WANGANUI.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXII, Issue II, 9 January 1904, Page 49

WANGANUI.

Dear Bee, December 30. Christmas in Wanganui, with its attendant festivities, has once more come and gone. On Christmas Eve our little town was more than usually full of townspeople and country visitors intent on doing their Christinas shopping. Tt»e shops this year contained a better selection of articles suitable for presents than 1 have ever seen before, and it was a difficult matter indeed to make one’s choiea from such a bewildering variety of pretty and useful nick-naeks. At one of our large establishments the proprietors went to a great deal of trouble to amuse the children by building in the shop a huge chimney with fireplace, from whieh a real Santa Claus emerged every hour with arrdsful of presents to delight the hearts of the little ones. Needless to say, the shop

was crowded to suffocation, and great excitement reigned amongst the children. 'After midnight the band of the Trinity Young Men's Institute serenaded the town and suburbs, playing selections till an early hour in the morning. The Salvation Army choir also went round and sang the old-time Christmas carols, which sounded very pretty in the still summer’s night. Christmas Day at the Hospital was made more than usually attractive this year for the patients. The wards were beautifully decorated with flowers and greenery by the nurses. The patients were awakened early in the morning by strains of Christmas carols and hymns sung by the nurses in the corridors. Afterwards each patient was presented with a Christmas box. The little ones were not forgotten, their stockings, hung up at the foot of their beds, being filled with all manner of good things by their old friend Santa Claus. During the afternoon a musical party visited the institution and rendered a capital programme of vocal and instrumental items, which were much appreciated by both patients and nurses.

We had beautiful weather for the holiday on Boxing Pay. A very large number of people went up the river in the p.s. Manuwai, which ran an excursion to Kahinihinihi, a pretty fern-clad spot Some twenty-two miles up. Long before the hour of starting she was packed to overflowing, and a large number of intending excursionists were disappointed in being refused a passage. There were also several private boating picnics, including one in the new oil launch which Mr Arthur has just brought down from Auckland.

Several of our residents have taken furnished cottages at Castlecliff for the summer holidays, amongst them being Mrs John Stevenson, Mrs J. C. Greenwood, Mi'S Hughes-Johnston, Mrs E. Blundell (Feilding), Mrs Broad, Mrs Bolton, Mrs Stewart, Mrs Sarjeant, and many others. The weather has been delightful, and a large number of their friends have availed themselves of the Opportunity of spending a day at the seaside and enjoying a dip in the briny.

The new shelter sheds have added greatly to the comfort and convenience of the many visitors to Castlecliff dur-

ing the holidays.

HUIA.