PALMERSTON NORTH EN FETE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 6432, 3 January 1900, Page 2

PALMERSTON NORTH EN FETE.

TirE TENNIS TOURNAMENT. Oil;/ oj llie Plain- Variable Moorlt—A Oilalory Triiin-Mii/iiiiiiiiiEni/m-Goniiiriiil fioHlK-Alkimsiii'j Pilyrmwi/c-A Patriotic, Error—Trunk oh fop-Mveil Lvjaaje —/I Guy Gathering—FrtUt ami Furbeiowt Verm Dremy—Enviable Roa/h—A Tryiltiii/ Place—The Skirl 0/ Ike Pipes-Sleep-Inn Nighi*—False Alarms—Auklanil SueemJnl—A Pleatanl I'mirsion.

A pleasant Innd of fnr-flung golden mid green pnsifurps, with shadowy oases of stately trees, where nestle red-roofed cottages, a land whero, between fragrant hedges, roads, which arc a revclftlion lo Wellington cyclists, accustomed to rubble ami builder?, run towards dim blue ranges-this in the Manawatu district, We, who liaye spent two days of' perfect summer there, nrc charmed with il, and yearn to stay—as long as the sunshine lasts. But alns! the weather in l.'nlmeraton North iR 11s variable as llie moods of a woman, and we are told by the oldest inhabitants that wo cannot know what lies in store

for us on the morrow. The good temper of an ill-humoured person is, however, more delightful for its unexpectedness, and so we may prize the pleasant weather in which uur tennis is being played. But there is always a crumpled rose-leaf somewhere. First of all, why does the Manawntu train linger so at the various stations? One indignant passenger declared tlmt, after waiting I half-an-hour at a station represented by ■ a shed, some points, a man, two boys, | and a dog, she got out lo find out what was tho reason, ordy to discover that the engine had gone oil: to assist another .train up a hill. It is a well-known fact that a train cannot go without an engine, so thero was nothing for it but to wait till the yagrant.returned, which it did in another half-hour. Another-crumpled rose-leaf springs probably from the: convivial nature of the l'almerston! North folk at tho festal season. It is astonishing how many men seem to have been celebrating the advent of the New Year. One contingent of the tennis-players arrived in the evening, and wandered about town with a distraught expressman and a cart full of diverse luggage, looking for beds. They found the hotels full, running over, indeed, and stumbled across an infinite number of tipsy men in all stages, from the affectionate mood in which anotlior drink is needful to clench a life long friendship, to that iu which all men are looked on as enemies to be knocked down and trampled on. One timorous visitor was threatened with extinction by a patriotic soul who insisted on taking her for a Boer. Another was patted on the back and addressed as" mygell,"andyetano!lier wailed inwardly as she saw her cherished trunk, with all her best bibs and tuckers, collapse with its inebriated bearer into the gutter. Fortune favoured her for the trunk was on top. It was delightful—after our vicissitudes—to get finally settled down in our abid-ing-places, and we scarcely minded, in the delight of sitting down on chairs, under hospitable hired roofs, that our luggage had got hopelessly mixed, and that some of us had got a collection of garments we had 110 use for. Verily, l'almerston North is gay with white[rocked girls and men in the kniekers or llannels of athletics. Tenuis is the only topic, and the Courts aro thronged with oil-lookers and players-players who have come from the North and South, but who, for a season, have foregathered into one happy family, and have taken possession of the town. From morning till sunset tho green lawns are busy, and llie stands are tilled with interested faces. For as yet the issues are doubtful ; it is possible that a new player may run the champion, Miss Nunneley, very close. In many of the matches even the knowing ones shake their heads and are silent—which naturally adds to the interest of the meeting. " l'almerston North "—as an old lady on the tennis courts remarked—"is a verra dressy' place." We Wellington visitors are picking up infinite wrinkles as to frocks and furbelows. Especially wero the southern girls struck by the vapoury muslius ot dainty hues, and crisp white gowns with frills of lace and embroidery. Trailing skirts, tight sleeves, hats all clouds of chiffon, and blouses wonderful concoctions of tucks and woo tlouuces from throat to waist,, all these were to be seen on the tenniscourts. One southern girl declared that the Palmerston North ppoplo must have spent their wiutcr in preparing and tucking purple and line linen fy summer garments. Indeed thero wero oue or two frocks with tho Loudon cachet to be seen among the others. Palmerston seems to abound in hotels and banks. The wide straight roads about the town, and the green trees and grassy square with itsband rotunda, are luxuries to the Wellington people. Outside the boundaries the roads curye and twist in the quaintest way, and grassy lanes, bordered with trees, afl'ord most delightful walks, Not far from town a bridge spans the river, and in the ovening many couples stroll hence—to admire the scenery. The flashing curyes of the river seems to haye an infinite attraction for the " lies" and " shes" of Palmerston North. There must be a large proportion ot Scotch in the town if wo may judge from the energetic pipers that patrolled the streets on New Year's Eve, They had a double innings, for they charmed our ears, not ouly on Saturday night, when folk were up and about, and generally on the rampage, but also on Sunday at the witching midnight hour. Most of the tennis visitors were asleep, wearied out by many arguments, and theories about the matches, for the day was Sunday, and lyactical tennis was disallowed. Suddenly the stillness was broken by a fiendish noise—many fiendish noises, But over the little bells and big bells, the whistles and the shouts, rose tho skirl of the bagpipes, as the performers marched round tho town serenading, especially the hotels. Quite forgetting it was the inauguration of.the New Year, ono girl hurriedly dressed and made for the fire escape, with her valuables in her hand, Truly visitors to l'almerston North at Now Year time haye need to be heavy sleepers, for what with shrieking trains, and music, and cricket teams that arrive with much hiiarity in the grey dawn aud skirmish for beds, one's rest is apt to be broken. But, after all, when 011 a holiday, sleep is a seooudary consideration, Ouo can sleep at home, The tennis at the tournament is of a very high order, and Miss Jfunncley's lino play, though she is said to be not up to her last year's standard, is much 'admired. It was thought at first that Christchurch, with Cox and Collins and Fisher, would carry oil the championship, but now Auckland has captured the banner. Mr Hooper, who defeated Mr Peacock, is an Auckland man, and a

i, former tennis champion. Buthisoppon- • cnt is perhaps a more dashing player, s It is marvellous what endurauce and s pluck some of ilio women have. Miss 5 Nunneley, Mrs Abraham aud Airs - I'ayue, have been playing set alter set, : and yearn for more. It is probable that, s notwithstanding the heavy haudicap im- , posed on her, the former will again be i Lady Champion. Perhaps one of the i finest matches was bctwecu Cox and i Collins and the Gore brothers. All . played excellently, aud tho long aud brilliant rallies were wateliod with intense i interest by an enthusiastic crowd. The , contest between Fisher and Peacock , was wildly exciting, and fought gamely ; by both, point by point. Miss Kuther--1 ford, who is Mrs Lionel Abraham's partner, is trom the Wairarapa ; she and' her sister are both playing. Mrs Payne, from Waverly, played a wonderfully good gamo. Sho neyer beforo played in a tournament, but the probabilities are that she will be heard of next year. She is a very little woman with a most attentive and interested husband, who hovers about like a big protecting angel in a tweed suit, when his wife is on the court. A little girl who hails from tho same place has also proved herself hard to beat. Wayerley, wherever it is, produces most vigorous tennis players, Arrangements are good, and the committee work most energetically. The lea-lent is a mucli patronised place, and is beautiful each day with flowers, such flowers as are rare in Wellington. What is more to the point, tho refreshments are capital and the attendance good. The finals are as yet undecided, aud will not he pluyed off till late this afternoon. The howling wind is preventing any very fine play to-day, but the : courts, a little worn and yellow now, aro 1 in excellent order, i On Sunday various excursions were ! made by the visitors. Ouo drag-full 1 drove to Fcilding, a town not unlike j Palmerston North in miniature; but it ' possesses a most picturosquo hotel with { a balcony wreathed in flowers. On the i way the lashing suow-creat of Ituapehti a could be seen, and close besido it, the g long trails of smoke front Aurulm e