Personal.

Mr. A. T. Pyeroft, who for several years has occupied the position of Chief Parcels Clerk in Auckland, will retire on superannuation on 2nd March next after exactly 36 years service.

Mr. Pyeroft joined the Railway Department as a Cadet at Auckland in 1891, and worked at various stations in the Auckland District prior to his transfer to Christchurch in 1899. In 1902 he was transferred back to Auckland Passenger, where he has since been located. His long association with Auckland has won him the highest esteem of the business community, and by his pleasing address and tactful handling of the travelling public, he has set a high standard for his successor to emulate. Mr. Pycroft's hobbies are natural history and literature. We trust he will be spared many long years to pursue these hobbies, and so enhance a reputation he already bears in these directions.

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Mr. T. I. Robinson, who boasts of 32 years continuous service at Auckland, out of 35½ years with the Department, will retire on 8th March. He joined the service as a Cadet at Wanganui in 1891, and was transferred to Auckland on Boxing Day, 1894. He has a wealth of reminiscences of the Auckland Railway and has proved a veritable bulwark of the Auckland Goods Office. The retirement of an officer with such extensive local experience leaves a gap that will be hard to fill.

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Mr. Geo. Duncan, who for the past seven years, has occupied the position of Stationmaster, Helensville, will retire from the service on 31st March. Mr. Duncan joined the service as a Junior Porter at Kaikora in 1887. In 1889 he was appointed Cadet at Napier and subsequently saw service at other stations in the Wellington and Wanganui Districts, being Stationmaster at Turakina, Ashhurst, Taihape and Cross Creek, and finally Helensville. Mr. R. Gallagher of Christchurch, will fill the vacancy.

Courtesy Defined

Treating a customer like a rich uncle, so that you may extract his coin, is not courtesy—that's foresight.

Offering a seat to the man who enters your office is not courtesy—that's duty.

Listening to the grumblings, growlings, and groanings of a bore without remonstrating is not courtesy—that's forbearance.

Offering your companion a cigar when you light one yourself is not courtesy—you'd be illbred if you didn't.

Helping a pretty girl across the street, holding her umbrella, carrying her poodle; none of these is courtesy. The first two are pleasures, and the last is politeness.

Courtesy is doing that which nothing under the sun makes you do but human kindness.

Courtesy springs from the heart; if the mind prompts the action, there is a reason; if there is a reason, it is not courtesy, for courtesy has not reason.

Courtesy is goodwill; and goodwill is prompted by a heart full of love to be kind. —Pennsylvania-Ohio Electric News.

Poets.
Blessings be with them—eternal praise,
Who gave us nobler loves, and nobler cares—
The Poets, who on earth have made us heirs
Of truth and pure delight by heavenly lays!

—Wordsworth.