NOTABILIA

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 158, 22 September 1883, Page 7

NOTABILIA

Recently "we inppected some new seasons goods at the shop of Mr J. F. Lepine, of Wakefield-street. Among his well selected stock we noted some excellent light summer tweeds. With confidence we can recommend the general public to call on Mr Lepine. The magnificence of the dresses and appointments worn at the chess tourney have been , the tbeme of general admiration during the week. As instancing: the success of skilled artistes, we may mention the twunph that attended the efforts of Madame Faravel, or Albert-street, from whose rooms the dresses of Mrs Stephenson, Mrs R. C. Greenwood, the Misses Greenwood, Miss Pearce, and Miss Cosgrave were sent out. •B. M. Heighton and Co., Labour Agents, 177 Qneen-street, report for the week :— We have a considerable number of men waiting engagements, principally of that class ill adapted for the roughing it in the country. By the arrival of the Doric we have a very large number of workers to be provided with labour, and this will be rather a heavy strain on the Labour Market in its present condition; however, now that the Estimates nre passed, we trust public works will be vigorously proceeded with, and that we may find ready engagements and good wages for all. Current wages :— daymen, road, rail, bushwork, 6s to 8a per day ; : tradesmen, no alteration from last report ; useful men, plough, farm, station, hotel-work, 15s to 20s per week and found ; experienced gardeners, £65; couples, farm stations, £,60 to £80 per annum and found ; female servants, some difficulty to meet orders from country owing to the wages offering nor being what servants demand ; girls that can milk, bake, wash, and cook find ready engagements at £26 to £35 per annum ; housekeeper go veruesfees £30 to £180 ; general servants, house- . maids, laundresses, etc., private faniiles, and hotels, 10a to 15s ; cooks and barmaids, 20s to 30s per week. No land in sight! Alone in mid-ocean the . stately Doric— freighted with so many hundreds of precious lives — held steadily on her course. On deck tbe passengers congregated in little knots talking ; or, •with a. laudable desire to get as much excercise as .possible, did the prescribed constitutional with tbe same Steadfastness of purpose that they had shown for the last six weeks. The lately wedded Sarjiphina and her •devoted husband sat together, tranquilly enjoying the ' Ibea'u'ty of the moonlight night, her little hand nestled in his'broad palm, and ever and again shelooked up confidingly into his bronzed and manly countenance. Presently she broke the silence, " My ownest Augustus • shall we not be happy together in your New Zealand .home? Ah, pleasant as the voyage is, howl long to tread once more terra firma. The Captain said at dinner to-day that this day week we ought to be in Auckland. But, oh why my Augustus are you so dreadfully silent to-night? Are you thinking of the calm beauty of the heavens with the Southern Cross and myriads of conBtallations twinkling down upon us ? or does your memory carry you back to my dear old England home " afod ihe first time we met, only a short six months ago ? And; dear Gus., do you remember how you talked t© me about New Zealand, and how you said, yon had to return shortly, and, oh yon recollect the Sunday evening •you proposed to me ? Oh ! it seems like a di'oam ! ' You- do not answer me, why ? What aro you thinking of Gus?" "If you must know my love," replied Augustua, "honestly speaking, not any of these delightful retrospections occupy my thoughts. I was thinking ' low confoundedly hard these scuts are, and that tho 1 firsii thing I must do when we arrive in Auckland is to ,^( «o and see my old triend Joe Moses of tho New Zealand Tweed Company, and get measured for some new pants.