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The upper reaches of the Water of Leith, Dunedin. — Otago Witness, 20.1.1920.
The upper reaches of the Water of Leith, Dunedin. — Otago Witness, 20.1.1920.
Wherever the music of poetry is loved and appreciated the name of Robert Burns will always be held in affectionate esteem.

Scotland’s sons and daughters are to be found in the four corners of a far-flung Empire, but, wherever their lot is cast, there is cherished the old love for Caledonia’s mountains and glens, and for the genius who expressed the sentiments of his countrymen in language that lives for ever.  The Dunedin Burns Club exists for the purpose of fostering this old love of the Scot for his native land, and one of its customs is to hold an anniversary concert on the date of Burns’s birth.  The concert held in Burns Hall on Saturday night was one of the most successful in the history of the club.  The hall was packed to the doors, and the entertainment offered met with a very warm reception.  The President of the club (Mr R. M’Kinlay), who occupied the chair, said he was very pleased to see such a large gathering present to celebrate the 161st anniversary of the birth of "the lad who was born in Kyle". They could feel assured that hundreds of gatherings similar to the one they were holding that night were taking place all over the world.  The feelings of the Scotsmen concerning Burns were of the deepest kind; too rich and too rare to be put into words.  The great majority of Burns’s lovers were not literary critics, but the music of his verse stole in upon them, and the pathos was so touching that each man with sympathy for human passions immediately enshrined the national poet in his heart.  The Scottish dialect was capable of expressing every mood of the human heart, and Burns had made it live for ever.

Post-holiday reluctance evident

When the people of Waihi decide upon a holiday they adopt no half-hearted measures in the matter of observing the vacation. They do it thoroughly.  When the mines opened for work the other day, after having been closed for a fortnight, not more than 50 per cent. of the workers put in an appearance, and although batches have been drifting back since, normal has not yet been reached.  Some of the business people also showed a disinclination to resume, and the premises
of two or three were closed for some days after the date fixed for reopening.

Good fishing at Kaka Point

Fish are very plentiful at Kaka Point this season (says the Balclutha Free Press), and holiday-makers have been having quite a successful run with the net.  During the past week some very substantial hauls have been recorded, one party securing over 200 good-sized flounders with five drags of the net in the surf.

 — ODT, 26.1.1920

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Me auld love is Jeannie, and she owes me many (coins).