(From oar own Correspondent.) (Unavoidably held over from our last.) December 17th, 188$. It always affords me very considerable pleasure to take notice of any public mark of respect and esteem which may .be paid to any of our residents, especially when the recipient is a lady. I have such an event to chronicle this week. On Tuesday evening a number of the members of the Rev. Mr Uric's congregation waited upon Mrs Uric at the Manse, for the purpose of presenting her with an elegant cabinet sewing machine. The ; deputation was courteously received and sumptuously entertained by Mrs Uric. After partaking, of an excellent repast Mr Neish rose and said that he considered himself signal!? honored on the present occasion inasmuch as he had been chosen by the subscribers to express the great pleasure they experi enced in making the presentation for which they had assembled that evening. In course of his remarks he alluded to the very unostentatious hospitality which has at ways characterised the Manse, giving grticeful prominence to the Christian sym pathy and benevolence by which Mrs Uric has endeared herself to all. classes of the community ; concluding a most appropriate speech by hoping that she would feel as much pleasure in receiving the machine as the subscribers experienced in bestowing it. Mr Uric humorously returned thanks on behalf of Mrs Urie 7 upon which, after being regaled with strawberries and cream the company broke up highly delighted with the evening's proceedings. The third of the present series of Six penny Readings came off on Thursday evening with even greater success than at tended the two previous experiments., W. H. S. Roberts, occupied the chair and discharged his duties in the most facetious manner. For the first time a tew ladies were induced to take a part which considerably enlivened the whole proceed ings. Where all. did well it would be in judicious to particularise, still I cannot refrain from remarking that all the songs given by the ladies were enthusiastically encored, testifying how heartily their pre sence ami their singing were appreciated. The committee of the Mutual Improve ment Society has arranged to give a valu able prize for the best essay on "The ßise and Progress of Tapanui," to be competed for only by members. I f**el confident a number of interesting essays will be pre pared. 