W. E. GLADSTONE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2309, 2 June 1898, Page 50

W. E. GLADSTONE.

OBIT.

War was on many Up 3, Unrest on. pvery shore. Trust lay in armoured ships And cannon's loar Peace was .a state as far as Heav'u front mortal ken. Pew talked of aught out war or warlike men. All was alert, yet one, ■Wearing 1 a soldier's crest—Priceless "and aobly won— Lay down to rest. Tribute by him well earned, constant whose lamp burned bright To greet the Groom returned — all else good night. Then the streams of mourning gushed From earth's remotest ways, Telling of loss, while hushed To do him praise Scholars brought out the best their minds contained; Freemen from east to west who once were chained Stood upright on the soil. Wlien passed their champion oy, Whose great and valiant toil Created Liberty. At once their guide and friend— mighty wita "voice and pcn — His life was prayer; his end, one clawc " Amen." Here in its utmost part. The Empire aation kneels, Mourniag with all its heart The void- it feels. Christchurcn, May, 1898. —J. M.

A STORY FOR CHILDREN. "By Canning Williams, in the Strand Magazine.

No, old fellow," I said, addressing my dog ; " nob to-night." Philo dropped his tai], and in his expressive eyes appeared a look of disappointment, which made me regret my words. I opened the door in which 1 kept my heavy boots and my leggings, an.i ftood looking at them half inclined to don them, and face, for my dog's sake, the drenching rain- But the brightly burning fire and the easy chair were -magnets 100 powerful for me to overcome ; so the drawer was closed, and, instead of heavy boots an. l leather leggings, I donned my comfortable carpet slippers

" No, old boy," I repeated, as PMlo placed Ms head upon my knee, and looked appealingly into my face, " it is too wet for a run to-night. Cold, ■wind, hail, and snow I can stand well enough, but a drenching drizzle is too lxmch for me."

Just here, my' housekeeper entered the room.

" Was your eggs cooked as you like, Mi* Smith? " she asked, in her kind but ungrammatical way.

'' They were cooked as you always cook my eggs, Mrs Jones, perfectly."

" You are not going out to-night,sir? "

" No, it is too wet, and your fire is m such admirable condition that — well, the fact is, ) am lazy to-night." " Yes, I think that must be it," Mrs Jon js replied, " for nothing has kept you in before."

"Do not light the lamp, Mrs J ones ; I would prefer to. sit in the firelight. No, 1 am not ill," I said, answering Her look of astonishment ; " nor in love ; just a little drowsy, that is all."

Mrs Jones .closed the door (I fancied I heard her say, " There must be something the matter with him "), and Philo and I and the, fire were left to ourselves.

" A most excellent cooker of eggs is Mrs* J.," I said to my companion (silent companions are often the best of company) ; " most excellent. Few pe.ople can be relied upon to always cook one's eggs properly, but Mrs J. is one of the few.'

" Eggs ! -What a lot of eggs you have eaten," an inner voice said to me. " eat one every mornng, sometimes two. You niusshave eaten an egg and a-half a day forthe past' thirteen years, without counting those you have eaten in puddings and pies. ' Here my brain- set to work at figures, an occupation it is accustomed to. Thirteen multiplied by three hundred and sixty-five .- four thousand seven hundred and forty-five. Four thousand seven hundred and forty-five multiplied by one and a-half : seven thousand one hundred and seventeen and a-half

' Seven thousand one hundred and seventeen and a half," the inner voice repeated, chklingly, putting particular stress on che " half '" ; " seven thousand one hundred and seventeen and a-half, and a-half."

" Did it never strike you, the voice said, after a short interval of silence, " did it never strike you that each time you cut off the top of an egg you killed a chicken?" I said something to the effect that the egg was not a chicken when it came to my plate " Did you never think," the voice continued, solemnly. " did you never think of its poor mother? " I confessed T had never given its mother a thought " Have you no " The question was interrupted by Philo giving a low, long growl. i

"What is it Philo? " Another growl, longer and louder than the first. "He must be dreaming," I thought. Another growl, and this time Philo raised his head from my ' knee and looked towards the door.

. " What's the matter with you, old jfellow? Been dreaming? " But Philo was not to be thus quieted ; growling in his fiercest way, he walked to the door and began to sniff along the bottom of it. I rose from my chair and, holding Philo by the collar, opened *"he door, when, to my utter astonishment, I saw standing upon the cold oilcloth a tiny chicken. Philo looked at the downy mite and then at me, and said as plainly as .his eyes could speak, " You need not hold me ; I will not harm the little creature."

The chicken was not at all frightened of the great dog. Giving a chirp of delight, it hopped under Philo's legs, tripped rapidly np to the {urenlace, and, much to my amass-

" Come in, chickens," I said ; " make yourselves at home." They required nn second invitation, but hopped quickly across the carpet and joined their friend upon the rail.

Ib was an amusing sight, these six chickens perched in a row on the fender, and it made me laugh more heartily than ever a pantomime did, or a joke in a funny paper. Philo was not less amused ' than I, but as lie could not laugh, he satisfied himself with assuming the most comical expression of countenance I had ever seen him wear.

Five minutes later, Philo again indicatod thai there were some more .chicken visito ."s outside

" This is much more than a joke. But let me see," I said, trying to recall my own chicken - rearing experiences, " a brood usually consists of thirteen ; at least, that is the number when they all hatch out. Well, I think the rail will accommodate thirteen." So saying, I opened the door, expecting to see seven chicks waiting 'or admission. There were only three. "So here you are, little ones," I said ; " better late than not <at all. Come in, plenty of room on the rail." "Nine chickens were now perched before the fire.

" I think, Philo, we had better leave the door open," I said, " those other four chick" will be coming presently, and this constant getting up is tiring to old bones. "' I had not been seated many minutes when I heard a pattering of tiny feet upon the oilcloth.

"Ah, here they are," I said, withoat troubling to turn my head. " Come in, friends, don't stand upon ceremony this coli night ; we will dispense with an introduction. ' Your brothers and sisters are all her 3, so don't be afraid. One — two — three — four yes, that makes the thirteen. What, another ! And another ! Sixteen — seventeen — eighteen — nineteen— twenty ! " The pattering increased, as though a Avhole army of chickens was on the inarch. "Whatever can this mean?" I asked myself, in blank dismay, as chickens by the hundred poured" into the room. Some hopped upon the chairs and the table : others climbed upon the mantelpiece and the Bookshelves ; while one chicken — an :m-pudent:m-pudent youngster — clambered to the top o £ Philo's head.

Philo had been reared in the country, md was used to the sight of chickens, but never had he seen so large a brood of them. Chickens were above him ; chickens were under him ; chickens were standing on his tail ; and, as I have said, a chicken was perched on his head. Still the tide of chickens flowed. Philo, who now resembled a black rock in a yellow sea" cf chickens, looked helplessly towaids me f or assistance.

' Pool' old Philo," I said, comfortingly : " good dog. Chickens soon go away." But they didn't go, nor did they show the least inclination to go.- "Perhaps." I thought, " perhaps they will go when their feeding time conies round " But they were far too happy and contented to be imngiy. Indeed, it was this making themselves so much at home in my room that made me speak seriously to them I am usually patient and good-tempered, but the sight of those . chickens dressing their downy feathers and carrying on their private conversations was more than my patience and good temper could- bear. They had no consideration for either Philo or me. They paid up no respect, nor were they afraid of us : and how is it possible for big things like Newfoundland dogs and fullgrown men to be happy among little things like chickens, unless the little things act m a becoming wav by being respectful an.l timid?

"' Chickens," I said in a tone of firmness, "this is more than. a joke. I like a bit <f fun as well as anybody, bub this invasion of my room — my Englishman's castle — is not fun, but downright impudence. I should be very sorry lo make an unfair use of my great strength or of my dog's sharp teeth, but I shall be compelled to do so unless you begin to make a move."

I expected this speech would have sent the chickens pell- mell, helter-skelter out of the room, but all it did was to make one of the chickens on the table stretch itself to Its full height and give a tiny crow of defiance. A crisis was approaching.

tnent, perched upon the brass rail of the fender. I shut the door, Philo and I taking tip our positions in front of the fire, and quietly watching -the tiny bird. Presently, however, Philo gave another growl, and again sniffed at the bottom of the door. "Can it be another chicken?" thought I. 'IThere must be a brood of them somewhere, aM yet 'tis a strange time of the year to hatch chickens." I opened the door. Imagine my surprise when I saw five chickens, twin brothers and sisters of the &BVBbajttua£ in » xtasc an. the. door mat.:

"Philo," I said, growl. He did so, making a rumbling noise like distant thunder. The chickens paused from tlieir various occupations, but only for an instant. "Philo," I said, "bark." He barked, and such a bark it was ! It shook the ornamoats on the mantelpiece, and made the fireirons dance a jig upon the fender. *-

"Another." He gave another, and may I never near such a bark again ! But the chickens treated Philo's exertions as an entertainment for their amusement, some of them, even going the length, of ap.-

plauding the performance by stamping their feet.

"Philo," I said, "show your teeth." He showed them — all of them — making a snapping noise to add to the effect. But f he onty effect it had upon the chickens was to increase the stamping, and create a chorus of chirpy laugher. One of the chickens • n the mantelpiece*' excited by the exhibition, jumped clean on to the crown of my head, making its position secure by digging its claws into my hair.

The time had come for me to make another speech. " Chickens," I said, solemnly, " prepare to die. It is a pity to spoil my carpet with your blood, because it is a new and a costly one, and blood stains, I am told, are hard to remove ; but it shall never be said that Theophilus Smith shrank from doing his duty from carpet considerations. No, rather than that should be said, he would sacrifice everything he possessed ! In order (o give you the chance of retiring before, my dog and [ begin the onslaught, 1 will take <* little time in describing our method of attack. (Attend, Philo.) We shall com mence the attack from the rear, first shutting the door to cut off all chance of escape in that direction. The only exit left you will be the chimney, and the wav to tha chimney is through the burning fire. My dog "will attack the right flank, while I engage the left. He -will use his teeth, of which, as you have seen, he lias a particalarly good set ; my weapon will be that heavy club that stands in the corner yonder, a score of you dying every time I make a blow. You who are not on the floor," I continued, " shall be disposed differently. It would be dangerous to the furniture to use the club in your case ; I shall therefore adopt another plan — a plan that will be both startling and novel. I will not explain it in detail, but will merely state that it is a

quick and a deadly one. When the battleis over, and our honour upheld, your bodies will be buried in a deep grave, which Pnila will have great pleosruie in. making for you. One shall be spared : cue to tell the tale of his comrades' fate, and to warn all chickens against trifling with men and dogs. No ?ne can say that " Bui just here my attention was drawn to a small black object that was making its way into the room. I looked hard at it, and at ]ast discovered that it was half a chicken. T noticed that the chickens on the floor made way for the black visitor, bowing their heads to the ground and looking very humble.

(To he concluded next meek.)