THAMES

Observer, Volume 3, Issue 67, 24 December 1881, Page 237

THAMES

Birds of a feather — Ted Parsons and his beloved. Keep it dsirk. — Willie Curtis returned to bydney by the last steamer. Qimrfczopolis was evidently too' slow for him. —Mr T Wilson, of the Waiotahi, is engaged to Miss Tresize, and will shortly be married to her. Host V., of the Queen's Head, has imported a regular " stunner" from the city, and on Saturday evening he drove a brisk trade in consecjueuce. — Willie Tregonning made a capital speech at the dinner at the Provincial on Saturday in responding to the toast; of "The Civil Service." — A sight once seen never to be forgotten — Joe Ibbetson and Miss M. seated on top of a fence in Davy-street, engaged in amorous converse. — Alick Thorburn's equestrian performances on his bran new moke, equipped with bran new trappings and military spurs, have evoked great admiration in certain femeuine bosoms. — At last the Thames can boast of possessing a bookmaker, and one, too, that can be relied upon. I refer to Mr Page, who is well up in such matters, and who has, I believe, books opan on' both the Thames and Auckland summer race meetings. — Bob Leslie, I believe, is in active training for the Maiden Race at Tararu on New Year's Day. He appears to have improved wonderfully since becoming a Benedict, and will no doubt make it warm for the other competitors on the eventful day. — Eccles, of the Shorfland Pharmacy, is about to purchase a 60-inch Coventry bicycle, in order that he may be able to take flight to Ohiuemuri now and then. It is to be honed he'll not follow the example of young G., of the " Morning Buster," ami run down some portly civil servant one of these fine nights. — A certain young man of a certain church in a certain part of 'Shortlaud had better not interrupt the members of the choir, of which he is a member, by talking to his inamorata whilst the rest of the congregation are at their devotions. People see through it, and arc disgusted with his behaviour. — The new parson of St. George's is becoming quite popular with all classes, and I can now quite understand the strenuous efforts that were made by the Waikatoites to retain him amongst them. The little fellow can preach a hit too, and altogether he appears to "be just the man the Episcopalians of the Thames require. — One of the " Devil's own" is a prominent member of the Church, Shortlaud, and at a meeting of the Vestry Committee the other evening he excited the risible faculties of the gentlemen present by addressing the rev. chairman as " His Honor." It is only fair to add that the worthy limb of the law is a staunch teetotaller. —I believe that Miss 11., of the Tararu-road. intends spending her Christmas holidays in the Oliineniuri district. By a peculiar coincidence. Jack Ralph has become utterly oblivious of the fact that there are to be some of his favourite sports at the Thames about that time, and he has been seized with an alarming attack of stay-at-homo-ativeness. 'Nuf sod. — The races at Parawai during Christmas week promise to be more successful than many of former. The course, which is a new one, is in splendid condition, aud a number of crack horses will to.ke part in the meeting. Should old Sol and Aquarius prove gracious, I think there will be a large attendance of visitors from all parts of the peninsula, and probably from Auckland also. — A number of gentlemen " gastronomised "at the Provincial on Saturday evening, the occasion being the celebration of Mr L.W. Parson's natal day. The viands were of the most rcchc-clm description, and the spread reflected the greatest credit on Host Williams. Mr J. H. Kirkliam made a. first-class chairman' A long list of toasts was gone through, the remarks of rhe various speakers being terse and to the point ; and these, interspersed with vocal and instrumental music, served to render the evening a very civjoayble one. — One of the meanest men we have down here is the head of a flourishing scholastic institution, who last summer obtained a few shillings' worth of strawberries from an old mail who was hawking the fruit about for sale, and has not yet paid him for the same, although frequently besought to do so by the aged pedlar, who is much in need of the money. The pedagogue's invariable reply to his importunate creditor is that he has not been paid his salary. Shame on such men, I say. — At a fashionable social gathering which took place in one of the suburbs a few evenings ago, some of the young ladies were allowed to return home unaccompanied by a male friend, and might have been seen wearily trudging homeward at 2 a.m. A friend of mine, who passed a quartette of the lady guests on the road, overheard them making use of some rather uncomplimentary remarks as to the want of gallantry displayed "by half-a-dozen or so of the sterner sex in neglecting to offer their services ns chaperones, aud he has requested me to mention the matter, so that the offending parties may take the hint, and not on future occasions be guilty of such a flagraut breach of etiquette. — Surely business must be very bad when none of the sterner sex in the "upper circles" can siil'ord to enter into a state of connubial bliss. It is not for want o! eligible mates that no marriages have been •contracted amongst our " currant -jellyites " during the past few months, because it is a well-known fact that there are a number of fair creatures dying to become life companions to some of the descendants of Adam ; and the only reason I can ascribe for the scarcity of " \ipper crust " matrimonial unions is that the luxury is too expensive a one to be indulged in these hard times. If such, therefore, is the case, it is sincerely to be hoped, for the sake of the darlings who are now pining for husbands, that a tide of prosperity will soon flow through this district, and enable many in the community to gratify their wishes by a visit to the various local nursons or the Registrar (Mr Patterson). — Wynne Gray gave a valedictory kick in the Tararu School on Friday evening- last to signalise his departure from scholastic life. The affair was patronised by most of the "jam tarts" of the district, and the only drawback was the enormous disproportion of ladies over the number of the other sex. In consequence of this inequality the few unfortunate males were ■monopolised during the whole evening by the most prominent ladies, the remainder being consigned to the undignified position of wallflowerdom. Mrs Huxtablo was attired in pale pink lustre ; Mrs Perry, plain black silk ; Mrs Gray, pale blue lustre, trimmed with a white material ; Miss Cashell, white satin dress and muslin " fal-de-rnls ;" Miss Hamilton, cream lustre, trimmed with cardinal satin ; Miss Steadinan, plain black lustre, set off with silk of the same colour ; Miss A. Stendmnn, light blue lustre, with cream lace trimming ; Mrs Kilgour, white satin, adorned with pink silk ; Miss Walker aud Miss Noll Walker were dressed alike, in a grey lustre, trimmed with fawn satin, and profusely gathered at the sleeves and corsage. Among the gentlemen conspicuous were the proprietor of the celebrated bulldog, the adolescent Jeroboam, and a sprightly yonng Teuton, who was dubbed by a damsel present with a euphonious "but unmentionable soubriquet, for what reason I know -not. Jeroboam made an excellent M.C., combining the qualities of übiquity and attentivenoss. Ralph Marsden (Larkins' pet) occupied, as usual, as much space as 'half-a-dozen ordinary dancers, and a person in the room characterised his attempt at a schottische as representing the same evolutions which he usually went through when indignantly applying his understandings to his fleeing canine favourite, Tim. However, one and all appeared to enjoy the evening. The company separated half-past 1 a.m.