THE CRITIC CLUB.

Otago Witness, Issue 2499, 5 February 1902, Page 69

THE CRITIC CLUB.

Dear Dot,— True to New Year's resolutions, our meeting began with til soberness. Tho Kalgoorhe and Hedgehog letters were very interesting and very lengthy. Tom thinks Ivanda and her friends deserving of blame for destroying the ferns they had gathered. He waxed indignantly eloquent in speaking of the ruthless destruction caused by picnickers, who pluck the dainty ferns from their native soil just to gratify on idle whim. The critics claim greater knowledge than Ruatara, for they know why some books remain unread for years. They have "George Washington in the club library and, though all have made the attempt, no one ha 3 read it. Beside it •' Melbourne House," the gift of a well-meaning but indiscriniinating friend, reposes in safety Daisy M'lntyre's descriptioa of the railway journey was thoroughly enjoyed, and set Sally thinking, for he said, " A young writer said last week that- Dick did not describe Da\'s Bay at all well." "Probably not, though" I don't remember now what I said about Tt. Anyhow, I'«a not a guide book." (This from "Dick.)- Daisy Primrose's second letter quite .upset Tom's nicely balanced temper, making ( him unusually irritable. He said, " Daisy Primrose requested a column and a-half ontsj a. month. Dot granted it at once, and all will . agree it was a generous allowance. Yet D.P., knowing quite well the tiouble Dot has to fiuu ■ zoom for all" the letters, yon- coolly takes half a column in addition to what was grants to say what might easily have been expressed in haif a dozen lines. It is down right selfish. She, however, does not seem to think so, but deceives herself into thinking it is only justice to refrain from putting it in her usual letter. Some people's ideas of justice are «trang;ly distorted. She forgets to do justice to other writerß whose letters are quite as interesting as her own. . I don't for an instant doubt that she will carry through her solf-imposed task, and, indeed, would be sorry if she did not, but should she see fit to write shorter letters, I for. one will suffer in silence." Dick n.sde him sit down, and passed on to Kauri Gi/in, i •who was not very explicit. He says ne vould "fancy himself" in a certain position. What ■would he fancy .himself? A sign post? Turn Dum was considered somewhat pessimistic in his opinion of present-day writcis. Pussing en to the new Witness, Lou'a and Lady Bar- j barity'B letters restored the good humour 1 of the club. The modest writer who aspires 10 the name of Civis writes his notes in something of the same style as Dum Duro's letter. The notes do flatter the present D.L.F., though scarcely falling in with their views. The critics think there were more interesting let- j tera (not writers) two years ago than now, ard for many reasons. In those days writers were by no means so numerous as now, and good •writers could writ© oftener with an easy con- ■ science. Autograph- hunting and the craze for _ " finding out " writers were almost unheard of, ' tind most of the writers were serenely indifferent as to who the other writers were; conse- _ quently we were saved, much uninteresting reading. Then each writer was a stranger to all other writers, and wrote not for a few special friends, but what would give the greatest amount of pleasure to all. -When our writers trouble to 8* the same there will be no ne<>d to complain of uninteresting letters. The motto they are most in need of is — Prune the luxuriant, the uncouth refine, And show no mercy on an empty line. We wculd earnestly entieat Cms to let sleei^ing dogs lie. — Yours truly, TAFFY. J\CK.— Yes, she is still in the distric!. Kakapuaka. — Your suggestion will probably bs carried out in due time, but it must take its turn. Oamaru is the next in importance, and must have its turn first. Unita and Zelie. — A search has been made for the photos, but without result. I am afraid they must have been damaged durirg the process of block-making, and not kept.