AN APPRECIATION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11246, 26 June 1922, Page 4

AN APPRECIATION

COMMUNITY SINGS BV “SAIItEY GAMP” AND ‘MRS ’ABUTS.” Mr Albert Russell, (hon. secretary to tho Wellington Community Sing Committee) has received tho following characteristic letter from “Sairey Gamp,” expressing her hearty approval and that ol “Mrs ’Arris” of tho community .singsWEDNESDAY. Dear Albert, —Me and mo friend, Mrs ’Arris and. Betsy Prig, dropped in to tihe Tow nail at lunch-tira© to-day and my .word didn’t -we enjoy ourselves ! It was the fust time we ’ad ever bin there, but \v< seen the advert in the paper larst night and I sez to Mrs ’Arris, “Mrs ’Arris, I save, we’ll just 'avo to go down to this ere Community Sing. I’ve ’card all sorts of tilings about it.” So down we trots. It wuz a bit of a bustle for Betsy to get away, I km tell you. Betsy is doing a bit of charring jn.st now np in Hobson street, leastwise she chans for tho people iif the mornings and then washes or face and puts on r dean cap and apron and answers the door in the afternoons (people are econnymysing j 11 —: now owing to depreshum after the war -times being ’aid and money tight). But at lunch-time to-day the Hobson street swells found no Betsy.. She ducked out- the side-door at 12.20, look a tram-car and met me and Mrs ’Arris at the Guvmint Buddings at 12.25. I can always get away, being at me old job of nursing—people lets me get away tvheniver 1 want, and Mrs ‘ A ri 1 !e works only in the mornings, cleaning out offices, etsettena. Well, as I sez before, didn’t we enjoy ourselves. As I says to Mrs ’Arris: “Mrs ’Arris,” I, sez, “next to a pint bottle of gin, this is the best thing for makin’ us poor critters forgit our troubles. This is til.’ fust time I ’ave bin/’ I sez, “but it won’t be the larst. Wot eev you, Betsy ?” And Betsy agreed. But wot I wuz going to say, Albert, was this: (by the way, you don’t mind me callin’ you Albert, do you? You Eee, I feel a sort of maternal pride in you, Albert, see ’in as ’ow I've dandled you on me knee many and many a time, a-oalling you all sorts of precious names, when you was no more than a few months old).

But what I wuz goin’ to say was this: Betsy’s father- was an Amurkan and fought in the Civil War, and 1 my fust husband’s father was an Amurkan and fought in the Civil War and Mrs 'Arris second oousin twioe removed was an Amurkan and' fought in the Civil Mar—-would it be too mu oh of an impertinence as it were, SO' to apeak —to ask you to let us ail sing “Dixie” next Wednesday, so that we oan all -|oin in and sing it with, hartiness? Us three old trends ’ave alius bin fond o fthab old song “Dime” and wo would sure like to ’ear the Wellington Community sing it. And Albert, don’t forgit that us three are poire war kin wimmen and simply can’t git there till 12.30. So don’t sing “Dixie” till we arrive.

Me and Mrs ’Arris and Betsy liked Mrs Rnssell very much and we ari think you are a real lucky man to ’ave such a sweet, pretty wire. So clever too.

And we liked your “harka” too (is tliat thfe way to spell it—these ’one Maori names fair get my goat). With due respicks, from SAIREY GAMP.