MATAURA NEWS

Southland Times, Issue 21636, 23 February 1932, Page 2

MATAURA NEWS

SCHOOL PICNIC. (From Our Correspondent.) On Saturday afternoon last in the picturesque grounds of Mr and Mrs A. E. Quertier the scholars of St. Saviour’s Anglican Sunday School held thesr annual picnic. Under the guidance of the vicar, the Rev. J. M. Simpson, and tho superintendent and staff of the school the children spent an enjoyable few hours in games and petitions, whilst the programme of races which had been arranged for them was heartily entered into. Strange Foster-parent. At various times it has been recorded of the strange foster-parent incidents of many animals. One of these rarities is to be seen at the residence of a Mataura citizen who can boast of a hen becoming foster mother to kittens. During the absence of the mother cat for food, her place was taken by a Pekinese bantam hen who stoutly refused to give up possession when pussy returned. So attached has the hen become to her strange charges that at times the kittens arc taken from their rightful mother and plated in a box with the hen, and it is highly amusing to observe how she tucks them away under her wings, then resting quite content under her new responsibility. Church Parade. On Sunday evening at 6.30 members of the Loyal Mataura Falls Lodge, Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows, No. 7616, met at the lodge room for the purpose of holding their annual church parade. Headed by the Mataura Brass Band the parade marched by way of River bridge and Kana streets to the Mataura Presbyterian Church for divine service, where it was met at the church door by the Rev. David McNeur, minister, who also occupied the pulpit, whilst there was also a very large congregation of the general public present. In a stirring sermon based on the word “Fellowship,” Mr McNeur gave sound counsel and advice to the brethren present stating that though at first sight the idealisms of Orders such as the Manchester Unity might not appear to have much in common with the church, still he maintained that in many basic principles they were closely allied. During the service special anthems were rendered by the choir, Mr David Russell being the soloist. Mrs Hubener also sang “Just for To-day” with great expression and feeling, whilst a quartette was rendered by Misses M. Burns and M. C. Dickie and Messrs A. J. Jones and David Russell.