SOCIAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1957, 27 August 1891, Page 39

SOCIAL TOPICS.

SLEEPY HOLLOW.

From bleak Dunedin to sun-kissed Nelson is as delicious a change as strawberries and cream after Seidlitz powder. Imagine Dunedin in a drizzling rain, the harbour veiled in mist, a steamer alongside the wharf, the passengers muffled in waterproof and furs waving a farewell to their friendß, then mopping up the crystal drops which gather on the tips of their noses, fondly hoping the said friends will mistake the moisture for parting tears. Then comes an interval of three nights, during which the s.s. Rotorua appears to be doing her level best to stand on her head, or whatever the nautical equivalent may be for it. Anyhow it is a performance which causes bilious "art shades" to steal over the complexions of her passengers, and which ends is their seeking the seclusion of their respective cabins, and the relief which Mark Twain describes as "Heaving up." But the roughest night, ai well at the darkest day, Lived till tomorrow, will have passed away. And gradually the sea calms down, the passengers recover, and the sun rises on the third day out on a scene of marvellous beauty —picturesque Nelson. The steamer is waiting for the pilot to come on board, and while she waits we exhaust eveiy available adjective in rapturous admiration of the scenery. The wind is busy in Wellington, but not a single zephyr has strayed to Nelson to ripple the glittering surface of the water. A vast blue mirror reflects the lighthouse, the snowcapped mountains, and the picturesque outline of the port. The Fifeshire Rock, the boulder bank, the sandbanks, the sunnylooking cliffs, all are reflected as in a sea of glass. The red funnel of a steamer as it passes and the white wings of the seagulls in its wake all add to the beauty of the scene, and when at last the vessel is brought alongside the wharf and the passengers embark under the bright sunshine of one of Nelson's most perfect days they almost need to consult an atlas before they will admit that Dunedin is in the same island as this favoured, sunlit spot. A search for lodgings terminates successfully, and luxurious quarters are found at the corner of Nile street, overlooking the Maitai river. A stroll round the garden reveals all sorts of beauties, and although it is the middle of winter and a white frost is lying on the pavement outside, yet within these garden walls are to be seen oranges ripening on the trees and lemons in glorious profusion ; while guavas and Cape gooseberries peep out invitingly from their leaves and tempt the astonishsd visitor, who feels inclined to exclaim, like "Alice in Wonderland," " Curiouser and curiouser."

There are violets and primroses, jonquils and daffodils, and an overpowering scent of daphne filling the air; whilt a peep inside a greenhouse reveals some brilliant cactus blossoms ; and a little farther on is a fernery, whose delicious cool shade must be most acceptable on a hot summer day. Then there are a tennis lawn, a swing, and numerous cosy nooks and corners, which call forth the remark from a sentimental maiden that " this would be a delightful spot to spend one's honeymoon." All who care for creature comforts are pleased to see a cow grazing peacefully in a paddock belonging to the establishment, and to hear the cheerful cackle of a hen who is informing the visitor that she " this day has done her duty." After installing our belongings in this delightful abode we proceed to explore the town. It is well named "Sleepy ;Hollow," |for very atmosphere of the place makes one feel lazy. No one seems in a hurry. Even the 'busses and trams don't seem to call whether they start at the appointed time or not, and wait 10 minutes for a tardy passenger, without even mildly requesting him to " hurry up." The cathedral stands at the top of Trafalgar street on some ramparts overlooking the town. It is a picturesque building with flights of steps ascending to it, and trees dotted round about it. The congregation seems to be mostly composed of widows; the service is well conducted, the Rev. Mr Kemp'thorne being the incumbent ; the choir are affected with the general drowsiness of the place, and their time is andante throughout. There is another Episcopalian church —All Saints'— situated near the railway station; and there are several places of worship of other denominations, including a Roman Catholic church and convent, and a Salvation Army band, which parades the streets every Sunday morning, and does its best to drown the sound of the "churchgoing bell." Nelson shops are disappointing. With the exception of one or two they are all rather primitive. There is no good dressmaker in Nelson, and the " upper ten " are obliged to send to Christchurch or Dunedin when they want to look particularly smart-. There is a good library, a small museum, a bowling green, and a tennis court, to which visitors are welcome, for Nelson folks are very sociable, and particularly hospitable to strangers. There are six pirls to every man in Sleepy Hollow, so if the Female Franchise Bill is passed women will have it all their own way in Nelson.

As regards newspapers Nelson is very badly off. There are two daily papers, the columns of which teem with advertisements and little else. The editor of the Colonist must surely be lacking in the sense of humour, for on a day when news appeared to be scarcer than ever we read, "Our leading article is held over owing to pressure on our space." Perhaps it was meant for sarcasm.

Nelson's Boys' and Girls' Colleges are two of the best schools in the colony. They are both imposing-looking buildings, beautifully situated a short distance from town.

There are many delightful walks about Nelson ; the Maitai Valley, the Wakapuaka road, and the reservoir are all favourite walk?, while Cable Bay, Richmond, and the Sands are very pleasant drives. Nelson folks are fond of camping out in summer, and of talking n about it in winter, and certainly in such a delightful climate tent-life must be very attractive in some of the picturesque nooks round about Nelson. Shooting, fishing, and deer-stalking are all

favourite sports with Nelsonians, while boating, tennis, football, and bowls are also indulged in by those who have sufficient energy ; but Nelson's greatest attraction is its climate, and it will be soon regarded as a sanatorium for the rest oE the colony. Invalids flock there to escape the southern winter, and consumptives have been known to entirely recover under the influence of its sunny climate.

The longer you stay in Nelson the more loth you feel to leave it. Anyone who wants a holiday •' far from the madding crowd " should go there, for nowhere can the " Dolce far niente " be better enjoyed than in lovely, sunny, Sleepy Hollow.