Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-03-15

Today I am going to give you an ex-
tract from a letter I received from a
girl whose home is in Australia She is
now IN Florida and when i see her L
make her tell me all sorts OF things about
that wonderful country. II is our opposite
in many respects. for their warm wealth
er + our winter. Christmas day is as
warm as our July weather. and to
quote Idalia. You may imagine the aw-
ful time the housekeepers have at Christ
mas and boxing day when the milk viii
sour. the vegetables wither, the grocers
are at home and every enc expecting
plenty Of good things to eat
Ice is not the common thing il is in
this country. Even the negroes here buy
a nickle's worth OF ice on warm days,
bur in Australia one must be very. very
an or fearfully extravagant 10 buy ice.
Vegetables are cheap. tomatoes cents
a pound. turnips > cents bunch and
other things in proportion; but America
is the only country for ice as a daily
article OF domestic life
I have noticed that as a rule the
Australians are more like their cousins
~ the United States than the Canadians
or people Of the British isles. Their
trend 81 thought is more like ours and
many Of their laws Yet the people OF
Australia did not know il. nor intend
20 pattern after Us for there has been
so little intercourse from the American
side that they had very grOtesque ideas
Of Us until that memorable trip around
the world that our American navy took
a few years ago. But Idalia will tell
you about that in this extract. from her
letter
Melbourne News that headline in
your Jacksonville paper catches my eye
and with a queer thrill hold my breath
and read Of the doings Of Florida name
sake OF my native city I'm far off Austria
La Ny thoughts travel away across
the sunny Pacific to the land that VIII
he home 10 me always Melbourne,
chief OF cities IN the Australian common
wealth, with its straight. wide streets
and clear sunIit spaces People there
are much the same as any OF Anglo
saxon origin. the same language. though
with an intonation that is different.
but ways Of life that are similar. The
sane problems are there that are a.
part OF the upward reach for the right
eons that exalteth a nation
The strongest impulse is for pleasure.
good time" as you say in America
Natural conditions make It easy to play,
acquiring wealth is quite a second
Thought. and the play spirit does not
said Louise In her report OF gymnasium
work last week A half holiday comes
every Saturday throughout the year.
with whole holidays sprinkled lavishly
among the three hundred and sixty-five
days These whole holidays are gen.
orally nxed for Monday so as to make
a weekend vacation in the country a
possibility for business folks Visitors
declaret that any excuse is good enough
10 declare a public holiday. but after
they have lived in Australia awhile they.
too. enjoy the holidays. Holiday trans.
as the street cars are called. are
thronged with men, women, children. ba-
bies. lunch baskets and the altogether in
dispensabIe bully" I would better ex-
plain that billy is a tin pail with a lid
20 bon the water and make the tea
Every one likes tea at any hour of the
day or night Every one sQueezes in
good naturedly. always there is room
for just one more perspiring, last mo-
ment passenger 10 hang on somewhere
as the tram moves off to seashore or pic
nic ground. A fine day and hot sunshine
is expected at this season OF the year.
their warmest days are past now, and
the weather is usually just right for holi-
day pleasure.
Happy. tired out. sunburned. the gala
day over. the folks return TO their homes
rested and refreshed for the days TO
follow whether they are to be spent in
school office. house work or factory.
Homes i'm Australia are planned without
easements. cottages. villas. bungalows:
very seldom do you see flats. One fam