TANGMALANGALOO

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 151, 23 December 1921, Page 12

TANGMALANGALOO

The Bishop sat in lordly state and purple cap sublime. And galvanised the old bueh church at Confirmation time; And all the kids wero mustered up from fifty miles around, With Sunday clothes, and staring eyes, and ignorance profound. Now waa it fate, or was it grace, whereby they yarded too An overgrown two-story lad,from TangrmaJangaloo ? ' A hofty son of virgin soil, where nature hats her fling, .And grows tho trefoil three fees high and mats it in tho spring; Where ,mighty hills uplift their heads to pierce the welkin's rim, And trees sprout up a hundred feet before they shoot a limb; There everything is big and grand, and men are giants too— But Christian knowledge wilts, alas, at Tangmalangaloo. The Bishop summed the youngsters up, , os only'bishops can; Ho cast a searching glance around, then fixed upon his man. But glum and dumb and undismayed . through every bout he sat; He seemed to think that ho was there, ■but wasn't sure of that. The bishop gave a. scornful look, as bishops sometimes do, And glared right through tho pagan in from TangitpaUngaloo. "Come, tell me, boy," his lordship said, in crushing tones severe, "Come,' tell mo why is Christmas Day tho ' greatest of the year ? How is it that around the world wo celebrate that day And sond a nemo upon a oafd to those who'to far away? Why is it wandering ones return with smiles and greetings, too?" *• A 6t|uall of knowledgo hit tho ltid from Tangmalangaloo. He gave a lurch which set a-shake the vases On tho shelf, ■ Ho knocked the benches all askew, upending of himself.. And oh, how pleased his lordship was, and how he smiled to say, "That's good, my boy. Come, toll me now, and wfi-at is Christmas Day?" The ready answer bared a fact no bishop ever knew— It's tho day before tho raoes out at Tang-nufil'anga-loo." —From "Around the Boroo Log." By John O'Brion. (Angus and _Robertson, ;.Sydney.)