THE MILKING SEASON.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XVIII, Issue 1858, 6 September 1923, Page 2

THE MILKING SEASON.

"Anchorite's" full brother bursts into rhyme.)

And now the almond blooms again, and rove abroad the bees, Again the "cockie" waves in air his slimy dungarees! In between a curse or two you may hear his hearty laugh; A 3 he stumbles forth to feed MacSwiney, the hunger-striking calf.

How beams the ancient- cart-horse, how smiles the gladsome cow, To see the satisfaction gleam athwart his wrinkled brow! With- lightsome heart, despite his cares, and debts and ills, He hails the coming season in the hope to pay his bills.

He never thinks of raising an indignant shout • When he sees the camouflage about the low pay-out. Accepts whatever' s„ offered him, and like Kipling's shipwrecked crew, Cheers the bounders when they pay the scanty bonus due.

As he draws his bluchered feet along the painful "hike," He sees the labourer chugging by on the coughing motor bike; And no envy grips him, trundling on in the old farm dray, As dashes past, with trailing stench, the purring Chevrolet 1

Not his to dawdle idle hours in the long theatre queue, Nor belt the pitted golf ball into the azure blue; No chance for him to feel the club fire's radiant glow, Nor watch the Yankee beauties preen within the picture show!

His wife and children stagger through the plastic mud, To where old Rose and Strawberry chew the everlasting cud. Up with the dog star, Puanga, the Maori star of morn, They follow out the same routine as each new day is born.

Ho! Brethren of the leg rope! Ho! toilers of the bails! No longer idly fleck the flies from off your cattle's tails! What though the bitterness of death be past, and hope itself is gone, Just clench your teeth in the shearing wind, and stagger on!