CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 38, 11 January 1889, Page 13

CHRISTCHURCH.

(From cur own Correspondent.)

The wi athrr here is intensely hot just now. Summer ha9setin in real <arrufet. Everyone c< mpliins cf the prostrating beat; but trese warm, b.igbt days must be just what the f irmers are wishing for to put the tiuishing t< uches to their crops before beginning harvest work. However though people know that to bave the quicksilver at fJO at this time of the year is good for the country, that consciousness does not appear t> make them ft el happy under ibe broiling process which they are enduring ht present. In Wellington and Dunedin the sun can sometimes make things pre'ty lively for >esidents who have to toil np almost perpendicular hills ; but though there are no bills to climb up in our city, walking about Christchurch these days v much more exhtius ing than similar exercise in the northern or southern city. There seems to be an especial hardness about the pavem< nis here, and an intense fierceness about the glare of tin sun which makes walking, vr indeed existence under the most favourable circumstances, almost [insupportable duung these hot mid^ummT montbe. Yet. notwithstanding the excessive heat, the big nnk in Gloucester street still seems to be doing a good irade. The sirainsof the band, and the noise if the skates can be heard night after night at a considerable distance from the rink. How pc .pie can go on gyrating round and round, with the pirspiration stalling from every pore, is one of the things which no person can understand. Lest I should forg t it I shall mention now that I have heaid a preat miny flittering remarks passed hereinreieience to the splendid show made by the pupils of the Christian Brothers' school in Dunedin. There can be no doubt but that these complimentary references were wtll deserved. The Christian Brothers' School in Dunedin is one of ihe best in the Colony. Physically, morally, mentally, and, I may add. nationally, the boys, judging by the report of their doings, are being perfectly trained, I think it is only fair that the Brotbera ►hould know that lheir efforts to make their boys good mea and good Iri'hmen are appreciated outside of thpir own city. Dr. Moran may well be p oud of whit he has done in the cause of edncation in t&tablishing such a school.

A very cad accident occurred on Sunday morning last at Sumner, by which the ten-year-old son of Mr. O'Malley lost bis life. Tbe boy, with his compan'ODs, weie on the rocks fishing, when he was knocked rff hy an unusually large wave and swept into she sea. Efforts were made by a lad wh j was with him to rescue tbe drowning boy but these endeavours weie futile. Tbe poor lutle fellow ea.k and did cot li-te figain. His body has not been recoveic 1. Tbe boy 'a mother w, s at Mafß in Cbristehurch when, the sad eveni happened and upon her retu n home this intel igeoce of her litle son's death was the lews when greeted her. At Vespers in the evening Father ( ummings refined tj the child's death as illustrating the uncertainty ot lite.

At the prc-Catbedral on Friday Mr. Murphy, the Catholic Bchool master at Leeston was married to Miss QuiD, the daughter of

Mrs Quin of Linwood. Father Marnane assisted by Father Chervier, the parish priest of the happy Benedict, performed the ceremony. Miss Gatherer, and Miss Henry acted as bndesmaids. The bride wore a handsome brown silk dress with a very long train and the customary bridal veiL The bridesmaids were attired in cream colour jd gowns. After the ceremony tbe wedding party, including Rev. Fathera Chervier, Marnane and Hal bracks adjourned to Mrs Quin's far breakfast. There the toast of the newly-married couple was duly honoured . The wedding was some what quiet owing to the ceremony being performed before the expiration of Advent.

From la c Irish papers to band, it is evident that nothing has been proven before the Commission which could convince »ny reasonable person of tbe existence of any connection between Parnelhstn and crime. From a judicial point of view, the evidrnoa given by the bought and paid for witnesses of the Times is utterly ridiculous. Such testimony would not be recognissd as evideaee by any lawyer in New Zealand, and would not for a moment be accepted by any judge in the Colony, or receive the slightest credence from any jury whose minds were unbiassed. But anything apparently passes f >r evidence when an Irish nationalist is on his trial.

I bare been informed by a Darfield resident that the Irishmen oat there having grown tired of waiting for Christchurh to take the lead in the matter, bave at last started a collection on their own account in aid of the Parnell,lndemaity Fand. A few gentlemen made up tbeir minds that the thing ought to be done, and then, instead of spending time and wasting breath in talk, they at once proceeded to act. and, as * primary step, waited upon the parish priest in order to to obtain his aproval of the project. When it is remembered that Father O'Donnell is parish priest at Darfield, it will be readily understood that the sanction sought was not long withheld. Already, I believe, a respectable amount has been subscribed and it is estimated that when the list ifi closed the sums contributed will tot np handsomely. Surely, when a little place like Darfield can do so much as that, a populous and wealthj parish like Christchurch ought to be able to do something. Bat I suppose, as a well-known politician was wont to say, circumstances alter cases.

Dr. Moran, I see, has followed the example of the patriotia Archbishop of Dublin, Cardinal Moran, and other great leaden in the Irish Catholic ecclesiastical world, and has sent to tbe editor of the Tablet a generous contribution towards the Defence Fund, together with a letter expressive of sympathy with Mr. Parnell and his party in the present crisis. This is no more and no less than wbat everyone might have expected from Bishop Moran. I am quite sure that his Lordship's wish will soon be realised, and that his contribution will not long stand alone. Irishmen in New Zealand can scarcely hesitate to follow such a lead.

A conference cf secondary school teachers was held in Christchurch during the present week. It was attended by representatives from all parts ot the Colony. Their discussions, as far as I could gather from them, served to illustrate one point in a very emphatic manner — that was the spirit of intense selfishness which seemed so prominent in the resolutions which were carritd. For instance, oia proposition which was unanimously approved of by thess liberal minded exponents of euhgbteumtnt was that no one should become a pupil teacher in the colony unless he or she has received a High school pciucatio-. Tuis proposition was generally condemned by the Press of Christchurch, and lame excuses were made by tLe master of the High school t > jus lfy ibis anti-democratic proposal as Sir Robert Stout would s'y. In shor.. tbe whole of the discussions were marked by a r arrow, greedy determination to protect their own interests, rather than by a desire 10 consider the best way to spread knowledge. This is the fruit of monojoly. Well-to-do families have waxed fat upon the money of a large portion of which Catholics have been defrauded, and having grown demoralised, they wish to keep their ill-gotten goods to themselves as long an possible. What a cjntrast the voraciousness of S ate school cormorants presents to the self-itniU practised by Catholics in older to advance the cause of education.

Apropos of this greediness on the part of State school teachers, a pracuce which, 1 thiuk, should be put a stop to obtaius under toe system — that is, of youug women retaining their situations, aod drawing large salam s from the State after they are marnefl. If a State school ttacher resolve-) to t*«ke to herself a husband, she should make jp her mind to resign her position. la Christcburch there are notable instances of young women still retaining their situations, and drawing large salaries, after they have married husbands who ougbt to be gui c able to support them. In some instances the husband and wife are both in the service of the State, and between them coutnve to draw a salary of over £800 a year. It is scarcely to be wondered at that the members cf the Confeience should endeavour to narrow tbe circle within which it would be possible for such plums to fall.

In a lite number of the Freeman's Journal I read a paragraph the other day wh.ch I consider well worthy of transcribing. At a meeting at Birkdale, Mr. Charles Weld-Blundell, the repieseniatne of one of tbe oldest English Catholic fam.li s, said : " The old English Catholic families who had done Bach good work in carrying the faith thiough tue times of persecution, are now exhibiting an extraordinary ami incomprehensible leaning towards tbe lory slave - drivers wbo once held them in their grip. Ninety-five per cent, of the Catholic body is sound to the core, but, anfortunately, the small residue — tbe Soimng head-piece, as it might be called, in the mind of the public — always receive* and conveys a fa'se impression. My earnest hope is that those who have been brought up amongst Tories, and wbo are imbued with Tory principles, will, if they cannot go bo far as to join us m our crusade lor Homo Kule, at aDy rate remember what taey owe to Irishmen and to tbu Liberal party, and will not prate on Primrose League platforms of horrors perpetrated in Irelaud, and wiiu canting hypociisy point to the action of tbe devoted clergy of Ireland with scorn, holding them up to ridicule in an alien and hostile assembly. If they cannjt join with us in tbis cn-sade, I entreat of them not to i. flict m re pangs upon the noble Ca 1 holies in Ireland to whom they owe everything, and to whom they owe the very power they possess of speaking on Primrose League platforms, and rubbing shoulder to shoulder with

Marqnims and Countesses on state platforms." Even in Ghristchurcb there are English Catholics of whom this honest remindrr by Mr. Welrl-Blundell of the indebtedness to their co-religionists of Ireland might be studied with advantage.

Mr. Lonargan is negotiating with the musical society for the per forma nee of the " Messiah " at the opening of the Snakespeaiian Festival. There is a fair prospect that these negotiations will be attended with success.

I believe matters are progressing favourably in connection with the anangements of the bazaar, but 6ome uncertainty appears to exist in regard to the dresses to be worn by the stallholders. I cannot quite understand where the difficulty comes in, but it appear* to exist. The mater, it seems to me, sbouM be very simple. Each lady who h s had the management of her stall, and who, presumably, Ins a r»a aonably clo«e acquaintance with Shake peare, should hare little difficulty in allotting the characters and in arranging their dresses. She should, in fact, act the part of stage manager in regard to the Shakespearian representations in connection with her stall. A knowledge of the text and ao understanding of the scenes and characters which the poet intended to represent is all that is necessary. With that and an accurate idea as to the time and the country in which the plot of the play is laid, and all difficulties should disappear. There seems to be an idea that Shakespeare invented a particul ir garb for each character. Shakespeare invented the characters, but not their clothes. The fashion of the time did that, just as the fashions of '88 regulate the dresses in " Hands across the Sea," or in " The Mystery of a Hansom Cab." Some literary taste, and the bright intelligence which all Udies possess, are all that are rfqnired on the part of the stallholders to make the Shakespearian Festival as poetical, picturesque, and effective as it ought to be, Of course it will be necessary to avoid in congrnities in casting the charac crs. A little woman as Rosalind, or a tall one as Titania, for instance, would be absurd. Of course on the stage, sometimes, a little woman does play Rosalind, but on the stage, where good acting is everythiug.appiopriateness v as sometimes to give S lace to exigency. At the Fj«ival. however, everything will have to epend upon mere spectacular effect*. The representations of the creations of the poet will merely have to look their parts. Their appearance will have to proclaim their identity. Therefore it will be necessary in order to make the affair realistic and artistic, to give considerable attention to tbe personal attributes of the characters. Every one nowadays knows their Saikpsptare, and incongruities would be speedily noticed. lam glaJ to find that the historical plays are not to be altogether unrepresented, Mrs T._Lonnigan has chosen the play of Henry VIII, for ht r sail. A strong com mi i tee of gentlemen has been appointed to carry out the arrangements. The names of those joining the general committee are Messrs MacNamara, Kelly. A. and 1. Lonarsan, O'Connor, Courtney, Barret, O'Br en and Joyce, Father CnmmiLgs is at Temuka giving a retreat to the Sisters of St. Joseph.

I have been told that Father LeMenant has returned to Christchurch, whether temporarily or permanently I cannot say.

A few Catholic ladies I believe were collecting contributions last week for the purpose of giving the penitents at Mount Magdala some kind of pic-nic or luncheoc Tbeaff.ir came off on (Saturday. I think that if those ladies hail be-n a httle less exclusive, acd had given the general pub ie creiit for the possession of phi anthropic feeling and a des.re to give expression to it, the pic-nic would huv*> been a g eater success. At lea>t there would have been no necessity for the performance of a miracle like that of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. The Mount Magdala institution is a popular one and people would have been only too ready to have made toe holiday feast a success.