Night was falling, the wind had increased to an eighty-mile-an-hour gale, and the white-faced crew of the "Eagle'' saw her slip off into the darkness, bearing her two passengers to what seemed an inevitable death. In answer to her rockets, the " Queenscliffe " lifeboat came to the "Eagle's" assistance, but the "Hygeia" was lost.
The old ship had not steamed over Port Phillip Bay for forty years for nothing. She rolled on a mud island, but rocked off again, lumbering along while huge seas roared round her. After a drift of 35 miles she came to rest quite gently on a sandbank.
Dawn broke and the crews of the tug and the lifeboat beheld the "Hygeia" in the distance, resting triumphant at last, firmly embedded in the sand within sight of Rosebud. The two sailors were rescued, but the old ship took no notice. All she wanted was a long rest in the Bay she loved. They were going to take her outside the Heads, and blow her up with gelignite, were they?
Not they ! With a long shiver she shook her full length and settled down a little deeper into the sand.
F. E. M. BETTS.
THE FUTURE.
As I sat out in the garden a short time ago the sun was very hot, and at last I closed my eyes. It was then that a wonderful thing happened. I found myself in a strange country, above me towered huge skyscrapers. At first I thought I must be in America, but stranger still, huge air-ships of strange design hovered above. I was in England in the Future. I walked along the street and I noticed the men were dressed in tight-fitting white clothes, but the ladies were dressed similar to those of to-day. Long", low-built coaches sped along the road, with scarcely a sound, at over 100 m.p.h. A man walked up and asked if I was a stranger ; on telling him I was, he asked if he could show me round the town. I told him I would be very glad if he would. We then boarded one of the luxurious coaches, which, as soon as the passengers had boarded, slid silently forward, gathering-speed rapidly. The inside of the coach was very comfortable, seats were fixed on swivels in order to allow the passengers to sit which ever way they preferred, also along the sides of the coach were tables which folded into the side of the coach. My guide explained that this was very convenient for business men who wished to do any writing. This also proved how smoothly the coaches ran. As we travelled along rapidly, sky-scrapers towered above us, while huge airships and aeroplanes travelling at over 300 m.p.h. went to and fro. My guide explained to me that these were travelling to and from the Continent. At last the coach began to slow, then slid noiselessly to a standstill. We alighted to find ourselves outside a huge building, much bigger than those about it. This I found was the power station, where all the electric power was generated. We entered the building, and all around the walls were huge switch-boards. My guide led me to a lift which automatically took us to the top of the building. Here, to my surprise, was a huge network of wires. My guide explained that the sun's rays heat the wire and generate electricity which was run to huge transformers by thick cables. In the winter, he told me, they used the waves beating on the shore to generate the power. We then left the power-station and crossed the road to where a huge aerodrome was situated. Aeroplanes were constantly arriving and leaving. We boarded a magnificent four-engined monster, which rose vertically at a great speed, and then raced forward on a tour of the town. The inside of the aeroplane was very similar to that of the coach, the swivel chairs and the folding tables were the same, waiters were hurrying here and there. It was a wonderful flight looking down on towering buildings 70 to 80 storeys high. We flew over a river which had huge arch bridges spanning it. But just as we began to glide to earth, the scene began to fade, and there I found myself back in 1931. I had had a peep into the future of England.
F. VIDLER.
CHRISTMAS CHEER.
" Now, sir, allow me to show you a book you cannot afford to be without."
" I never read," answered the victim.
" Well, buy it for your children."
I'm single - no family - all I have is a fierce dog."
"Well, don't you want a nice heavy book to throw at the dog now and again? "
When is a fish like petrol?
When it's smelt.
Where does Christmas come after Boxing Day?
In the dictionary.