Eventful Birthday

Southland Times, Issue 21581, 19 December 1931, Page 19

Eventful Birthday

There was excitement in the Brown family. The youngest boy’s, Augustus’s, birthday was approaching. Many secretive and mysterious conversations were carried on by the members of the family, with the exception of Augustus. As he was the topic of conversation, he was entirely forbidden to join in these furtive “pow-wows,” as he contemptously called them. To-morrow, Augustus’s birthday would be at hand, and that elated boy could scarcely contain his excitement. At last the day arrived, and he assumed such a pompous strut that the others were almost “splitting their sides” with convulsive mirth.

Augustus was sitting at his window early, and was surprised, almost dismayed, to see a tall, angular and painfully familiar figure walk old-fashionedly up the gravelled drive. It was his Aunt Juliah, whose tongue was always moving about the manners of boys compared with girls! How could Augustus possibly have an enjoyable birthday now? But, incidentally, he had tho most decent “party” that could possibly happen. Before long Aunt Julia began aconversation with Augustus’s mater. When she had finished her oration, Augustus stood rooted to the spot with sheer incredulity. She actually proposed taking Augustus to the fair! With one bound, Augustus was down the stairs, and, recovering his composure, he walked into the sitting-room, where his Aunt and mother were talking. Augustus’s jaw dropped as his aunt, instead of fixing him with a cold freezing stare, flashed him a coquetish smile. “Do you know what we have decided as a fitting tray to spend your birthday?” asked his Aunt.

“Nunno” (mendaciously). “Weil, this afternoon you and I shall go to the fair as your mother proposed. Is it not so?” Aunt Juliah asked of her former vis-a-vis.

“Yes, that is so,” complied Augustus’s mother. Then Augustus followed his mother into his playroom, where, to his joy, he found new toys in plenty. For the next half hour the boy was in a rapturous oblivion as, with exaggerated care, he surveyed the splendid electric train. At last, arrayed in his “Sunday-best,” Augustus meekly followed his Aunt to the fair, and, as he stood surveying the men at the coconut shies, he heard his Aunt’s strident yet cultured voice. She was wanting admittance, and, at last, they entered the fair. His Aunt was at once seized with a violent festival spirit as she saw the men and youths at the “shy.” She thrust a coin into the owner’s hand and picking up the balls, she threw. Her first throw sent the ball right over the tent. Her next one narrowly missed a . man’s head, and her third struck a coconut, but with insufficient force to dislodge it. Encouraged at this success, and oblivous of the derisive jeers from the crowd, she bought another shot. And to the surprise of the audience, she almost methodically knocked off the foremost coconut. Her next attempts failed to produce any further success, so Aunt Juliah reluctantly abandoned the “shy” and turned her attention to the merry-go-round. She paid for her nephew and herself, and went on a big rooster. Augustus, on a pony, relished merry-go-rounds, and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. But when Aunt Juliah proposed another one, he flatly refused. He said he hadn't a. “constitution” of a horse; and wasn’t

having another one. Realizing that all her entreaties amounted to nil, she went by herself. Aunt Juliah was of a wry reticent nature, but she was enveloped in a festival spirit which was irrestible. Again and again she went on, until, al last, even she gave way, and went to the “shoot.” She relished this even more than the merry-go-round and sailed down it in dreamy rapture. Her feathered hat and skirt seemed odd among the pretty dresses and immaculate suits of boys and girls. She very disdainfully and disapprovingly surveyed the flappers and fops who sniggered so very rudely. At last the indefatigable Aunt and tired Augustus sallied forth from the fair and stopped short at sight of the clock. It was mid-night! Aunt Juliah recoiled as if she had been struck.

“Good gracious! Twelve okflock, and my train went at nine. WeU, welU we had a very hilarious time, Augustus.” “We did that!” agreed Augustus feelingly-

Augustus never forgot that party treat, and, as he is now a midshipman on a ship, he never ceased to tell his fellow “middies” as he called them, about the “birthday treat.”

—Cousin James Lynch (12), Main street, Otautau.