ALICE'S LETTER TO HER READERS,

Otago Witness, Issue 1851, 17 August 1893, Page 46

ALICE'S LETTER TO HER READERS,

"lam dead tired," she said, " and fit for nothing to-night." And then she closed her eyes, leaned back in her cbair and bighed. I thought she would sit there all the evening, but she did not. Presently she took out'her darning wool from her workbasket and commenced to darn the stocking. 8 . " 0 little feet," she quoted, " That such long years Must travel on through hopes and fears ! I that have neared the wayside inn, Where work shall cease and rest begin, Am weary thinking of your road."

She sat there all the long evening, patiently darning the stockings. If all the work that women do' could be counted— l mean the work after they are tired— the world would be surprised. « 'I wonder," Bhe said, when later in the night she leaned back and closed her eyes, "if God will pny us for our overtime." I wonder also. "You see," she continued, " most men know what is their duty — what is expected of them. They begin their work at a certain hour in the morning and work till a certain hour at night. Then they are f ree— free to leave the office or the workshop and to be themselves. We are never free. We have hours of relaxation when we make them, but few women, if they spoke the truth, but could find something to do. And oh, how many weary nights we have nursing the children, nursing the sick. I wonder if God will pay us for our overtime ? " "It is true," I answered, " that no effort is in vain, and that each one meets with its reward— the reward of accomplishment," " These holes,

for instance," she replied, "are disappearing, I am filling them in."

Nor is she the only woman " dead tired " who eat that night in patience working. If women ceased to labour when they wearied, half their accomplishment would be left undone. It is after a woman's duty is over that she gives of herself. " Oh," she reasons, "it must be done," and far into the night she sits. Or some one is ill, and she tends them while the -hours drag by, unconscious that she is weary, or if conscious, too unselfish to own it.

Does anything pay her for her overtime ? Ido not know. Go into the homes of the poor; go into the streets or into the churches, and look at those weary, worn faces, lined prematurely with care, and regard the set, stunted bodies. Does anything repay 1 An hoar here and a day there — a little at a time— they have given of themselves. It has been one long work day from the time they were told " to mind baby and not to let him fall " until they were grown vp — grown middle aged and grey. " I dreamt one night," said a woman to me, " that I had stairs to scrub all the way from earth to heaven." So many of us have. From the earliest years step follows step, demanding all oar strength, all our courage, all our energy. Our duty cannot' be compressed into so many hours a day. Step after step they stretch out :' one task accomplished, another yet remains to be done, and if we pause or say that we have done enough, we leave so much undone), and the very best that is in us to do is done after we have done our duty. We know so well where we could draw the mark ; we know j when we have waited, hoped, laboured, loved, trusted — our duty— when we have done as we ara done by — when we have worked for our pay and earned it honestly ; but half our labour, half our love, is overtime

more than we receive for — more than we bargained for, for the shop and the workroom does not mdtee a woman's life. It does not- satisfy her to pay 20a to the pound ; love for love is not enough : she adds a little more, she forgives a little more than Bhe is forgiven, prays a little harder than she is prayed for, trusts more than she is trusted, and finds the world harder always— because she is a woman. In reward for the overstrain she grows old sooner than the man, and be looks at her with critical eyes. He sees her wrinkles, and rot the cause of tbem. He complains to himself that she has lost her youth. He does not remember her hours of overtime — those endless stairs between earth and heaven. It is mtet, he considers, that she should show him a way by which he may ascend. It is a woman's duty to be good, but be resents the wear and tear of the labour, and when her face is lined with the protracted strain, complains bitterly that she ib growing old. " Does God reward us for our overtime 1 " Look round the world. Take the women who labour not at a'l. They have tim 6 for laughter and'song— time to keep young and glad ia;.and then go and look at the women who have more to do in a day than the day seems worth. If youth is best, then the labourers lose ; if health and gladness is best, then tbe labourers lose ; but if there be anything better than this— if the stairs to scrub do lead higher and higher— then the working women do not work in vain. The after hours will all tell. There would be poor comfort in the world if women ceased their labours when they had worked an honest day— if whtn they thought they were " fit for nothing " they did no more, many holes would remain unmended. But it is worth the patient effort — the endurance — to set evea a little wrong right and put into a bitter pool- a branch of sweetness. Somebody must darn the stockirgs, While many are building churches and discovering stars others are darning the holes, not of duty, but of their goodnes?. They are tired with their own day's care, but in the evening they think of the restless feet that will walk to-morrow, and make by their labour of love the way a little easier. There may be no recompense but the joy of ac-

compliahmenr, and if this be all it is worth the having.

Somebody must do the insignificant things — the things that seem vulgar and poor compared with the work that the world talks about. Many things that make a home happy would not read well in a review. There is a poetry in some poor rooms that has never been put into rhyme — a chivalry that is of back streets and unfrequented byways. The overtime of life is an unpaid for overtime, when the full heart and bu3y hands rise to meet the dire necessity of the hour, when manhood gives itself to infancy, youth to old age, compassion to sin and suffering, health to sickness, and charity to poverty. If all the world toed a certain line, and said, "My duty goes no further," we should lack much that we now enjoy, many of our hopes would go in rags ; but human nature is seldom so "dead tired" but it can do a little something of use and comfort for the world.

On Tuesday evening the Kaihauga Club met at Mrs Sinclair Thomson's for a visitors' evening. There were a very large number present, and an excellent programme was gone through, the chairwoman being Miss Lily Tuiton. The first item was a song by Miss K. Mills, which was.nicely sung, the young lady being her own accompaniste. Then followed a long and very well rendered recitation by Miss F. Sise. The next item was an exquisite violin solo by Mies Buisk, the piano accompaniste being Miss Gwen Roberts. After the interval the first item was a song, very well rendered, by Miss Lulu Roberts, Miss Buisk playing tor her. Then came a moat amusing reading on " The Animals' Girls "by Mrs Melland. The^ last item was a scene from " Alice Through the Looking Glass," Miss I. Rattray taking the part of Alice, as a qaeen with a crown, while Mrs H. Mackenzie, ia red, took the

pait of another queen, and Miss A. Cargill, in white, that of yet another. There were a large number of guests present,' and especially to be noticed were Mrs Reid, ia black velvet ; Miss Reid, brown velvet, with large yellow silk sleeves and trimmings ; Miss C. Raid, sage green velvet, with pink silk sleeves and trimmings; Mrs A. M'Ma3ter, black skirt and red silk blouse ; Mrß R. M'Master, black figured silk teagown, with sleeves of electric blue ; Miss Ashcrof t, black cloth, and several more.

On Wednesday evening Mrs Cutten gave a very large musicals at her residence, Anderson's Bay. There were about 80 guests present, and a most eDJojable evening was spent. Miss A. Cargill and Miss M. Oargill gave a most original little sketch called " A Modern Dressmaker." Mr J. Cargill gave one of his funniest recitations, entitled •• Leap Year." Songs were also given by Mrs C. Kettle, Miss Roberts, and Mrs A. J. Fergusson. The supper table was charming, the decorations being beautiful, and consisting of red and yellow silk, with numbers of glass dishes filled with spring flowers. Mrs Kettle wore a handsome black Bilk, with jet trimmings ; Miss Mills, white silk, with bands of black velvet; M.rs Ogston, pink Surab, with white lace trimmings ; Mrs Ridings, handsome black silk; Miss Gibson, striped grenadine, with different coloured ribbons; Miss Dymock, white silk trimmed with yellow velvet ; Miss R. Reynolds,, blue striped silk, large blue silk sleeves and fall of white lace ; Miss G. Roberts, pale green covered in black lac?, larga green velvet sleeves; Miss Sise, pale yellow silk; Miss Ulrich, pale green; Miss Williams, black. Also present were 1 Mrs Denniston, Miss Reynolds, Miss Tolmie, Misses Oargill, Mrs and everybody else. We shoull hope that by the Misses Shand, Misses Hpence, Mrs Hosking, Misses Roberts, Misses Williams, Misses Stanford, &c. On Thursday Mrs Hocken gave a most enjoyable luncheon. Amongst those present were Mrs Reid, Mrs R. M'Master, Mrs and -Miss Dymock, Mrs Buckland, and several more. OnThursday evenlngMrs Cutten gaveasmall and most enjoyable dance to a few friende, amongst those present being Mrs Williams,

Mrs Ogston, and Mrs Ridings. The Misses Williams, Miss Tolmie, Miss F. Rattray, Miss F. Spence, Miss Roberts, Miss Dymock, Miss Oargill, and a few more. Dancing was kept up with great spirit till a late hour.

A charming fancy dress ball was given by Mrs Alexander M'Donald on Friday night, at Mahinga, the residence of Mrs Scott, her mother. It was quite a large party, and of the most enjoyable nature, and the evening passed in the pleasantest manner. Danoing was in the dining room, the floor of which is always perfect. There was an excellent supper, and the fact of Mr Yates presiding at the piano left nothing to be desired on the score of music. Mrs Scott (as a Spanish Lady) wore a lavender silk, with black lace veil fastened with red poppies ; Mrs M'Donald (as Patchwork) wore a dress of rich patshwork of silks, velvets, and plushes, with a pink silk sasb, and the low bodice finished with pink chiffon, a shell necklace, and patchwork cap trimmed with spangle 3, pink silk stockings and little shoes finishing a very effective costume; Miss Scott looked very pietty as a Gipsy, her dress being, the skirt of black velvet, trimmed with coloured ribbons, a white chemisette and black velvet corselet, and red headdress with spangles, and hand-painted tambourine; Mrs Ormsby looked very well as Night, with black net studded with gold stars, headdress fastened with half moon ; Miss M'Kean (as the Duchess of Devonshire) wore a cream-coloured silk, 130 years s old, finely striped with dull red, white wig and largf -brimmed hat with white plumes ; Mrs R. P. Bagley (as Evening Star), the paper bdng printed on white, the skirb, sleeves, and neck finished with blue silk ruching, the bodice and sleeve trimmings, also the neaddress, of sticks of red sealing wax and quills ; Mrs Israel (as Grannie) wore a black satin dress and

white Indian silk shawl, poke bonnet trimmed with feathers; Miss Lily Peake and Miss Jago were charming Twins, dressed alike 'in white muslin frocks, with white sunbonnets finished with blue ribbon bows ; Madame Squarise wore a lovely costume (as a Moorish lady), with blue silk trousers and overdress of old gold satin, bangles, headdrets,- earrings, and shoes were all complete, and she looked exceedingly well ; Miss K. Grant (as Miss Hardcastle), crimson dress, white B^rtba and apron ; Mrs Moore (Fairj), gown of yellow, silver wanrl, and wings ; Mrs Muir, her Majesty Queen Victoria ; Mies Muir (Marchioness), a court drefs of violet silk and creatD, with powdered hair aod violet feathers; Misß Bcownlie (Night), black net spangled ,with silver stars, silver crescent in her hair; Miss Grant (Red Riding Hood), blue dress and red cloak, white pinafore; Mrs Kahlenberg looked nice as a Gipsy in a diess of cream pink and red finished with ribbons to match ; MissE wing (Dolly Varden), in a gown of cream and lavender, with Dolly Varden hat^ Miss Evans (Ivy), with ivy trailing over ' hec costume ; Miss Crawfoid, Red Cross Nurse; Mrs F. Hyams (Housekeeper), gown of black merv, dainty white muslin apron, cap, and bertha; Mrs Stenhouse, Spanish Lady ; Mrs Tomer (Winter), black tulle covered with snowfiakes, holly in her hair ; Miss Bews, Sweet Girl Graduate ; her sister, Swiss Peasant; Miss Strachan, "Comin' Through the Rye"; MiBB — Stracban (Sunflower), in yellow, ornamented with sunflowers; Mrs Fergus, handsome court dress of cream brocade, powdered hair; Miss Gilchrist, Swiss Peasant. There were several other ladies wbose names I could not learn. Among the gentlemen there were also some handsome costumes, among them being Mr Ormsby, as Lord Harlow; Mr M'Danald, Clown ; Mr Park, Student ; Mr Pafcerson, Tennis ; Mr M Cormick, Officer of the Australian Contingent ; Mr Smith, Officer Imperial Army fMr Grant, Navy Captain ; Mr K. Jago, Negro ; Mr Stuart, Highlander ; Mr F. Hyams, very picturesque diess as a Neapolitan Fisherman ; Mr R. Williams, Black and White ; Mr Blythe, Sir Walter Raleigh ; Mr W. Scott-, Spanish Peasant ; Mr 0. Scott, Matador; Mr H. Saott, Roman Gladiator ;

Mr Flinders, Charles II Court Costume; Mr Hunter, Court Dress; Mr Gilohrist, Japanese ; Mr Moore, very handsome Court Dress; Mr Bwing, Bicyclist; Mr Arkle, Court Dress ; Mr J. Stewart 1 , Volunteer ; Mr 0. Peake, Sailor; Mrßews and Mr Hume, Dominoes; Mr Bagley, Bohemian Soldier; Mr Israel, Policeman. Dancing was kept up until a very late hour, many of the gnests sustaining their characters very well during the whole evening.