THRUMS GOSSIPS.

Bush Advocate, Volume V, Issue 354, 16 August 1890, Page 6

THRUMS GOSSIPS.

THE LONDON REFORM CLUB. 'j. M. fiAKHEB- IN THE *' SPEAXEB".-) If uuo'tt ieet are not* tranger to Tfcru os, they tingle to set off with him to Tnmnias Haggart's but and ben in the tenements ; and here°mine stopped me— though I wanted to reach my schoolhouao befoie dusk— an eight days since come market day. Looking in at the window I saw the humourist breaknig up tho fire with hia foot, near his wife Chirety, who was filling pans, while Dan*l Spens and Peter Duthie stood gazing at Tammas'a back, the one abstractedly plucking threads of yarn from l.is corduroys and the other chasing a piece of tobacco with his tonguo— for each of us has his own wav oi trvi^S to fathom Huspurt'B last re•ark I snooK b ho door ;ft ck, and groped pistthopan and pitcher of water in the chirk passage into Haggart's end. They had heard tho rattle of the latch, for Chirsty was already on her feet, wearing a company face, Dan'l and Peter had stepped geuteely into a co:ncr. and Haggart was sitting with stiff carelessness in the high-backed chair ; his left eye, which is ■generally considered the more piercing, regarding a : red peat a little- sarcastically, and the other ready to receive a guest " Oil, it's just you," Chirsty >via to mo a* if I were a visitor who did not count, while Dan'l and Poter emerged from their corner, and Tammae stretched himself easily like one that has, finished, sitting for his photograph. " We're expecting a visit frae Rob Angus," Haggart explained, " so you'll better bide a wee, tlominie, and see him. Lads, lads, there has been chances since Rob he pit his father to cart wood for tho dominie's shed 1" " You may say that, Tammas," t \ " Ay, Dan'l," answered Haggart, frowning at hiroHftlf , " bat I'm fell annoyed at mysel' for saving it, for it's what a' body says when Rob a mentioned, and I dinna like to catch mysel saving ordinar' things.* '♦No, roan," aaid Peter, " it's the only ordinar 1 thing I've heard you say since Michaelmas, an 4_ ■»• • J Stop !" cried Haggart, holding up his harid. We fancied that he had . heard* the latch ogam ; but no, be had rather heard a bell, ringing inside him to announce that aa idea was on the way. " Ay, this is it," he said, ** na, wait a minuto —yea, I have him, I have him. If I hinna said an ordinar' thing since Michaelmas, an ordinar* • thing frae me now ia an extmoruinar thing. Ay,.lathiee> that's clear V* . .. v Man, Tainmas," said Dan'l, a<3mumf:ly, '* I think your mair extwwrdinar' than ltob himseiV MJ, dinna, say that, Dan'l," said Haggni-t, v though' ycu're ao the only nne • that thinks it " 'Perhaps I agree with Dan'l, though Rob Angus ia a remarkable man 4 too. Once ho hurl . been tha Thrums saw-miller ; vow ho ia'a groat literary, character In London, and at this , momeut lieiara his native plaeo showing ofi His wife, whose father, was a cokmel, • «» Ay, they're biding, wi' his axinfo Saaio Walker, on the. Mary .weilbrnß/ 1 Haggart told ' queer they maun think it .after their, grand, hbaee in Londpn," said' Peter, while !<sursty Btood at the window, keeking for tho' coming JrteUor. ■ ''.(Juqe* {indno queer," said Tammaa, who ; can. seldom afford -to agree with, anybody. , "She,'*.renwxb'pd- lian% meaning hie wiie-, '** cried in. at Susie's yestreen to get a look a-t; !thwn. Ay, , it .was goy "carious," '* What was ?* " Tho wy Rob spoko to the- wife— l mea«. to his aiu wife* I dhuui kon #mt I like ik" ; «* But what did he say ?'■♦ " It was what he called her that scunnered Mag, Ay, he called her, • dear.' " j "And folk there ?" \ "Aud folk, there, namely Mag and Susie ilag is ready to- take oath she board him say, ': Hand me that book, dear' and syna, ? Are you not sitting in thtj draught, dear ? r " " Loan, losh, I woHtldoa have thoclit that of Rob Angus, And what . wast she waß sitting ia?" "The draught. It*a a wicker chair they brocht frao London to Susie." " It maun be fell trying to Susie te hear him aaying dear.' " •< Ay, Mag cays it keeps Susie frae being ower lifted up at having sic grand folk biding wi' her. But to think o' Rob Angu> saying 'dear!'" " It's astonishing to the like o' you twa," broke iv Haggarfc, who had been reit.cting, v but I eanna say Punstaggerod, I dinna call Chirsty. there, ' d*>ar/ "— hero ho lowered his voice— '■• for I question if eho would stund it, but on my towels I Iwacd f oak flinging ' doar' about aa though it was as cheap as ponidge ; and,, lada, I got uo to be nane shocked. But, of course, it all depend* on whether you're a humourist. I see- things* aa I may say, wi' twa pnir o' eeij. My ordi&ar' eesi*B what I ueo at the loom or supping ray brasa, but to look at ; aquostion like tliia I put uu tbo aun »f humour. Ay, they're as oaaful aaasot o'falao teeth.'* •* Ona tlung settled now, at any rate," said Pxter, " is that ItoVs the great man wo heard he was, tho which soaio folk ia this toon was : I*th to belie vo." ' ♦* lave beloved rV," said Haggart, " and I dinna deny but what I saw an impressive prof »'t the day after Rob arrired." : " What was thatf" i : '* Wecl, it was his wy of kicking hooka about with hi* leet. I dliliwi me:m tD gang to eco him at'ore he cam) to me, but, an you kon, Suaio wus in a micJaty Btute abonfc their wuntiuy to make him a member o* the Reform dab ia j London, that being a trick to diddle him oot o' . forty pounds." M 'Forty what?" : " Pcunds — yes, potin-ls, Ay, I thocht ib woul<l bo shillings mysel 11 , but I ussum you it's ]O>:ada. Ay; then Satsifi pri^jgafl wi' him to Btop thorn electing him, but ho wouklna hearkca \» her, and so she came to mo. t*h*j wna gtuctin*, luda, as Chirsty can toll you, and she snid she would, never haad ap h«r h«wl tigoin if he b3t hlmael' be mtkde sic a falo o'.' 1 '* Forty pouudH !' And what was ho to get for it r* " That was what Susie conlilna make out, and nor only hope wt« that if I argaed in my moat humourous wy I raiehb bring liab to." " I keut you hud beeu tp see him. Forty ' pounds I" " Ay ;; I put on ray blackß and stepped down to Stwio a, hcv aud m« having arraHged th^it K-jb shouJilna be tcit abo«.t h<a- eooning to mo. Vfeel, I was to tell you abotit thobooks. I was RCiiroe sat down — and I mind Rob's wifu was sitting iw the draught — wh«n Pnety Dick '.vhist'e!* afc the door uotl Iwuida iv a pace.!, l^xda, it was eax books t'rao an editor, and Rob jjete W^sm to bimsul" I" "What for?" '* For uaothing. He has just to write admksthin^ aboub them, and syuo they're hiti. Gnmd books they were, w' <j;old on th.M»itM<]o a-, id pioluvs. Ay, lndj. Rolj'a high up tho two, or ttw editors wouldua bo seiuliug him sax book-i ' at a time." v You take my bronthawav Butth«y woaldtm be splflet-new i»o jka ?" l% Splce-t imjw they were, and listou to fids — one o them w&i called ' Lives oi Famous i'hilanthropists.' " " Itw.ia?" " T.fcitf a no what yim'ro to afcteud to. No, it's tliia. Th« book foil oli' the table—and what do.^s liob do V v Gle a tscroam ? v " Not him ; he just gavo th-o book a wap with hia foot, a-ad says he, ' Let the Kas Iks, Tiuamas.' Ay, I hinn* ee&u Bto an impressive fticho triwee I became a kuinoriiit." " Aa.l I mind that biddic b«itig in my Sab-bath-Hchool oiass," eaid Dufi'l. "It cows ! That's ull I ran say. It cmvs !' ' " Ay, but t'orry pounds 1" Peter was atill mutU'ring. " Yi;d, iorty youndd/'saidHagSttrt* rt I put himcii'tho noeiii for a while, and syne I suyn, 1 Whut.'n thia I hear :ibootth«n drawing you ia to a olub whinir you pxy forty pouuds r i 4 ' It'a fur r'nio drawing rao to,' he saye in Itie new English wonL 'IfH bo a groat honour if I get in, but I doubt I wiuna.' " ' JDiuna boliovo each havers, Taaamaa, 1 ' ciioe Stisio, putting hoy huad in at tlw «Joor. " Wool, I w-jis'g l^ 3 m y heatl to Susio . te r <* sum to her to anuti aw«, and syne 1 6a\ »— " Rob,' I aoys, ' 1 Kent y.me ni»»er auu mitixcr aforo yua wore bova. o»id so I can ape.ik plain to you. Will you just tell me, to wi.se tJusio'i miiihl aud keep up your name in Thrum-, wJuit yo<i'll got oat of thia dub V Il< It'rt tljo honour, 1 ho Bays, bucking awn frae tho qix^tion. *' * V*ui you draw silkr oot o^t whea ye're no woel V I hjmoi-s, " ' No,' hoaaya. 4< ' Thou,' I *iys, ' doea it provide for roar widow V and ftt that ho shakes hia hoiwl Ml tbruwnliko. " ' Tl'U me, Rob,* I saye fomly, • do yon get boai-d and lodging free for that forty pound ;" " * Of covirrto not,' Iw saya. " ' You get mtothing f I wiys : M thoro'a n« 8» muckle as a turkey at New Year's tlnui V ■Wed, Rob/IfKiys, 'if you huve so little itspoot for v»ur mither's memory, think o' jour y-ooagwif©/ ** * Xou dinnannderstand,' he say«. ' I cuily wiah 1 u>mh «i»-n o* b«lns eKicU>d.' "'Make your mind easy on that point,' l says, wi' michty humour ; ' they'll havo their

hands on your forty pound afo»e many dayß is post. And as for understanding, what I jalouse is that they're a pack o' rogtieg, and I consider it a black burning shame that the hale clamjamfray o' them is no gaoled.' " " And so it is," said Dan'T, ** but I've heard that if you tak your hands oot o' your pouches In London for a minute you're robbed o' every bawbee. Ay, I didna think Rob would have been so saf t. If his mithor had been living she would have had a sair heart this day." " Forty pounds at a clink !" said Peter; " I think I'll better gang hame." H Wheesht !" cried Chirsty, " I see him, and his ' dear's' wi' him.' 11 ] i 4 Ban'l," said Peter, " we'll better step. They're ower grand for you and me." "You can Tung about in the corner," Haggart said, " and turn your back to them politely, and syne if Rob's frank you can be frank too* Hey, was that a chap ? Ay- Rob didna use to chap when he came to ray door." As it turned out, I waa tha first to leave, but not until I had heard Rob say — " Weil, Tammas, I've beeu .elected to the Reform, though it'B more thau I •deserve." I faltered at the door to hear Hoggart's comment, for I knew it would be worthy of him* " Ay, lad," he eatd, • with a nod to Dauffaud Peter. M I was sure they would Bnick you in."