A NOVEL CHALLENGE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 66, 1 November 1911, Page 8

A NOVEL CHALLENGE.

LABOURER AND VICAR. "I wish I had your job," is a phrase frequently uttered by those who see only the tough side of their own work md the smooth side of the other man's task. Some such wish as this has just led to a very amusing incident at Tivetshall ' Street, Mary, Norfolk, and tho" entire parish and surrounding district is laughing heartily over tho sequel. A challenge was given by Mr. Reuben Wobsdal, an agricultural labourer, to the vicar of the parish, tho Rev. A. C. Mackie. At the last moment, unhappily, the challenger withdrew, and the following notice was posted on tho church porch : "Mr. Reuben Wobsdal. agricultural labourer, of Tivetshall, St. Margaret, having challenged the Rev. A. C. .Mackie to 'swap jobs' for a day, Mr. Mackie accepted the challengoj and delivered the accompanying latter into the challenger's hands at 112.30 p.m. m Thursday, August 21th, in the presence of many witnesses; the day mutually agreed upnn was the following Saturday. The challenger backed out at the eleventh hour, to Mr. Mackie's keen regret and disappointment." s The vicar had taken up the challenge in a keen sporting spirit, and had written the following letter to Mr. Wobsdal:— "Dear Websdal, — I am taking seriously your suggestion of this morning; it would be a pleasant change for both of ns, and change of occupation it is said is as good as a rest. It would be unfair to ask you to do my work to-day, as you have not been licenced by the Bishop to officiate in church, and, therefore, you could not conduct this evening's service. I propose we swap jobs next Saturday ; ibis will l>e all in your favour, as it is generally a. slack day with me. "Tlie terms of our wager might be that the loser pays tho winner his own week's wages. If T wore by chance to win. 1 should give the winnings to the sick and poor fund of the parish. I suggest that the matter be left in the hands of a committee of three to decide.' In consideration of the. fact that I have often done such work as yours ivhercas you have probably not had any experience of mine I will give you two hours' start on Saturday morning. "I. shall expect you up here on Friday ovening to make final arrangements and to give me a time-table of your duties. I append the sort of day's work which I do on a ttalurady; you may regard it as being what you will lie expetced to do on a Saturday. Your meals will bo provided for you hero; you will seo that my dinners and 'fourses' are sent out to mo?— August ine Mackie." The timetable which the vicar set for himself as a Saturday's work was as follows : 0.30-10.0—Retrnnslalion of English into Orcok. 10.1 1 .:10 —Oecumenical documents of tho Faith. Roviso thei"dchr.ition" of the Council of ChalccdoU. 12.30-I.o—Tho "haiK'Nl legomena" of tho Opacalypse. 3.0-/I.o—Housc-to-hous-.e visiting in St. Mnrv'p v 0.0-G.3o—Write out ' notices for church porches and choiK hymns for Sunday. I c; 30-9.0—-Prrpare two salmons and a children's address. * Groat disappoint merit \V:i.s fi-l- iit Wobsdal's withdrawal. lie said he did not mind the "Homo" and the

"hapax but tho house-to-house visitation was too much for him—ho was known too well.