D.L.F. PASSING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2686, 6 September 1905, Page 81

D.L.F. PASSING NOTES.

By D.L.F. Civis 11. !

. The D.li.F,.^dommunity is large, and its inumbexs are ever increasing, and as it takes i all kinds of peopje to. make a world, so therefore does it take all kinds of D.L.F. to make up our D.L.F. world. Let us mention a few 3and3. '"First let- us speak of the "real Mackay' — the true enthusiastic D.L.F., who take ft lively interest in all matters pertaining to ihe- interest and welfare of our beloved page; who" do. not consider it a hardship to writs interesting letters-;to Dot; and who, even-after ■the retiring -age is reached, still remain interested readers ; and willing contributors to O.W.W^'s and.on.any other special occasion. These are the D.L.F. who are the mainstay of the page — the ones on. whom Dot has learned to depend. We have had them in the past, we have them .in the present, and I'm sure "we all hope that we shall have them in the future. What would our page be without 'ithem? Then -we have our silent D.L.F. — those who maybe have written a. few letters, but have Bunk into silence, who still take a great and absorbing interest in D.L.F. matters, but tejbldom write to Dot, and seldom if ever join in the active whirl of D.L.F. social life. Yet they aTe D.L.F. stiD. There are others, again. •who write to D.ot — "Oh, just because it's good j fun, don't^yo'u mow, and, why, if s, quite the fashion." "SJhey write — well, because such a number of others are doing likewise. They also are B.LF.—^>f a-' kind. Then there are ; those who become D.L.F. for the sole reason iihat they may wear a badge, and so are privileged to speelr to all other D.L.F. badgevearero. Truly fir most worthy reason there axe rthdse-^ndi thcae "be the last kind.of DX.F. -that I shall mention— who write • ori« letter, maybe more, but' oh, so j few!— only ,orte, orv two letters to. Dot, and-) then— do .'their pens fail: them? Who can 1 ' tell? We - cannbt. \We only , know that the page appears week toy week' and month by month-minus? their letters. And yet they are famous, in a*way; for they bright and illustrious {?> lighte -3n tho DJi.F. social ■world— at D.L.F. socials, at D.L.F. picnics, at. D.L.F. gatherings,' and at D.L.F. clubs. And !they wear cur'beautiful 'little silver talisman — our badge — and.yet.they.aiev.er do what atrug D.L.F. should do : . tney .never write to Dot. "Why? This is a .question over which I have pondered asany times and often. Can anyone supply me with a satisfactory ans-wer ? It is startling in the extreme to note the Sapid strides this seemingly most allurriig Craze — the "note craze" — has made in our page of late. Well may /we ask ourselves. "Where will, it end?" Shall this on© pass away in course of time like all other crazes? Shall we hope sp, or hope not? Is it beneficial? Is it raising' the standard of the page ? Or, if it continues, will it eventually trail its honour in the dust? Like a very storm spirit it at present rages in and around our little bark, and the end-!— is not yet. Originality: This is a subject which appears to be of exceeding great interest to L.F. in general, and Awkward Ned and The Chatters in _ particular.. Both parties, accuse me oi being unoriginal. I caxe not, for he who is lacking in originality, mast also be lacking m ambition. And co for this reason my heart is glad with an exceeding great gladness, for what is ambition? To quote the Earl of Sterling's words: "Of all the passions which possess the soul, ' i None so disturbs' vain mortal's' minds A3 vain, ambition." Jlaiother writer says: "The road Ambition travels is too narrow for Friendship, too crooked for Love, too 'rugged for Honesty, too dark for Science, and too hilly for Happiness. ' Therefore I care not when they designate me/ unoriginal. And my • name is not original, Chatters? Neither is yours. But what's in a name? And-my style is copied? What of your own? Are you not first cousins to The Croakers ? For my part I most sincerely hope that, though some may see fit to call them unoriginal, D.L.F. Passing Notes will be written for years to come by D.L.F. Civises with Latin numerals affixed to their names. I Criticism : Ido not deny that criticism does good in the page, T. I. C. But there xa criticism "and" criticism. If the correspondents' writings are criticised mildly and goodnaturedly, but not too severely, I do not see how it can do any harm. On the contrary, it should prove interesting and ofttimec amusing. Notice, I sayj their "wrings." Their writings alone should bs criticised in our page, nob their private doings. It is nobody's business but their own whether their doings in private life are good, bad, or indifferent. At the same time I cannot refrain from saying that, for the sake of Dot and the page which we all love, the conduct of a. D.L.F. who wears Dot's pretty little badge of comradeship should at all times be of so high a standard as to be above comment and criticism. We owe it as a duty /to Queen Dot. By the way, T. I. C, do you mean to infer that you write criticisms? For — do not think me very dull-headed — I do not think you criticise — not much. You — write "personal remarks," don't you? "Why do Dunedin L.F. not wear badges?" T. I. C. asks the question as if it were tho most weighty on earth. In my humble opinion the badges are but a secondary consideration. "Why do Dunedin L.F. so seldom write letters to Dot?" I have asked this question before and I now ask it again. Why do they not? They attend the D.L.F. Club's meetings, socials, picnics, etc., and have the pleasure of meeting all D.L.F., past and present, who may happen to be there; in short, they enjoy every advantage and privilege which belongs to a D.L.F. The notice still remains at the head of our page — i.e., "Dot invites short letters from her little friends throughout the colony," •to. Surely the invitation includes the Dun- . «din little folk! It is a direct invitation from ■Dot, and yet the majority of them (I do not include you, Go Hon) seem fit to disregard it — 'doubtless for reasons best known to themselves. In past years Dot's Page could boast I *f iftgiovsg.- Dunedin writers, such as Con, f tßfai&fe-, Elcacleaf, Echo, Little Lady, DunedinJte, Harry, Cherry Ripe, Sol, Bert, and others *^a ftwneroua to mention. At the present

time it cottld boast of Dunedin writers equally as famous. Why does it not?

And now, little folk, I must say "Good-bye," as, for a reason best known to Dot and myself, I have decided to discontinue writing these notes. I have endeavoured, so far as it lay in my power, to make my notes interesting and beneficial to all, but I fear I have too often sadly failed. But my successor, who will shortly appear amongst you, is in. every way more worthy and more capable of being D.L.F. Civis. I also avail myself of this opportunity of stating — for the benefit of those who are so kind (?) as to say that Civis II is more than one person — that Civis II is, and always was, one person. And — well, I own, in spite of my efforts to convince you otherwise, — I am — "only a girl." That Dots- Page may continue to flourish in the future as it has done in tho past; that Dot's little folk may go forward from success to success, ever acknowledging Dot as their loving, gracious queen, and rendering unto her their deepest affection and earnest consideration in all D.L.F. matters, is my sincere wish as, for the very last time, I sign myself D.L.F. CIVIS 11.