DAWN ON THE HEADLAND

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 60, 11 March 1911, Page 6

DAWN ON THE HEADLAND

Dawn—and a magical stillness; on earth, quiescence profound; On the waters a vast Content, as of hunger appeased and stayed; in the heavens a silence that seems not mere privation of sound, But a thing with form and' body a thing to be touched and weighed!

Yet I know that I dwell in the midst of the roar of the cosmic wheel, In the hot collision of Forces and clangour of boundless Strife Mid the sound of the speed of the worlds, the rushing worlds, and the peal Of the thunder of Life. —William Watson.

The Nation

quantity on the shortest notice, either in the log or the plank." "Oh, I don't want so much as that," said the youth. "I just want a bit for a fiddle bridge." IN THE TRAMCAR. J The lady in the off-side corner seat of the tramcar possessed, a truculent air and a. discolored eye. "Funny thing anyone can't take ar penny ride without everybody glarin at 'em," she remarked, fixing a small gentleman, wearing grey side-whisk-ers and a somewhat rusty top-hat, with her normal optic. The small gentleman suddenly became interested in a soap advertisement. , "If anyone can't 'aye a black eye without Tom, Dick, and 'Arrv askin questions things are comin'. to a pretty pass," continued the lady. Silence, allied with soap advertisement study, though eminently discreet, was ineffective. "You I'm a-talkin' to"—the lady prodded the small gentleman's knee with her umbrella. "Bin settin' there this; last ten minutes, you 'aye, wonderin' if my 'usband give it to me. If it'll ease yer mind; 'c did. Is there anythink else?" "Madam," the small gentleman cimmenced, "had I been your husband—-" "I should a-got off at the cemetery with a wreath instead o' goin' on ter the 'orspital with a visitor's ticket," snapped the lady, " and the wreath wouldn't a-been expensive neither." BRITAIN'S DEFENCE. The German chief of stt.^ shook his head. "No," he replied to the brilliant assemblage about the council table, "we are not prepared to invade England.'' ' The veteran General Kleinerschnapps looked amazed. "But we have the fleet" he cried. "Yes." ' "And the grand army" "Yes." ■■,;■■ ' "And1 the submarines and the airships" - "True." "We know that the British fleet is scattered and the army unprepared. Why should we hesitate?" "You forget the Suffragettes," said the chief of,-staff, coldly. . WONDERFUL BIRD. v When the pious-looking lady entered the bird-shop and stated her need of a talking parrot, the proprietor "reckoned Yd got the werry thing the lady wanted." "Course, ma'am," he ■"•said, "you don't want a wulgar bir.l. , This' 'ere one, now, was brought over by a missionary. Talks like a reg'ler 'ymn-book, 'c does. I wouldn't let 'im go if I didn't think you'd give 'im a respectable J6me. Thirty-five; shillings that bird, ma'am." , "You'll soon know" screeched Polly. "You'll soon know!" "Dear inc. How quaint!" gushed the lady; and thirty-five shillings changed hands. "What does he mean by 'You'll soon know,' I wonder?" "It's 'is only blemish, ma'am," smiled the bird-shop man. " 'E's got it into 'is 'cad that everyone's wonderful anxious to find out wot a missionary -sezs when 'c 'its 'is thumb with a 'ammer."