STORIES OF THE BUSH.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 185, 12 August 1911, Page 3

STORIES OF THE BUSH.

The pathos of bush life in Australia Jias been made familiar to most of us by many writers, but to some of the dwellers in . the "wayback" country existence is not always sombre. Even the hardworking missrionary, provided he is blessed with a, sense of humor, finds his burden lightened by some of the incidents of his daily round. Some delightful stories of the bush were told to a Melbourne audience last week by the Rev. E. 'P. Pelletier, rector of a large cure in GippsJand, the country of tall trees and awful roads. In tuie early days of his ministry Mr Pelletier endeavored to bring withi.'i hia fold a. lonely old woman who was regarded as a very rough diamond. At his first visit he left her some j books, and at his second visit he ! cautiously approached the subject of I thp church. The good woman, howover, seemed suspicious, and when the clergyman paid a third visit she hastened to make her position quite plain. "Look here, Mr Pelletier," sho said, "it ain't no- use coming that game on me. I ain't a, religious woman; I'm a Methodist." Under the care of the rector there was au aboriginal teacher,. Pastor Willie, who was fond of preaching very long sermons. The congregation murmured, and the clergyman had to :ntervenc. He attended service one morning, telling his aboriginal friend that he would tap on the floor when the sermon ought to end. After twenty-five minutes of eloquence the rector tapped. A minute later he tapped again, but the flow of soul went serenely on. Then a choir boy came to his assistance with a tremendous yawn. The insult was too great for Pastor Willie. "You tired, eh?" he cried, turning to the unhappy boy. "You want not hear me, eh. By cripes, yoi! do that again, I start all over again." The humor of the bush is not confined to the spoken work. When materials for house building are hard to obtain people live in hollow trees. _ Two families shared a, large tree, which made thorn a happy home, but after living for a long time in perfect harmony a difficulty arose. One of the families began to take, in boarders.