THE GUILD OF - UNKNOWN FRIENDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2695, 8 November 1905, Page 69

THE GUILD OF - - UNKNOWN FRIENDS.

EMMELINE'S SUPPLEMENTARY/ 2.1A11,

My Dear Readers, — So many mesiages ana Ic'tlei'. of personal interest io different members cf our li-cle hpve come in since you peeped into my postbag that I have made u^. "a bupplenientary mail" rather than dotaiu tire interchange of kindly greetings too long.

Boy Friend writes: "Just a line to let Evo know how sorry I feel at her departure from our midst. We have bean s'xsh a happy family that parting eeerns quite bad. Bun wherever our dear comrade's jouruaymgs may lead her the memory of her comradeship and a hopr for her return will ever remain with us? There is a kind Hand tha.t guides ad our wanderings."

Hochelaga -writes- "Dear Emms-line.— The last meuimg but one! And, concerning thatone, how we wonder and speculate. Tlie historical papers I found most interesting, pnd some of them mo-re — much more.— than interesting. I think this session has been s most successful one, and Emmeliue is, no doubt, corgralulating herself. Really, I don't know how we could manage without ojt Cosy Corner through the winter. It is good to fee] the cosiness of it, and forget for a time the discomforts of winter — forget we are no longer lonely, no longer shut off from our friends. Ted and Gmb .jdid not depict a happy time for me a.t your "afternoon tea, dear Emmeline : but how did they guess that hats are a continual worry to me ? It is, I "suppose, hardly ucce.ssaiy to say how much I enjoy your postbag. Kerani's complain* made me laugh. I can readily sympathise. - 1 have, no doubt, a better excuse for my sympathy than he has for the complaint. Even from those who

" stopped learning too soon,' did Kerani even suffer such as this? — ' Ever since the Christian area/ or ' Now I am just comparising.' ft sourds somewhat exaggerated, does it not? B^vt we really are occasionally treated to cuch ternM in a sermon, and it makes one wonder if it wou'd not be as well to stay at home on Sundays. One of our ministers said, ' You do not go to church to hea-r sermons, but to praise God.' "

I hops I am not indiscreet m making so long an extract from your letter, dear Hocliekiga? I wish I could complete the graphic picture of your musical trials and sufferings at the hands of the variable choir, but suppose it would be "a breach of confidence." Your description, however, provided me with ai> excellent excuse for quiet merriment. Are jou not tired' of this wet spring?

Rangiora tells me that "Kerani's latter which yoir shared with us contained so much which drew nx> almost irresitibly to make extensive cemmcrtary .on, but ... I must resist thi temptation. . . The club scored anothei success with the historical meeting 1 . Lex, oi> Shafte.-bury, gave splendid quotations. — indeed, all were so good it seems scarcely fa.ir to single out any for especial mention. Is not Lowell's poem 'My Love,' from which Lex quotes, a beautiful pictme of the true 'womanly woman'?" It is indeed, Ra.ngiora. I know none better. And your idea of '.he illuminated booklet seemis so charming : J £,hou'.d like to see on-o so much. So you, too. find "colotu- an abiding delight." It is a sense which, together with " the seeing eys, J is always much intensified, as in your case, by the study of painting. Yes, it makes one realise llie truth of what you say: "The loss of sight must be the hardest deprivation of all, except loss of reason." "Eyes to see" are, indeed, one of the good gifts fioru Above, Eangiora. The following is an appreciation which I must pass on m all its warm, and generous friend! in e&s to yoti, my comTadas : —

Dear Emmehne, — As a constant reader oi Cosy Corner Club's columns allow me to send this,, letter •as an -appreciation for the maim .benefits and the unspeakable pleasure I, wit>< a number of others, have received during the post sessions. My pen fails in the attempt to tell of the effects your pen-and-ink friends' contributions have upon your readers in the backblocks, both morally and' in a great degree spiritually. Long may you, dear Emmeline. continue your labour of lovo, with the united help of your pen-and-ink friends, for the lasting benefit- of those less- gifted I—me1 — me included. Special thanks to Boy Friend, Gabriel, and ■liex, not forgetting you for your late and ■valuabio article, "In the Background."— M/ltaxtra. Falls. Accept my sincere thanks for your kindly fippreciation, my unknown friend. Vow wiH all be glad to hear from Kerani, I mow. Dear Emmeline, — It really seems to he J&onths since I started to write jwith the intention of expressing my thanks to Eoby and others who had been pleased to convey their ■appreciation of my humble efforts, and though i got more than halfway thr<ragh with the Jask it lad ha laid aside through, pressure

of work, and now the appropriate time- seems to ha.ye gone past. Still I can hardly see the session close without again tateng in hand ' zny favourite weapon, if only to make excuses for my long absence. It has too long lain idle 00 tho table. I havo no pen rack, and have no room for it if I had it. You see, I ana leading the "simple life." It is so very simple that I could not endure the thought cf making H any simpler. Simpler, indeed! Why, the only luxury that I could possibly give up is soap. If you doubt its being a I luxury, just think how many millions of our I fellow-creatures never see it. That I am not going to part with yet. Books are a necessity — to do without them involves mental starvation. So, as I had nothing to advocate in the direction of greater simplicity, what use was there in my writing for that meeting? Then, with regard to your generous offer of a million of money the previous month, there was equally little to be said. My plan would have been to invest a very few thousands in some j safe way, and hand the rest over to 3>r Baruardo, and I feel sure you will admit that there is nothing there worth putting into writing. No doubb you have seen that the good doctor is at rest from his labours. It is a pity, that his last da-ys should have been

saddened by the thought that the work of his hfe was '-eavily in debt. Last winter there was an appeal to the public for £120,000, but up to the beginning of August tho response had amounted tc only £25,811, and the effect of the appeal seetaed to be dying out. Then there was an effort to raise a fund of a million shillings, but Ihat would give only a little better than the half o" the balance. I inferred fiom one of your notes that there was an ii cipiont idea of raising a C.O.C. subscription for Dr Grenfe'i. If the idea mateiialises I will do what little I can to help, for I like the thought of a fellowship of good works, though my sympathies go rather nioie in the ether direction. K"ot that I have any special love for children; m fact, I generally look on them as perverse little phenomena, that aie best studied frcm a .safe distance ; but I have a conviction of the injustice of bringing the poor little wretches into a world of misery and poverty art! leaving them to starve. Mr George Cadbiuy, speaking of the poor of Birmingham, says- "Hundreds of the children aie black s>s negroes under their rags, only hands and faces being white" (how long would it take to evolve a piebald race?), and "tne immense majority saxecumb to their surroundings." That is reckless Aaste of the raw material; no nation can afford sivh extravagance. If there is a. convenient opportunity, possibly you would let Ted and Gnib know thai I was gratified to- find myself in such good company on the occasion of your tea party, and I regard my abrupt dismissal as quite appropriate, considering how seldom I join you — almosit poetic justice.

In looking over that part of my last letter lhat you were good enough to reproduce it struck me that one part of it read rather as if 1 ha.d a ha.bit of dissecting people. Well, you know, it is hardly nice to be dissected while, cue is alive., is it? So I thought it would be only fair to acid that, though what I eaid is quite true, they are worthy people in spite of a few faults, and have a fair complement of compensating Qualities on the othe* side. With best wishes for the C.O.C. and its president, — Kebani.

Thanks for your pleasant letter, Keraaii, and be sure that 1 shall thankfullj remember your sympathy with. Di Grenfell when I am better able to form some plan for sihawing cur friendly interest in tlic work cv a good man.

Taffy, too, sent me a little note, part of which I shall shaie with you, my comrades:

Dear Emmeline, — I ivould like the members V> know how much I enjoyed the last meeting. Who knows but I listeneel the better for having to keep silence myse'.i, and I know my chair was very close to Ted's. To Ted and Gmb I tender my thank 3 for tha extra cak.3 I had at Emmeline's afternoon tea. It was ■■ juat the cake I like — almost a Christmas one, and plenty of almonds. Biit I don't chink an automatic church plate would make me pait with two collections. Will you please give j JEtangiora a little message too? It was not at , all kind of her to laugh a.t my Indian tale. It was a tragedy, not comedy, and to be accepted as the heartfelt, disappointed wail of i a boy v/bo finds things are not whait they Mem.'— Taity.

From Sweetbriar's letter giving me a very pleasant account of her recent three months' holiday trip I must only extract the passage relating to our Cosy Corner Club, for I ace a warning "Private" in Sweetbriax's neat handwriting heads the sheets : "I was very much interested in tho ' Millionaires' Meeting ' of our club, and also in ' Sxiggestion3 Towards Greater Simplicity of Living.' It was pleasant to read how wisely and well thedear comrades of the C.C.C. wouild spend their millions. In considering the simple life, we must, of course, remember that country members are not tempted to extravagant styles of living a<3 town members must be : their time is not taken up by these ' calling and being-called-upon acquaintances, to whom we are os indifferent as they are to us,' of whom you speak, dear Emmeline. But even we country foils have not quite arrived at ' simple bread and milk; oatmeal and eggs new-laid,' of Jack's humorous verse, or what would become of New Zealand mutton? I much enjoyed * Tine Guild of the Unknown Friends.' I -wish., indeed, the deas 1 G-randmo'herhadher million vi money so that she could como to Kew Zealand, aec Emmeline, and enjoy once more our famous lamb and mutton." Thank you very much-for such a nice account of your holiday, Sweetbriar. What a great deal you managed to see! Sheep feeding on pumpkins certainly does sound funny; but papier is a pretty place, is it not? When I was there last time we feasted on grapes at 6d per lb! I wish you had known Violet was now in the North Island. You were not far from her, I think, and might have liked to see her, for I know you always find her writing so helpful and congenial. Madge writesi regret£in% her inability to be present at the last meeting of the club, and says, "What a splendid paper that firct one was; and I lilted Jack's so mr.ich too." I quite understand that you would like to know more of the member whose name you mention, Madge. I only fear that her time is already too much occupied to permit of further pen friendships, but I will certainly find, an early opportunity to ask her, dear. Violet, from whom I have heard since our last moating, will not, I am sure, object to my sharing some parts of h&r letter with iho "Guild of Unknown Friends" : " The piace where we have settled is very beautiful— all undulating ground, rising at times into little hills and dipping into gullies. Fine old troe3 are planted round every faim, and weeping willows drocp in their £oft, green beauty over every stream and swamp. All the gardens glow with the beamty of flower© we could or>]y grow as pot plants in Southland. But you, dear Emmeline, who have had your home in the noi+h, will know it all. As yel there has been a great deal of rain — heavy, quiet rain; — but we hear from a.l sides that the season is an exceptionally wet ouo. I have had so many letters to write that I have not yet been able to write to the dear Grandmother, who, I was 1 so sorry to hear, had been ill ; Lex, who is always kind and thoughtful ; and Val, whose bright letters were a source of such great pleasure to me. Please thank Roby for me for her very kind message of appreciation, and give my sincere good wishes to Inconou, whose busy life and e?ger longings I have followed with tenderest sympathy. T'have known it all so well." Believe me, dear

Violet, the faruiiy topic of which you tell me lias my keenes+ interest, and I truly hope all may be well and the new treatment for her prove thoroughly successful. I often think of you, dear, m your new home, and hope you will write at every opportunity. I shall tej.l a friend to whom I am m the habit of sending magazines to tend some of them on to yon now I bave your address. "Our supplementary mail" is exheiisieci, and Emmishne says an revoir to the '"GiiLd of Ur.kucwu Fuends."