OUR SATURDAY STORY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 215, 7 September 1912, Page 16

OUR SATURDAY STORY.

BERNARD PARTON'S SUCCESS.

(By A. B. COOPER.) I. The Rev. Bernard rarton was writing a letter to the young lady whom some day he hoped to bring to share Ills lot in the mining Tillage In which Providence had placed him. As yet any prospect of marriage seemed far off, for the church, to which he had come so enthusiastically a few months before was still as he had found it, almost empty, and where there Is no one fr> 6npport the cause there la no one to support the minister. "It seems hopeless to try to persuade these men to come to church." he was writing. "I've tried every way I can think of to win their confidence, their esteem, ami eventually their love. Up to the present, however, they paps mc by on the other side. These miners arc shy men. -ami especially with reference to religious matters. Sometimes I feel as though 1 were a complete failure— I bad missed my vocation. I prepare my sermons -with the utmost care, and almost every Sunday someone comes into the vestry to tell mc that they have received (rood from my ministry. But I want to nil the diurcfo; I -want to stir this neißlioourhood as it has never been stirred ')<- ---fore. That happy consummation has not I should bejrin to think It never would.' , When the Rev. Bernard got to this point In his letter ft tap en mc nt his door, and Ms landlady. Mrs Dapper, hesitatingly opened it In response to his "Come In." "Rxcnsc mc. Mr Parton." she said, In deprecatory tones. "I'm sorry to disturb you, I'm sure, and you bo busy a-prepar-inc of your sermon for nex' Sunday." The, Rev. Bernard si)rreptitou*ly turned bis note-paper over, lest Mrs Darpper should catch sight of the ■words, "My DnrUng Owen." "Do you want mc to do something for yon.?"' Raid the minister, smiling at the little woman. "Oh, dear, no, sir," paid Mrs Dapper; "but there's six .men (it the back door what won't go awny till they've seen you." "Dear met" paid the minister, jumping op and displaying a slight figure which did not reach, a. lietsnt of more than five feel foot , inches. *"Sli men, «lid you say, Mrs Dapper? At the back door? Why didn't they come to the front door if they wanted to see mc?" "Well, rtr," eaJfl Mrs Dapper, "they're an miners, nnd —and " "Ton -wouldn't have minded them coming to the front door, would you. Mrs Dapper , queried the mtnieter, with a smHe. "Well," said Mrs Dapper, avoiding the question, "they've Jn«t «imo out o' the pit, and they're as black as sweeps. There's Tom Taylor and Jack Greenwood and Bob Tlcslam. and three whose names 1 don't know. Will you come through the kitchen, sir 7"' Sol one of them touctied hits cap es the parson came emilinply to the back door. They just stood stolidly In a group, with ■their eyes very white and almost ghastly, looking out of their coaly faces. Then Bob Hnslnm spoke. "You'll happen wonder, parson, what we'p cad round for, but mc an' my mates belongs, to •£... Barton Excelsior Cricket Club, an' «'o jus' bin elected to t' Dfctrict League. We've ony bin goin' one season like, on' we'r not much o' players, so I dnnnot suppoase as*we £ball fret much, aboon t' bottom o' t" League ladder: but someb'dy's towd us as yo've done a hit o , cricket at florae college as yo've bin at. As I said to Joe Mears, yo' don't Ink i" build o' chap as conld do verra much: but If to' could do a bit like, an' 'elp ne at •fust match or «>, just to give us a bit o" confidence, my motes 'nd be verni fain."* "Aye, we should that." came from the other five, and Tom Taylor took up the parable. "Win* on 't is as we piny Blnekton o' Sattaday. an' they -were at f top o' t' local leajroc Ins' time, an - we're fnlr freeten'd they'll jrl'e tis such a wh«cbin' as we'll ne'er for ehame to Ink aar nuitcs 1" th' face .iRCnn. So we thought if yo" could mek a twthri Time, as yoM done a bit «' cricket afore, yo' mlplit conn- an' join us." The ponton hitherto hiwlin't been ndle to Ret a word In, but his face certainly encouTOfred the men to hope that their application wrmld be kindly received. In fact, had the pnrson only known It, It was that very smile, and hl« most evident desire to lie friendly with the men, which had enconraieed this deputation to call upon Win. Only 4h? day before one of their number ■had said, as the cape was descending the. shaft, to thioue who were going down the •pi* at the same time: "Why not ask t" new parson l" play In i' league match come tSattaday? Someone was toll In' mc ower at Black ton as they wifrot 'c were o'er Uieer i'siead o' Barton, as they'd ax Mm to play like a shot. These parson chaps can cen'neUy play a bit. an" they do say as thta 'tin used to -be quite a decent cricketer when V played at 'is eoJlepie." Ton mranteß later the parson continued his letter. "Just when I reached this point," he wrote. *"a very remarkable thine happened which may prove the opportunity I have been •hopinß and prnyJnß for. I have just had a deputation of miners asking mc to play ttrr their league team on Saturday. Who cooW hare thought that such a piece of good fortune should hove come so unexpectedly my way? If you nre thinking of mc on Sirtirrday. my dear Gwcn, I think yon might very I<n-lHmetelT put up a little prayer that 1 make a few useful runs at leaet. a.nd perbjrps take a wl<»Vat »» » K0 wtth my slows." IT. Tlierc was great exeltemen-t in the mining Tdliejpe. of Barton over the visit of the j cricket team from the neighbouring and much, larger villagealmost a town, in —of Blackton. Barton looked upnn Blackton ac a sort of metropolis. The | upper classes of Baiton. did , their shopping in Blackton. There was actually a draper's shop in Blackton wiilch had three windows and two doors, whereas there was ■notli-liiß in Barton of more than a third of that site. Yes, Blackton was an Important (place, and Its cricket team were very ■well aware of ithat fact. But It must not be thought that the Barton team wos to be despised; It «-as not. They had practised very assiduously all the previous summer, and though they had: not won many matches they bud improved greatly, and it was this enthusiasm i and improvement which had commended them to the committee of the District League. As Blackton was onJy six miles from Barton, a very large number of Blnckfonians came over with their favourites to see them pulverise poor Irttle Barton. It was the flTst match of tie season, aud a really -big win for Blactton would give them a good start. When Blackton won the -tress and elected to bat first there was great rejoicing, which expressed Itself In much shouting and chaff. "Tfcej'U faWjv-wtoje Hf «ff t , fljW, ,, called.

hoot one Blacttoiu miner, as the Barton ; men- came out of the cricket tent "By gum!" saW another Blacktonian; "wjio's that little w-hlppersnapper they've gotten wi' 'em? Ah've Diver sin 'im afore." "Oh, that's their parson," said another. '"They say 'c's made "tathrl runs when 'c were a schoolboy, so they're girln' Mm a trial!" "Well," said another, "'c doesn't Ink as If 'c could do much. 'E*s nobbut about 111' 'eight o' sirpenn'ortli o' coppers.' , "No. ther' isn't much on 'Ira; but Ah've knowed little 'uns as conld met runs—aye, an' tek wickets, too," said another Blacktonian. '•Well, It'll teK inore'n one -pmJ-Kcm to beat Blaekton." "Aye, more'n haif-a-aoren." said the first speaker. "These parson chaps aren't much Rood at owt exeep' ppeachln', an , I've kiwwed 'em not much *ood-at that." The first two batsmen began to score in the very first over, and made things so lively that in half an. hour they had scored fifty. During these thirty minutes they simply banged the bowling all over the Held and kept the Barton fteldumen an the rim. At fifty, however, this first ■partnership "siiio to an end. One of the batsmen, growing confidently reckless, ran out to a ball and smote It. with all his might. It not only rose to « great height, but went a great distance, and looked as if It were going over the honndary for cix. The parson was StandIng fifty yards to the Tight of the flight of the boll, and he ran along the boundary as hard as he could, keeping hie eye on the descending bail. His hands and the ball mot. In the very nick of time, and the ball never reached the ground. Barton had watched the running parson and the falling ball with breathless Interest, and when he actually brought off the catch Bartonians fairly danced for joy. But the Blaektonlans did a little sum in their minds, something like this: If two men make fifty t\kis In halt en hour, howmany runs will eleven men make in four hours? Bnt sums don't always come right, do they? Not always. The second wicket pot on rone a* fast as the first. The batsmen seemed to revel In the bowling. The Barton trnadlers sent them the very balls they liked to epank to the boundary. By the time the big flngpr of the clock had gone round once the Blnckton score had reached Sβ, and only one wicket bad fatten. In crossing the field, at the end of wne of the overs the parson wan seen to hold a brief consultation with the captain of the Barton team. Tom Taylor, and Tom wae seen to nod in a doubtful sort of way; but when tie score had reached 103, and still no further wicket had fallen, Tom, to the great surprise of the spectators, was seen to throw the bail to the parson. "They'll knock f leather off f ball," was the Blacktonlau comment, and undoubtedly the wish, was father to the thought. "StlH. f proof o' ** puddtar's 1" th eyiin'." said a wtee old Btrtonlan. "I've knowed little chape as could bowl a bit I" my time." But when the parson did actually bowl, a great guffaw of laughter went round the field. It was the funniest bowling ever seen. The other boTriere had stepped abont a dozen paces, had taken a long run, a little hop, a funny skip, and had dellrered the ball with, as much swiftness as they could command. Bnt the parson did none of these things. He Just delivered the ball into «he air, after two steps up to the crease. The batsman ie was bowling to was one of the first pair, and had made the noble score of 42. Bnt this ball seemed to bother ihlm a hit, simple though it looked. The crowd he was going to bang it for six. Then he. changed his mind and touched It so gingerly that he ■was nearJy caught by Hie •wicket-keeper. " 'ITU hit f nest out o" sect!" said the ueuni <wu<eaere among the BtacbhHdans, and the batsman had evidently made up his mind to do so. Hβ on oat of hie ground to meet the Mglnaiiltng ball. He missed it, "dean as a. -whistle,'* and tihe ball gently removed his off tail. The new-comer played Tery gingerly at the next balL Be tried to block it, bnt ho blocked at nothing, and. the ball gently bumped against his ■wicket. Sw it was indeed Barton's torn to do a little chortling, and they did It very loudly. Still, 105 tar three -wickets was quite good enough, for Blacteton, and even if all the other -wickets should fall without addition to the eoote, they mew very well that the Barton batsmen could not Lope 1o make as many. 'if lie take smother wicket <wV 'Is nex' ball 'ell do th' hat trick," said a Barton oolllcir, and, sure enough, lie did it. "Well done, parsonT" the Bartonian crowd shouted. "M .we do com else," someone added, "we've given. Bhickton a shakin' up, sit any rate." The Innings came to -a. pretty rapid close, for the batsmen at tfoe tn<i end were no •batsmen at all in any strict sen6e of the word. Bven the so-called fast bowler at ■the other end took two wickets, and the lnniu-ge vJosed for 119. The commencement of the Barton innings was a great contrast to the beginning of Qic Blaekton innings. Tom Taylor sent in Joe Mears and Bob Haslam first. Rob was of the stone-waller variety. He ■was -the sort of man w-tao wonkl keep -up hie awn end through, thick and thin, but who seldom added very much to tie aoore. He -was sent, in first to tire the bowllnp, and he certainly eeemed inclined to do it, for in the first hart hour of hie Innings he mede exactly three ram. and they were nil similes: And in the same half Ihonr he saw three trt his comrades walk back to the tent very much. crestfallen. "They'll aw be out for forty:" was tic Blucktonian comment. Bnt when the captain went in with Bo)), he mode things lively for the space of fifteen -rnimrtes, and -"was cile«rn bowled by the fast bowler after adding 30 to the score. The prophecy concerning "all otrt for forty" seemed now not likely to come true, because -when: Tom Taylor !had his middle stump bowled oat of the ground by the fast bowler the score stood at 38, and lie -was the fourth, man oat. Before going to the iwicket he had asked ok> parson to get ready to go in next, and there -was a murmur of expectation as the Rev. Bernard walked; to the -wicket wiUi his t»at Tinder his arm. "Well, if > bats as well as 'c bowls," said the 3arton'-«is, " 'ell mek a tuthiri." answered the Blackbonl&ne; "bin yo" durmot oft get bowlin" an' battia" fro" V same chap. Jack Harfcness"—Qmt was the fast bowler—" '11 eend 'is stumps flyin" afore Vβ bin in five minutes." "How's that?" It was .the voice of the wicket-keeper appeaing , for a cateta. behind the -wickets off the first ball of tie parson's innings. The crowd held its breath for the decision, and Bartonians at least gave a gasp of relief i when the um-pire gave the parson "Not I out." The next ball from the fust bowler the parson put through the slips in a etyle I which thO't mining village had never seen I in all its history, Such a stroke was a commonplace to Bernard Paxtcra. He had ' dnne it at school and- cortege a hundred! times, and he saw nothing wonderful in ' it. Bnt the crowd did; they wondered at so slight a tap sending ithe ball along the 6r<rand like a OAEb of lltfttalJKj to the! bonndari. j I

Jack Harkrcs walked J* t-.T"* 3 from the ■wWcet as then* l» !*** ** or die rhie ttae. ami when the J**> *» : : it was the swiftest. Bui tLIL? 1 * >« P I Tianl seemed just to pot hi, *«+ BeN ;,; ' 1 of It, and away it went to teg*, «1 ; easy style, and. attlonsb eu» *"• raced after it to care tbe hj«fcLj_mlpht as well liave tried te^T ,, **».' bean). *eicft & Btn^ The Bartoniane now aterneH: te » that the parson to sola, to , *** time, and .vrere n-tdte diejipolnted ***'''' simply played the <Qik4 t«n Jan. ,91 holler. He drove the fourth ttnL!. 0 ** It was fielded and ther^^TT^ , b <* tho stone-waller had to face th» h* * Ho blocked every .ban. -n» o "? ~l*other1 *- other end was a left*!L tte and his style seemed j net to roft w . son. He scored off every i>4ll hl !r WN flhree 4- an « two 2- bttt «*-> At the other end Bob Hada* *.» , valuable. He dktoft score M , n™ »; he didn't lose his wh-ket. He gritta tf tooth and determined In bis grfe™ * ta n« lons us the pnreon would Mtjirith. no ball should C et past 9U. b« .L^ lived up to ills termination, It rciul nnnoyins to the Blaektoniane *«*,,„, 7* knew that if they could get rH «*? t-tone-waller tie parson wouldn't have tt to make many more runs, tor a c Mgt. M the tPiim -nrould go down like com Jl" 1 the srytne. But Hestam and lie made up his mind to bold the aw" Then the Rev. Bernard bad another tuh at the stow bowler, and Trim a 4, a. •> „. a 3 he changed ends and got the bftlruT again from the Btocfcton tefcror, Jetku^ 8 ness. The score stood now at 72 f<*{6o wickets, and Blackball began to oiute little. Still, rnut-h mlgiit be done ieta! 72 iwd mounted to 120. It <eiy this" nership of <-lean hitting at one e«™, stubborn defence at 'the other conld b» •broken, the game was theirs, sure"emnJh Then a great shoot rose from «£ of Barton as tlw> parson Mt tie tut bowler clean out of the fieW for «x. If of thin* cod turned th* emnft >woijl4 t* <trpr in 3ialf an hour, and Btocfcton wools lujc, the disgraop of tielrj defeated by theli despteed nei«bbo<usj. - But the parwm, dWa't Bit aaotS«r 'jfc ■that over, at any rate, tboogh. bi eutu three 2's from snecessise balta. ' ■ Then a catastrophe happened, "ft , I mement of thotigiaJesaess, miMif, Sek I Haelam actuallT hit out at the star »#!e t I awl reran caught at corex-poiat. ' I "Sow mc be long," sail jj, Blaebton wit, and it reafly eeanei ci though, he spoke the tEnfli, lor the nut man, and the next after Mm», came mi went for a '-d-nck, ,, Uioueh, In. the me** while, the parson had scored' tenlame. bringing the score to 94 for sewn. Then ti» inn-son iilayed the game M his Ufe! Jt was eSEewtfail that the jest tnfte 'batsmen RhtraM ha»e as fe* chance of getting out as conU possibly be mtngee, and tie parson, l>7 erery legtamrte turn he could scheme, tiled to keep til Oβ bowling to tifmeeff. He succeeded idmSr. a,bly up to a point, trtt, do as be -male, the lame docks of the Barton team had occasionally to face the «act bOTcier. th«T did their beet, bet it was a poor test, aM the parson found himself factej: murines vriQi ten nine to irate tor-rlctwy, enteral}; | one -wicket to fall. The spectators were now at the bi&mt pitch, of excitement. It eeemed as It tie parson had tost ids power to wore. . Hβ blocked the first five balls of the test bowler's awer, and the sixth !he pnt geatly to the n> iwheare fieldere «wene sons, tact 1 then changed ends 'with, bis partner, I There -were still nine runs to make-«g he I faced tie slow left-haiKfcc Hβ Jilt tie 1 first ball 'with all ibis might, anditsftreft I up Into -tire Mac. 1>« Sl*ci*cmiacn&"i»irt<fe. Ed their man CTafttac for It, Tfeajr yen . ready to rush on the field- cad shoot ***»■ selves bourse. But the Eira 'was Is tin fielder's eyes. He made two attempts, bet the ball slipped ifluawtgih, Jus fingers amt-ftS upon the turf. ./ i They ran one for that, and if, amli; ?■' proved a disapteoos- one, >bec&nee the po« ■ "broken reed" iiad to face the itawflnj i again. He actually lit a one, ami thej; : changed ends once more. ■M^: There were etghi ran* -to- make for Tffr tory, and 4hree bans, to- make them In. As : a matter of fact. It otfly B«i«*e4 tm, ,Jfc % the Rev. Bernard pat~eaecess*iie ball* to the bonndary. ;•' , : And then ■Bar*an--went=wil(f! Thej-*wM take no excuse. T9iey ipoold Beta to.io if; remonstrance. They tmteted the peram sOioulder-aiigii «nd- carried! Jrtmi to trinopti : round the field. ' |' But thL<! was only the <begim>b»g of tie season, and not the end. Slowly tat bum- ; ly the Barton team cUmbed the lesß"* h* ' der imtil they iwere actnally at the top; A " but, though <lhe parson rejoiced with tils S stalwart ooßlers at this splenew enccsce, yet it was not success in the league vUdt ■; filled his heart wttn, Joy, tout another sat ~ a greater trinmpli.'■ ' Bernard thought at first that-it would be only a flash tn the pan, that the ooUlew came to hear tim preacfe jest oct of.^nft 1 osity. and because they admired - his prowess in the cricket field. But it did tot prove so. These men were loyal. The parson had done his best for them, and their were determined to do their 'beet for him. When 'the Her. Bernard Parton towg*t hie .bride home in ■tine autmnn, thoogll tte cricket, season was over, the <2mit& WM os (full as it could hold. The confer* ftnw* tlint the man who conld help them on toe cricket field conld be joet as tiel|»fnl in tt» pulpit and in the home and by the elck tied, and that his -wife conld glte,.*** ' wives and d«uwshtere not only leeeons In g-oodness and ktadnees- and Jieipfnlnetis, but in the of their children end their home?. "Life's a pood deal like * cricket niateh,' the parson wonld say to his col Her friends. "The devil's a good howler, a tricky bowler, nnd lip uses all 'his wilee to get your .wicket; but if yon keep a straight bit , and hit <mt at oil the Jooee balls, yen* keep your wi<*et up end yon'R score rm* And the men- understood. ]