HOW WE KEPT MAFEKING DAY IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2412, 24 May 1900, Page 35

HOW WE KEPT MAFEKING DAY IN CHRISTCHURCH.

• . By Edith Seaele Grossmann. Friday, May IS, was a purgatorial day between Portuguese reports of rescue and Pretorian announcements of closer investment. i "While^the perfidum genus in Dunedin was ' parading the streets in joyous 2untem.pt of official delay, the discraeter mass in Christ-chiu-ch wavered backwards and forwards between the newspaper offices and their own places of business. Numbers rushed from homes, desks, and counters, on bicycles and on foot, but slowly each went back a sadder but not wiser man, bearing in his hand the tantalising special edition with, its red-lettered " Relief of Maf eking," but not a syllable ot news*. A crowd blocked the street round the ' press' offices, and the piles of papers were shot down at the side entrance and sold instant. j' to the throng below. Groups gathered, and then dissolved. Only the street orator knew all the details. Then Saturday dawned, a dull dead clay of winter, with dark sky and chill, ' stagnant atmosphere. Still no news came, and people resignedly went their .way. Only a tew flags floated in a languid and dejected loneliness. But an hour and a-half after noonevery heart leapt up at the sound of the gun, deadened though it was by the heavy air. A moment of doubt and listening— then clash and clang went vhe cathedral bells,, the most frightful dissonance ever invented. At this magic- incantation +he whole town was m- ' stantly transformed into a mob of schoolboys aud schoolgirls let loosa for a holiday. Dinner bells steam whistles, kerosene tins all chimed in the hubbub of shouting and cheering and singino-. Out trooped, young and old, and seized each other by the hand, and beamed upon each other. Out they came, the old grar-dsire talking of Balaclava and Sebastopol, the little old lady whose heart was in England, the crowing baby that waved vlreamers and toy flags from its perambulator, the clerk and broker and shopman, the young lady from belund the counter, mistier and maid alike gay with ribbons of red, white, and blue. Up flew all the flags on every flagstsS. while miniature flags stuck out from cart and coach ancl --tram, and were carried past by bands of children. In an hour's time the procession of volunteers and artillery, with the brass bands, had been drawn up in Cathedral square and was marching to the enclosed ground and rotunda by the river. Amongst them went the Canterbury College students in cap ancl gown, carrying their football banner. The crowd surged around, with vocal protestations that Britons never, never, never should be Flaves. 'One loyal baby, a charming young barbarian of three, held aloft in her mother's arms, shouted with glee at the masks, and especially hailed the -effigies of Kruger and fSohreiner hanging for treasor. " Oh, I hope zey won't cut him down!" she was heard to cry, and from her tone one would have judged it unsafe to trust the Cape Premier to her t-jadert -jader mercies. In the Market square the mayor maae a sweech, but what he said, witness depoueth not ; nor does it matter, for to say "Baden-Powell, the hero of MaJeking" was fiery eloquence just then, and a statement that we wers all Britoos was greeted as the profoundesfc diseovary of modern times. After this the procession, not quite knowing what to do with itself, dispersed, and the excitement began to timmer down a little. All the afternoon people moved backwards and forwards in the rqusre, expecting something fresh to happen. Now and then the drum beat and a. small detachment of volunteers or school children paraded past. Country people, who had come in for Saturday's marketing, mixed with the crowd. On 3 orator, whose omniscience had got- a little muddled, emphatically declared " he always knowed Gen'l Buller 'ud ' come out all right." In one corner a,' v blatherskite " had gathered round him a knot of , younger men, and was revealing to them how Lord Roberts ought to conduct the campaign. Yearling babies still played with toy flags,and paper streamers. At every street corner 'could be heard the shrill newsboy. " Star — special edislran — 'Lief of Mafeking " ; while a more modest treble piped, " Mafeking rosettes for thrupence." Through hotel windows could be seen wild 'figures tossing up hands and caps, while the shouts from inside reached the street. Night was the liveliest time.' As s-oon as darkness fell the blue searchlisht streamed in long . bands from the cathedral tower, lighting" .up first one quarter, then another. The scene in the park had some singular effects. The crowd slamling on rising ground with the light of the fireworks in front of them looked from behind rather like dark bush brambles than human figures. ''What!'' inquired one amazed citizen, who arrived rather late, "They all 'cads from 'ere to 'ere?" The rockets fitfully lit up the grass and damp 1 path and the wall of trees and the throng of children, young and old. But everyday fireworks were scon declared dull, and all eyes i were watching for. the biasing of the greai. pyramid of boughs, hen coops, and tar barrels, surmounted by its gallow&like structure. ' Presently 8 o'clock struck, the kevosece was [ poured 'On and men with lighted torches moved near. Then in a moment, with a eraekl^and a roar, the flames shot up, sending off showers of sparks and lighting up the yellow autumn foliage of the trees against th'o black sky, The beating- of the drum and the mu:-ic of the instruments were almost lost in the many voices of the crowd and the impromptu songs airl choruses, the inevitable i '" Britons never shall bs slaves " mixed with i 'We'll hang old Kruger on a sour apple tree, I Artel his soul goes marching on. A few minuter later and the throng all rushed to the park gates, where horse, and cart, baby and perambulator v» ere all squeezed in a living block, in ihe midst of which a grotefquely well-bred voice was heird remonstrating with the whole Back, ""Why do you push? Thers ii KO need to pibh!" The show was over, though till late vi night a few disengaged and ardent patriots still hung about the square, and the last that was heard of Mafekin? Day was their tuneful but unsteady inquiries a& to whether old acquaintance should be for — fo', — got, and never brought to mind.

' The Geraldine correspondent of (lip Tiinaeu Post was shown a mushroom on Saturday, which measured 36in in circumference. There worf te^eral other 0 near where it grew, somewhat smaller hi size. i The committee of the Manawatu Racing Club rsceived a letter on Thursday evening from Hugh O'Eagan, who was disqualified for foul riding at the Manawatu races about two years ago, asking the club to remove his disqualification. O'Hagan wrote from Monto Chiislo Camp, _N«tal on February 21, where, ai o, trooppr in the South African Light Horse, he was assisting in the relief of Lady--prcuth. No action was taken.