JUBILEE WORK IN ENGLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 147, 24 June 1887, Page 7

JUBILEE WORK IN ENGLAND.

Cmc Experiences of a Lady Collector.

j'-y, prepared a nice litfcla speech with ~ r (.q begin, and said ifc over once or to myself to make sure. "Her ha s expressed her willingness to iivethe freewill offerincr S of her women " I rUs Will not you, in commemoration f£ jubilee, like to add V &c. &c. y, house I came to at the corner of district boasted a maid-servant of ten- ? y Ye who admitted me doubtfully to E visage aud glanced deprecatingly at Bterloar door. "Will you tell your ™f«.ffl that the lady collector for the ieehas called? i. gay nobody sat home, 'Liza, an , shet Aβfront door; we don't receive no collTtors nor we don't want to lose no urnhellers!" I could not c l uLto see tlie cou - pction but the anxious eyes of the hanclaideh' directed towards an old carriage "mbrella and a blue silk parasol with white fringe which leant against a perambulator fotiie background gave this pregnant remark its point. 'Liza rattled the door h ndle but I made another attempt: (i Does'only Mrs S. live in this house ?" "I'll teach you to call me " only Mrs S.!" 'tied that lady, throwing aside the Wise of "not at home," and jjlincr into the passage with at least thirty curl-papers bristling. "Can't fladv set down for barf an hour's quiet lifchout bein , interrupted with collectors? Ihere's been the church orgiu, an' tlie oerlice concert, an' the chapel treat, an' I Sfves them all alike, but you're the Ludentest—' Only Mrs 5., , indeed! 'fiza put up the chain !" I went on to JNo. I ' " Mrs W; and her mother, Mrs R.," my list said. These were two decent and pleasant-spoken widow-women, who supbortccl themselves by plain needlework, nfld kept the three children of the former, jl'under ten. I explained my purpose: "Her Majesty has exjjressed her willingness" &c. "A bit pressed, is she?" reueated Mrs R., who was a triile hard of bearing- " Well, she shall have my penny, pdwelcome: I've known what it is to be pressed myself!" and nothing that I cotild say subsequently served to eradicate the first impression that our Gracious Oneen found herself unexpectedly out of pocket, and appealed to the nation lor assistance.. Proudly accepting twopence, I determined to alter my lormula |o as to dispel this misapprehension, but Ihad not prepared anything suitable in its place;before I found myself face to face nth the occupant of No. 3, whose shopjoor stood open. I was obliged to ask, jithout any preamble : " Have you a wife, wd could 1 speak to her for a moment ? I pconie to ask if she would like to add [ernauieto the list of contributors to the Queen's Jubilee Fund, a freewill present from the women of England?" Here I (topped) out of breath, and a little discouraged by a decided want of sympathy II the air. The occupant of No. 3 was a cobbler (I believe cobblers are always Democratic); he did not look up, or address me directly, taVmurmured to himself: "Shocking! Shocking! That's what I call it! a-taking of the bread out of innercent women's aud ddren's mouths! I call it idolatry! Stocking! Shocking !" I felt somewhat abashed at this view of Ike subject, but again asked if I might speak* to his wife, as the matter was one for tewomen themselves to decide.

"Ha'n't got one," snapped the cobbler; "an'if I had, she shouldn't give you a penny!" which he might have said at once, Hid spared my time and temper. jit No. 41 was smilingly received by my p charwoman, whose identity with the m Jones of my list I had failed to recogsetiJl she stood before me, rubbing her ows with the palms of both her hands d smiling encouragingly. I was so ased to be welcomed on any grounds, isonal or otherwise, and stated my cause ate lucidly. "To be sure, ma'am! toy's the penny I've had off you !" reanded Mrs Jones, exactly as if it were a Slel case, and rummaging in a mug on produced the penny, and itoteMatilda Jones with a flourish on my feting paper. "Which reminds me, a'am, asking your pardin for mentioning aipleasantness, that the sixpence you atdown to me along o' the two-shillin , Kβ o , Saturday evening was a bad one, illkep' it to show you where my husban' aa-bit it right through 1" and this, too, aproduced from the mug. Ofcourse, I made good Mrs Jones's sixUS; and certainly there was no contrattg the fact that Mr Jones's teeth had ifrsad work with it, though whether it i originally emanated from me was not s«a!ly clear, and I left No. 4 feeling stHer Majesty and Mrs Jones had scored diet than their humble collector. Tdon't exactly hold with it!" explained b lady of No. 5, leaning across the table, ilshaking a large bony hand in my directs to emphasize the remark ; " but what ay is, what is a penny in comparison & keeping right with Her*?" (Here she fped her voice, and I could have als fancied for Her she had said " She !") my conteribution, twopence, ■Wplease, and I should like it put down ffli'my full name, for I always say we fttto keep straight with Her, as far as Bsble in ua lies. " Hind Mrs B. tossed her head, with all the Wfte.aiid fancy fruits in jet which adorned SffiMouchasto say: "1 have done all I W»to ensure its safety against the caprice Bhpants. Let the executioners come IP my three streets I met with several fflNoi spontaneous loyalty and goodwill; Bjpoihe dozens of puzzled ' and abiding B^wlerstanding; and with about an of determined resistance to S-fflovement. Hl!>edon't buy nothing of us !" was a HNife reproach against Her Majesty Iwfethe small shoplceepers. Generally, W looked round on the dried herrings, and penny sheets of popular K 3 ) I felt inclined to excuse the Queen in HrWiAcular. A few people were curious would do with the money, rule a hospital as the intended Hfe:foind most favoxir, which proves Wfteoldprejudice against hospitals is ■w .disappearing, at all events in our Weurhood, where such institutions as |»%cer Hospital, the Women's, and the for children speak for themselves.^ " to the conclusion that the women's 'iwshould have been differently aclK*?i : ifitwas to be more spontaneous. Wgft* ti post-offices and public places ,BWve enabled those who really wished ■ jK?Me to do so without pressure, and iy we saved many lady collectors from HrMpleasant experiences than mine. ||rat&ention that my entire collection sj.l|*? to Is 7d, contributed by fifteen ■'■SB^in'twelve penny, two twopenny, ||p c threepenny donations. G. R. Stuart.