OLD JAN'S GRANDCHILDREN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 122, 21 November 1908, Page 11

OLD JAN'S GRANDCHILDREN.

"And your grandson, Fill?" Old Jan shook his head. "It be a tarriblo wicked oirl job about Bill," he said. "He be daft. He's gone for a soldier. They Tentorials what Sergeant Farmer Brown said as W '♦ would do 'o good did it. Ho threw up his job he aid. Ho was workin' «Wn to j<' ar . mer Tregaskis." "And how much did lie get there?" I asked. "Five shillin' and is kapa. He asked tor a rise, but Farmer said, 'What do oe want a rise for? Yew don't do no more work than what 'cc used to. 1 An' iiill says, 'I be bigger.' But Farmer says back, 'I know, 'cc be, and yew eats more. But h..> might have got a rise if he had stayed along with Farmer i'regaskis, an' so I said. But 'tis, like what they scriptures &ays, 'Train up a chile an' away h& go.' 1 I remembered Old Jan's ' grandson in the lcmtorials. He was not exactly a tremendous success. One© when 1 was officer of the day, -and there was a light burning in oneof the tents, 1 called out "Put out that light," and heard the voice of Bill reply, "Go on, yew fule." I also heard a second voice saying to Bill, "Sharrup, Bill Barnfield, yew mustn't call he a fule, even if he be a ,^°> } lKr "? c tne officer of the day." "Then," sa^d the voice of Bill, "what oe he dom'.out by night?" On another oc-jasion he was up before the Colonel for being out of camp after the "la&t had sounded. The Colonel told him off, and the Adjutant produced «» paper and was about to read ouu the prisoner's military history, when Bill said, "Shut your mug, young feller, I wiis liavin* a yarn with the old chap in tho chair." i "And how is Annie.'" I continued. "Did you give her the mistress's message about doing ncr hair properly?" Jan scratched' hi*, nead. "When 1 came m to dinner," he said, "there she was with her hair aIJ of a fluff, suro enough. __ I picked her up a fit smartish, I did ; but et wasn't much good not to speak of." "Why? If she wants to go out to service sa& must do her hair properly ; j then surely she would liko to please the mistress." "Aw iss. Her would like to." "Then wnat did eh& say?" "'Er said, 'To. 'ell witb the mistress.' " Jan went on digging potatoes. He described her as "a stubborn little old toad thav didn't mean no harm." I further gathered thai at a local produce show she had insist-ed on putting eight carrots in a bunch, whereas the prize of two shillings was offered for the best bunch of six carrots grown by a cottager. Jan went up for his prize, knowing that his were the best carrots, but a gentleman from Midcombe was actually handed the award. "Anybody could see as 'ow they was the best carrots," he said to her ladyfhijj, vrno was giving away the prizes. It took an hour to explain the word "disqualified" to him. Jan thought that the judge ought to have thrown out the two carrots that he fancied least in his bunch. J felt rather pleased ?hai 1 had not been called upon to judge the vegetables. I should no; have l:\od to go contrary to Old Jan's sense of justice. — J.S.J., in St. James's Budget.