ON AN AUSTRALIAN FARM.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 9 June 1910, Page 4

ON AN AUSTRALIAN FARM.

CHAPTER XII. TIIK PLAY'S TIIIO THING. The curtain rose. The house applauded. Peter and Polly and 'I'illy strained their necks to get a fidl view of 'the opening scene. The home of a poor selector was disclosed. A huriling lamp stood on the table. lieneath the open window stood a bucket 'oi water. Through the window glared n hush fire that was raging ou/tsidte. The old selector (Tom Broggs bv tile programme) was seated at the fireplace, sad and despondent-looking. "Oh, isn't it real!" l'oll.v gasped. "A selection I" Tilly answered. The selector's (...rs Broggs—Miss Vid;\ Dolback, the programme announced) entered with ia pair of men's pan!ts that wanted repairing, hanging over her ami, and gazed silently about the scant: shelving in search of something. "Ha' Ha! Ha! " Peter broke out and was promptly suppressed by Tilly and James. "[ had a needle to-day, somewhere," Mrs Hroggs said in a clear voice, "whatever on earth could T have done with it." S'lie went on ransacking the shelving. "That's just lahke what ye'er Mootlier would do," old Jehu whispered hoarsely to his family. The great audience watched Mrs Broggs with intense silence. She looked round, and discovering the old selector (her husband) seated gloomily at ithe fireplace, approached him and place:! a hand lightly on his shoulder. "Ah, don't brood over it so much, Father!" she said in touching tones. "I know it's very hard and disheartening after all your years of work and waiting, to see the fences and crops burnt like that. Hut you did all you could to figli't it, and the boys and the two girls are still doing their best with it! Thank God you are able to save the house, so don't take it to heart any more, Father. It will surely come right in the end -everything does, if you notice." Them looking round and assuming a cheerful tone: "Resides, we haven't heard from the .storekeeper yet about the corn. You never can tell what it might iVitch, or how well off we shall bo yet. Do you know, I've been for days waltdiing for the mailman to bring a letter, and something tells me there's one not far off." "Oh, isn't she good!" Tilly said to Polly. Without raising his head selector Rrogge dragged n letter from his pocket and handed it to his wife. "The mailman came when T was fighlt'ing the lire, Ellen,," he said in a rough, sorrowful voice. Mrs Broggs took the letter and read aloud for the benefit of the audience: "Twelve pounds your maize brought. T have accordingly credited your account with this amount, which now leaves a balance of £3 owing." A heavy sigh came from Mrs Rrogss. and letting fall the letter she sank in a lifeless sort of way beside her husband and hid her face in her hands. "Poor thing!" Pollv murmured. "Isn't it like a lot of cases!" Tillv said sadly. "Go 011 the young man!" a voice in the gailery called out, and the great audience began to ' laugh in spite of itself. Here a fiuaint-looking selection hoy whom the programme sot forth as "Sam, youngest son of old Hroggs," limped on in an 'indifferent sort of way. Tlio audience greeted his arrival with merriment, and Peter cried : "Ha! Ha! Ha! Ain't he like Ted To m kins?" "Like the boy at Myrtles," Polly said, smiling. "That's the cove I meant" Peter yelled. "ITa! Ha! Ha!" "Take it easy, old chap," a man sitlHng behind said to Peter, "take it easy." Sam Hroggs stared through the window a.t the alleged firo and stuttered: "Oh-holi. They're all kuk-kuk-eomin' in ergain from it. They kuk-kuk-couldn.'t best it. Oh-liah! L-li-L-L-Lo'ok at her ibub-bub-burn-in' th' stock-yard. Gee winks, th--I'hat 'd be tli' place tut-to coo-coo-ccok bread, muni." "Cook bread! Ha! Ha! Ha!" Peter roared. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Oh crikey." "Shut up!" the man behind Peter said, and James growled a warning to behave himeslf into Peter's ear.° Old Hroggs rose Irom his despondency and position, and struggling with his emotion, said to Sam: "What was that you said, my boy?" J Mrs Broggs also rose and made a. neffort to put a cheerful face on things. "Hob g-g-gee wiukio," Sam answered. "where Ml y-yyou milk th' kuk-kuk-cows now, Father?" Some of the audience thought it necessary to laugh, and some regarded the moment as premature. I hose who thought it premature cried "silence!" Peter was one of those who thought it necessary to laugh. Other members of the selector's family trooped on. They were. Dan Hroggs and Dave Hroggs, aind were accompanied by an ancientt and asthmatic uncle. Each of them carried the charred fragments of the green houghs they had used to belt the fire with. Their entrance was the signal for loud aoplause and mirth, and Peter, at the top of his voice, cried : "Oh crikey, Father, ain't that old bloke like Christie Slater?" The new characters threw down , yoni-out boughs, find sighed Christopher" and "Laws!" in the same breath. Then in turn they dipped into the water bucket and dratiik like camels. "I could drink a river dry," Dave I'rogg.s drawled. c T ( ' ril| k 01,0 bloming well full, Dan Broergs declared. +i 'a' '' Peter yelled at this That was good, Father, ho could drink it full." "Shut up and give the cove on the stage a chance." growled the man sitting behind Peter. James dug Peter hard in the ™s. Hut Peter had no feeling. His eyes and mind were all on the performance. Do you know, iny dress- caught hre again. Mother," Sarah Broggs displaying the charred rwrts ? ,ltM ; Karmerivt as she walked about the staee. s Hirew u-p her hands <is though about to collapse, and exclaimed : ''Oh, my foodnors! mv gracious, den fl'i' l,ave with your "My word, Sarah pot into a tight mace. 'Mother," said! Dan Hroggs, and it took me all my-time to nut her out. T wns-fhe only one of ths crowd near her." ..dear, oh dear, children 1" and All's Hvogp'.c! slio«' n d further svmptoms of going off. 'As ta.m a.ftpv. l tW ov.T, she sudden lv rallied and asked in a surprised VOl "a . "Rut where was your . "Who. Kate, Mother?" and Sarah Hroggs grinned' arid made

A SERIAL STORY

By " Steele Rudd."

faces that stirred the risible faculties of the audience again. "Why, slia was with Jim .Mackenzie, of course, he was giving lis a hand, you know, or—or—giving Kato his iiand." She grinned again and disturbed the peaceful atmosphere of the audience once more. "Oh, she's simply splendid!" Tilly affirmed. And l'eter laughed and rolled about in his spilt until the man behind him "touched him on the shoulder, and said: "Be careful, old chap." "But you'ro suro you're not burnt, my girl?" Mrs Broggs went on with much concern. "Oh, you couldn't burn me, Mother," SarA'li Broggs answered. "Xo, you couldn't, Mother,'' Dan Bre-ggs added, helping himself to another driink. 'She's too green to burn." And the laughter that greeted Dan's observation was something to remember. It nearly proved fatal to Peter. "Did you hoar that, Fait-her?" he yelled to old John, "Sho was too green to burn. -Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Hah-h-h! Oh Laws!" "Say mate," said the individual at Peter's bade, "I'd like, to syndicate that smilo of yours." Tilly aiul dailies overheard the rude observation, amd ithey both glancod sideways at Peter, and lautrhed on their own account. "But poor Uncle!" Sarah Broggs ran on, directing sympathy to hoi dilapidated relative, "c!|id "-.-iti a nasty burn! Such an ugly scar! (placing her hand lightly upon the scarecrow's shirt collar she proceeded to show the wound). A burninig limb fell on him. and a red hot coal slid right down Ivis nock. (The Uncle crouched and flinshed from the touch of her hand.) Just look at it! (Uncle let off a yell which made those on the stage and those off it roar with merriment.)" "I don't see," the wreck cried, "what yer've got 'tar laugh at!" The audience laughed more. Dan and Dave Broggs arpolojrisod fo their relative for making light of his trouble. The old Uncle, crowlinp; to h.inicelf. lifted Ithe bucket to his head, ind started drinking like a horse. "Look ou.t, old chap," n gruff voice in the audience called out. "or vou'll bo kicking the bucket soon." , "Ha! Ha! Ha!" cried Peter. "Hob! Hob! TToh!" roared old John, and added: "An' be looks as if he'll kick th' hoooke-t rnlit enoof." The Uncle set the bucket on the floor, wrong end up. and calmly seating himself on it. proceeded to fep-l bis ?ore neck. Peter almost lost control of himself. "Father." he shouted, "ain"t he a funny beggar!" "It must he very painful to you. I'm sure, Uncle," Mrs Broggssaid sympathetically. "Won't you let me put something on iit—a little sweet oil?" "Oiln's no use to it." old selector Brocgs put in, addressing his distressed brodhei:, "you put a" fistful of flour on it—that'll briing th' heat out of it in no /time (turning to Mrs Broggs). Get me a pinch o' flour. Mother, I'll put it on for him." Mrs Broggs shook her head sorrowfully, and said :— "There isn't a bit in th' house, Father-till some comes!" Some of the audience murmured: "Poor things!" "Tf there were." the Uncle crrowled in protest. "I wouldn't let him put it on. I'd want chloroform first." "Good man," shonteu some one in the pit, and again the preat audience were provoked into merriment. "Now run aivay, dear, and change vour dress," the mother said to Sarnh Broggs. Then remarking tilie absence of the other daughter, she asked: "But where is vour sister?" "Out talking to Jim Mackenzie, of course," Sarah Broggs replied. "They'll be in directly. Mother." "A fat lot of n-n-pu-ttin' out t.li' fire they d-d-did." Sam Broggs said. "I knows haw they'd do iit, hanigin' r-r-round each' other's li-n-necks." Mrs Broggs here railed the precocious Sam .to order, and Sarah Broggs reminded him that lie knew far too much for a .little hoy. Sam made faces at them" which pleased the audience. "Well, jinyhow, Mother," the old selector interposed in drama,tic tones, "sweeibhearti.li' in this way ain't tli' right tiling for a gal o' mine. Outside ain't no place for it. ft weren't tli' way -tliem things wer' done in my time." "Oh, they'll be in in a moment, Father," Mrs Broggs answered conoiliatingly. "There's no need to be angry—Jim is a decent young man." "That's all right enough," roared the selector, "lie might he a decenft young man. But lie's on'y flesh an' blood like any one else, and this outside business ain't the right thing—leastways it .ain't in my eyes." The audiience were in a frivolous mood, and enjoyed the old selector's ideas of the wrong way to conduct a courtship. Dan Broggs and Dave and Sarah anid the asthmatic Uncle withdrew, wiiile old selector Broggs moved to the open window and gazed out into the night. "Years o' work gone in a day!" ho moaned. Mrs Broggs showed great concern for the mind of her husband. "Don't worry any more iubout it, lather!" she pleaded, "liemenibor we have got our health and our strength left, and what we d,id before we can do again!" The old seleotor turnod and took his wife's hand. "That's right spoken, Ellen," he said. \ou wore always a. brave woman. We have our health, and we have our strength—and we have fought fires before, and floods, and (noughts, and debts, and enemies, finu wha.t u r e have done before we can do again—and will do." A greait cheer came from the audience. Old John squeezed a tear from his eye and whispered to PoHy: "Ah. moosfc .hreng your rrj ran Grannv to see this!" Tliore was loud knocking oh door of the selection "fiomo, amid a burly sandy bearded' Scotchman •named McClnre, in. shabby, tittered kilts, and "accompanied by nis wife, a thin, spare woman, enterp(f to the surprise oif old, aiKl Mrs Brogcs. They all greeted itiii £t. a oM nrag,!s offemi OL- r"!i u ~M f °lara said, we io baith sair wi' hurry. H lO ye seen n' that's pnt f n th' nap£ ajboot yoursel'p" p

Old Broggs stared and said he lhadnt seen the paner lor a month. Its richt prood o' vo wo nre " ? I ,e «hilo bi.s wifr smiled and nMcled .her fndf>rse.mon,t. o ro nrood o' ye. Tam ttTr m n ' Rrogps "ilgped. Tom?," mod Mrs Browgs. ' nn ns • ve ' re hann'," said McOlure. 'I congraitukte baith o ye. ,

They all shook, while the audience howled siticl laughed. "Well, I can hardly believe it," said old Broggs, excitedly. The burly Scot produced a newspaper as evidence. "Old Johnson, the member, must have done that," the selector .said, thinking hard. "Ay!" replied McClure, "seein' tha:t you've always been against liitn wilth vour family votes would liu no'?"' "By jove!" gasped old Broggs. "An' o' course ye'll ha' tae gi' him your support from now till the day o' judgment; ye canna help voursel'," McClure went on. "That's the wiay they get all the democrats to go over," a voice from the gallery yelled; and the audience burs't linto laughter, clieoifi nnd hotits. "Ye'll be spoke ahoot an' nicentioned a' ower the country," Mrs MoCluro assured them. "Just like Bobby Burns," .added McCiure. "Who'o he?" innocently inquired old Broggs. "What inon!" cried McClure, "line ye never heard tell Brf.bby Bums T)o ye no ken his poems an' sangs?" Old Broggs shook his head. Here Dan Broggs, who with Dave Broggs and Sarah Broggs nnd the battered Uncle had returned to the stage wiltli ttilneir faces washed, spoke and said: " I think T herd tell of that cove somewhere when come to mention his name." "Ye tlicnk ye deed!" said McClure satirically, and once moi\e the audience took a leading part. "He was a greait boxer!" Dave Broggs affirmed. "May th' Lord forgi' ye." snapped McClure, and the gods yelled ami whistled their delight. In the middle of the pandemonium .an . undersized stock-headed Irishman whom the programme said was "Mr Dooley, a neighbour," bounced 011, and throwing liis lint on the floor said, addressing Rroggs: "Be tli' powers above an' below, an' beneath, Oi congraitoolnltes vez —a Justice o' tli' Pace! Bulb iit's moself phwait's prouder of yoz nor ,if ye/, wer' me own bratlier. An,' an' pwhat '11 it be worth to vez in gold?" Broggs grinned and said he didn't think it would be worth any,thine. "Do yea tell me thii>t it won't?" said Dooley disappointedly. "It's an honorary poseetion, mon." McClure explained for Donley's benefit. "An pnssition?" Doolfv repented with an air of perplexity. "Ye dinna understaun' bevaise ye line no sense 0' honour yoursel', Doole.v," said McClure. "See that now," remarked Doole.v, with a side wink at the audience. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! TTn!" en me from Peter, and the man behind touched him on the shoulder and said: "Wihat's he paviing you Tor smiling at his jokes?" Tilly nudged James, and they both gin need Hick at the man. The pl.av rattled on. "Well, if they give me anylHiiiig, T'II take it, you may depend',' old Broggs assured Dooley. "An' they'll rive it," Dooley answered, "they'll give it; an' sure if they don't yez can give tliini six moonths." A fresh contingent of neig'h'bours rushed in, including a largo German girl with a feeble voice. She was named "Miss Holstein. She bowed to Mrs Broggs and said : "Mother told me to tell you she was so sorry she couldn't come herself. She's [rot- to make a poultice for father's foot. But she's very pleased a'bnu-t it, and hopes yo-ii won't get .too proud to come nnd see 'her like you always used to." The audience didn't applaud Miss Holstein. They "meawed"'- like a thousand lost cats instead. "So she wud be pleased, T'lll sure of that, peoor woman." D-001-ev said, sidliing towards Mi.ss Holstein and making eyes at Her. "The same as all of us here are pleased." and after a pause he added, "And might T be after askin' pwhat is the matter wid your father's fut?" T'm> hoiiw was nearly brought down. "Oh Laws. Father," Peter cried, redlining ]n\ breath. "T am 011jovi'K.r meself." "He hurt it," answered Miss Hoktein. "Oil, he did," Dooley said, edging closer .+0 her, "an'- -an'-did it hurt him?" Mi.ss Holstein stared curiously at Dooley while the audience yelled again. Dooley proposed they Have a dance in honour of the occasion, and the others echoed enthusiastically, "A dance! A dance!" _ The orchestra struck up a Scottish air, and McClure stopped, forward and danced the Highland Fling. The audience seemed pleased when lie stopped and bowed. " 'Tis a slitrance thing," said Dooley. "that a Scotchman lie can nivor dance nor foight wid liis trousers on." The audience saw the joke and cheered Dooley. "Oh, bless me, Father," Peter gasped, "aiiii't he a funny doe!" The music changed, and ajl bandit on the stage joined in « wild and prolonged countrv dnm-e. And how t'hev did dance! Tilly and, Pollv clutched at each other in their excitement. Old Broggs swung Mis • 'McClure swung Mrs McClure: lind Dooley was swung by Miss Holstein It. was grand to watch tiliem. That's soomit lalike dancin' " old John said. In the middle of it I,i\s Brogo*s swooned away, and hung, lifelo.«Slooking, in tlie arms of old Bro™.s Some water! quick! som * Vfll' V - v t t , o{li Ml-] l' M-'r Hi," ~ in the arn r. u Hiss iJoLstein. TTiilatnjfj pi pell p*\/| n**> y «1 into th - hr-> r,f 1 K >r Hie audience enjoyed fx; .Ona'uon. "Whisky! quick! Some w'bisky!" Dooley should. And the emit'ain pod" ' a,UI rose fl - nin rnr Vopn : VOl ' (l '" °I John Slid, u lien •HI the cheering ceased, "Ah moost 1 'ring yower Moo+her -to (To bo coiK'!u;!ixl on fJaL.i J'.iy.)