MR TOCVEY: SWEEP.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8464, 1 June 1916, Page 6

MR TOCVEY: SWEEP.

WHAT A POLITICJAN HE WOULD ■ HAVE friADE ! Mr A. Neil Lyons, in liis new book of short stories, '' Moby Lane and Thereabouts," introduces among other fcjussox worthies Mr Toovey, who has won it reputation as a sweep. Mr Lyons therefore went to seek his assistance in a domestic, crisis, and after much' trouble found him. , '' ' You have given up chimneysweeping, then ?' I enquired. " ' Oh, no, sir,' answered Mr Toovey. ' That be my trade. I wero apprenticed to tho ehimbnoy-sweeping.' '• ' You -have, at any rate, discontinued ehimnoy-swecpifig for the present ?' '•' 'I won't say that, sir,' answerer* Mr Toovoy. 'No, I..won't sa.y that! That bt> my trade, you see, sweeping chiinbncys.' "'Then why not sweep my chimney ?' I persisted. -" ' You see, sir,' explained Mr Todvey, ' I aren't swop' neer a chimbney for months and months—not since my oldest boy went orf to America. I duos a bit o' eohbe.rlin' -and I doos a bit o' iggerlin' and sometimes I sells fish and wood. But I reckons to be retired from business, roally. My wife could toll you more about it than I can, on'y my wife she be. at Worthing, whore our daughter live.' [ " ' Anyhow, I can't depend on yon to sweep my chimney';' Mr Toovey. j "'I wouldn't say ' that, sir. You 'see, I reckons to bo a. chimbney sweep be trade. On'y I. got, some wood to I attend-to —they faggots over at Theobald's. I. ought to be at tend in' to them now, on'y me wife she be away and J gotten stop and mind the place yore.' " ' I see that T.'m not to expect you to-morrow, 3Mr Toovey. but perhaps,' I suggested, ' you could come and clean my chimney sorno other morning— when yon nrc free to leave this place.' " ' VrQC to lenvo this place !' echoed Mr Tnovpy. (oh, I daresay, come to [ that, I'm i\;\ free to leave my place as ' what anybody clso is. Only I chooso to stop 'ere. You had better come again, young man, and see the Missus.' " ' You think, then,' I ventured to .assume, ' that you will be able to come some other morning and '

" ' 1 can't say naarthun about that,' so id Mr Toovoy. 'I aren't swep' a ehimbney out for ever so long—not since i.'iy eldest boy went orf to America. You'll 'aw, to see the Missus about it.' I " 'Perhaps,' I. said, 'you can recommend me to some* other chimney sweep, Mr Toovoy ?' ' "Mr Toovey shook his head. ' That I can't,' he replied. 'I be the on'y proper ehimbney sweep this side o' Lewes. You won't better me if you walk five miles.' "