder tuac my joy was o'a verra demonstrative kind. As yell mayba be Jalouain' ill, I mlcht just at ance tell ye r.hat 1 took a wee drappie o' something stronger than '■ cotteu " to help me tau gi'e bet'er expression tae my thocht?. Man, it's winderfu* what that cm dae, an' sac I (wha am at ither tim«s a'tael douce chap— though I *ay'fc myael'), i' tha inspiration o' the moment, took up my pea an' startit the.wrjtiu o' this letter in acknowledgment o' yours. „Loßh, man ! butye'roguidatdescribin'thegaineo' draughts, au' if ye can play it ai weel — an' I ha's nao doot o'fr— ye miun be a gran' player. ' ' ' I was richt deeply iuterestit wi' your account o' the misfortune* o' the young: m<*n wha was playia' the tanner boddte at the table where ye first sat doou, an' hardly less sac at the bad luck o' the little chappie wha was feuhtin' wi' sic a big opponent at the next table ye gaed tae. My heart was wao for baith o' them, and it took your Bpirit-siinin' account o' tho play at the third table ye daundered up tae tae restore my spirits tae their original state— for I'mo' a vein sensitive uatur'. What wouldna I ha'e gi'en tae ha'o been there an' seen their play ! The chiel wha cam' k* the way f rae Christ church maun b ■ an awf v* enthu^iabt au' a gran' player as weel, if he's lookit upon as bein' the beat in a' New Zealand. Fega ! but he matin We been ta'en aback a bit at fludin' sic a touch customer in the secretary o' the tournament, wha maun be » gey gleg ane. I'm tauld that our Parlium nt an' oar Univerbity were baith represent.it acuang the spectators at this table, an' that the twa players were iv deeply interestit i' their game that they did na ken o' the honour thus conferred upon them. Maybe it 8 a quid thin^ they didna ken, for the thoeht that eloquence and learnin* were baith watchin' their play micht ha'e Bpoilt it a'thegether. 1 m ricbt weel pleased that tho match a* through was ale' a 'success, an' it mauu ha'e been verra gratityin' tae its pro* motors tae ace it sac ; an' 1 ba'o nae doot that it' will laog be spoken o' an* lookit back tae wi' pleasure baith by conquerors and conquered. I wad gust say afore I close that baith o' the classes mentioned abune ochfc tae gang: ' fl 'or plenty o' practice ; an' too the defeated the auld proverb, " Better luck no^t," will nae dbob commend itsel* ; and I dootna.but that by followiu' my advico they may be able tae turn' the tables upon their auld opponents wheu the nelst tour* nameut comes off. , . .■' Though by rlchts it has little business i' .this letter, I canna think o' lay! a' doon my pea withoot sayio' & ' word or twa on " Old Highland " versus ". Coffee." I notice that afore the play began ane o* the playerswaq invitit by a f rien' to tali' a drap o' something tae nerve him for the techt, au' that he replied he Wad tak'naething but "coffee" till it was a* owor. He'gothU coffee, an' his frien* took a glass o'.gaid ilighlaak whistty As mioat ha'e been expectit, the ane wha took the whisky proved victorious 1' the fray.wh ile the ither was naowhere. I ha'e never been V duld Templar mysel', an" never intend tae be, for I dinna believe in their theories ava, an' tae my mind this is a perfectly convinctn' proof that their argument* wiiina "haud water." It couidna be thoeht that coffee wad mak' a man fecht weel across the dambrod ony in«,ir than upon the field o' battle. Whisky's the ony thing for daein' that, for digntv BuraV'say o' tho •odger:— .'■■'- \ " Ciapin his cheek a Highland gill," and then 1 "He has nae thought but how to kIU • - Twa ot a blow." - ", ' j I wad fain think that the chiel wha wad ha'e naethioubut coffee will ha'e seen tho error o1o 1 his ways byithw time, an that when he an' life frien' neist f otgathot he will be wiiiin' tae t\k' a drap &• •••w Highland," or at least a cap o' ii6fSS-r»yfcil. ,' i " .