John Plod to Sandy.

Otago Witness, Issue 1915, 3 August 1888, Page 29

John Plod to Sandy.

(Perjfavour of the DraughtßjEuitor.)

Dear Sandy.— l've thocht for a lang time tae gie ye a screi d o' news, but man in Mine times o' depreesion tine maun be on tho ke vecv (the French ca' it) tae mnk' tho twa ends meet, an' sac I hae pit tiff an' pit i\if , until I can thole it nae langer, an' sac here it is, but mind ye, " it may turn oot a sang, or may turn oot a sermon."

Man, Sandy, it wad hae duuo ye gude tae hae had a glint o' us as we sat doon tap oor List mateh — I mean Blue Spur v. Lnwrence. Oor twa captains are gey* pawkie loons, an' they snne had us placed viz-a-vee (that's French), wi' a dambrod atweeu us on whilk were placed twal' black an' the same number o' white men. Of coorne we a' looked as if wekent that rauokle that the Herd Laddie couldna' enlichten us further. Judging "frae appearance ye wad hae thocht that a' the intricacies o' the " Bristol." "Maid o' the Mill," " Ayrshire Lassie," an' the " Glasgow," were as fameeliar tne us as " household words," but main than ance the haugin' nether lip an' wrinkled broo betrayed an inward commotion o' a b3'-or'nar type ; but of coorse that wis only for a jiffey, as it oahfc tae be wi' a' true lovers o' the brod. The feverish movement o' the eebroo. an' the spasmodic jerk o' the hale system, when oor opponent by a f vise move placed himsol'at oor mercy, helped tae drive awa the dour look an' the coonten^nce ance mair assumed that serenity whilk is a true index o' a contentit mind. The Blue Spur Club, tho" the younger, was declared the victor by five games. After the match we a' adjourned tae tlie Oddft-llows' Hall whpre a grand spread graced oor vision, aye, an' satisfied oor appetites tae. Mr Mills, wha likes tho game himsel' had dune his bast- tae mak' oor veesitora think tbetns^l's at hame. An' ower the table we recoontit oor mistakes an' expatiated oa oor gran' shots, no by ony means forgettin' oor ane-for-twa moves. In fact, wefoucht oor battles ower a<?m'n. Oh, man ! tae hear Christie ! it wad mak' yer heart loup. He's a drolljflsh! Wi' hia -jokes an' nonsense he pit us a' in bic vgude 1 humour that we realised what ih was tae be •• brethren o' the brod." Mr Oudaille. the captain o' the Lawrence team gied Ws men some unco digs for neglectin* their practice. Mr Neill, wha spoke for the winnin' team, wis jist a wee bit funny, an' tried to acoont for It by the fact that this wis his club's first Victory, He hoped that this wadna 1 be the last time that the twa 'olubs wad

dae battle wi' ane anither. A'thegither, it wis a happy nicht (nae whusky mind), an' what wi' playin,' an' eatin', an drinkiu', an' banterin', we felt the force o' oor auld Scotch adage " Gfff-gaff maka gude freends." Sao noo gude nicht Sandy.— Frae yours

John Plod.

Broseha', Tuipeka, July 25. 1888. P.S.— MrsJPlod sen's her respec's to*Mrs'Sandy an' yersel'