‘GOOD COMETH OUT OF EVIL’

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVI, Issue VIII, 22 February 1896, Page 219

‘GOOD COMETH OUT OF EVIL’

OR • A BAD BEGINNING MAKETH A GOOD ENDING.’

(BY

COUSIN THELMA.)

The scene is laid in Auckland, Christmas 1894. Dulcie Smyth was a romantic young lady of seventeen who lived in one of the suburbs of Auckland. Her favourite pastime was to retire to some quiet nook, where even her mother’s voice from the kitchen window could not disturb. Here Dulcie would, literally speaking, fall into a ‘ brown study ’ or what she generally styled ‘ day dreams.’ These were of a widely varying nature, but Dulcie was without exception the heroine of them all. Now Dulcie was by no means a commonplace girl ; in fact, rather the opposite, as time will show. Her mother said ‘ she lived in a world of her own.’ Poor Dulcie was very absent-minded. She would try to make tea without leaves and boil potatoes without salt. Once she went so far as to sprinkle the cabbage with knife-polish instead of pepper. All these little occurrences were very annoying to her matter-of-fact mother, who, eventually becoming desperate, resolved to send her daughter away for a holiday (being enabled to do this by her husband making money on the Stock

Exchange) * to see if country air could blow some of the cobwebs off her brain.’ After a tremendous struggle Dulcie was equipped for her Christmas trip to the Kaipira district, near Aratapu. All the household assembled to see her off, and it was with some little relief they saw the departure. The journey terminated, fortunately, without much interruption. Once only Dulcie forgot her luggage, but it was, happily, soon recovered. She was warmly received, and shortly afterwards was taken to see the cows milked, being greatly charmed by the tinkling of their bells. She did not. however, have time to fall into raptures, as the very atmosphere seemed busy, it being Christmas Eve. A picnic was on the programme for the next day. one of those delightful country picnics which most New Zealanders love. The day was to be spent on the West Coast. Some of the guests were to ride and others to go in traps. The morning dawned brightly, the picnickers started, Dulcie, our heroine, riding. Arriving at the coast, everyone felt delighted to find the waves dashing in mountains high. Riders immediately started for the water. ‘ All went merry as a marriage bell,’ but suddenly Dulcie’s horse lost its footing and became unmanageable. Horse and rider were rapidly being carried out to sea, when one, noted for his skilful riding, came to the rescue. Not too soon, however, for the danger over, Dulcie lost consciousness. We will not mention what followed, suffice to say she was unaware of her surroundings for three days. After her complete recovery Dulcie returned home. She did not seem the same girl who had left only six weeks before. She seemed to have been rudely awakened to the stern realities of everyday life. The change everyone agreed was for the better, and her mother remarked that, * A bad beginning maketh a good ending,’ or ' Good cometh out of evil.’