Page 8 Advertisements Column 6

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 17020, 17 December 1920, Page 8

THE CHRISTMAS GHOST OF 1857. * I'm the ghost of John James Benjamin Christopher Bins, v .! • I was cut down right in. tho midst o. .. ray sins, When the cock begins to crow, I'm let out for an hour or so— sang the Ghost softly to himself, as ho made his way from other regions back to his old haunts by tho winding Avon. "Whist, it has an. unfriendly onu ail unfamiliar look," 110 said uneasily, I should by now be in Cathedral square, but tho sand-hills seem to have vanished, ami the night gives an uncanny look ; to the niggerheads andflax bushes, making them look liko big buildings—it a pity ghosts can only come out at nights-think I'll break bounds and stay around till morning." Se chose whatlooked like a good dense clump or undergrowth and settled into it to sleep. Bv and bye tho first light of dawn began to iilter through into his retreat and the Ghost realised that things were not as he had thought: '''lonrs 1 m in a printing establishment of kind —a newspaper office, and the "nte of the morning's paper is Decomber 17th, IP2o—shades of my father s pannikins —I've been gone for sixty-tour years, >and I thought it was only a day or so." When tho bustlo of business was m full swing tho Ghost stepped oiit from his resting place and wandered uown Colombo street, for a couple of blorks, looking sadly from side to side, Aot one familiar name; it's a lonesome thing, oven for a Gliost, to 1)0 quite among strangers." Suddenly ho stopped, and a glad smile came over 111s ghostly features: "At last, here s an old name, E. Reeco's Hardware shop, I'll just waft, in and have a look round." He stepped over the entrance warily expecting the steps which ot old led up from the side walk into 'the store: "R has certainly grown and flourished in tho yoar<?," said the Ghost to himself, "you may say that what was then a seedling plant is now a fnilgrown forest tree.' _ On one side of the entrance was a radiant snow of on the highest tier were ranged great palm liojvls, some decorated in black and white, others in trellis ana floral patterns; below this a shelf of Astra ' ware, in Bhades of red, mauve, preens, pink, and blue, tho shapes simple and graceful, the whole effect striking. Below this again, Doulton ware in the familiar decorations ancj, in many that are new, including the grotesque Charlie Chaplin figure, realistically portrayed. On the lowest Bhelf, lustre Ru«kin ware caught and reflected the sunlight. On the opposite side of tho entrance Silverware flaunted itseJr, watches gave promise of prospective owners being always up to time, Pipes temptingly offered * solace to smok-ers, cigarette nolders and cases spoke of tho seductive "fag" ; "All marked in plain figures," murmured the Ghost, But or wLat use is a pip© to a shade? Through tho doorway, more Silverware on every hand; to the left a bay. displayed choicest Perfumery, Soaps, Powdera—all the little aids to tho (quest for beauty. Leather handbags, leather trifles of all sorts looked out from glas3 , eases. Across th© passage-way, sports requisites callod aloud to the Ghost, who had been something of a cricketer himself in his day—whilst his roving eye took in also the detail of Meccano, beloved of nil small boys,, games, guns, <?tc. Back again through the Silver department, wafted the Ghost, his eyes bulging with astonishment; through an archway vistas of Chinaware and Glass met his sight: "And in my day we drank thankfully out of pannikins" he thought. "And here is something I never knew, Enamelware, white, blue, grey —baby carriages, the roads would not have suited those in '57! Antimony from Japan, and Lacquered Boxes — Japan, and we had not much in common in tho£e old days; ,Copper and ■ Bra'ss Vases, Bowls, Jn^Sr— Suit Oases and Trunks is it, and Kit Bags, these are called—the carpet bag was a roomy and dependable old friend to tho pioneers! Baskets, made I doubt not, from the descendants of the willows we planted! A billy and a pannikin, a 1 pannikin, now I feel more at _ home, > even if it is made of aluminium instead . of tin —if only I could see a camp oven {would feel quite jovial. Alas! that did not live in these favoured later days—l'll go back to shadbwland, before envy dissolve me quite." t He wafted out again from the familiar doorway of Recces', and was gone. 6