MAJOR-GENERAL EDWARDS AND HIS ORDERLY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8643, 2 December 1889, Page 3

MAJOR-GENERAL EDWARDS AND HIS ORDERLY.

An amusing story at the expense of MajorGeneral Edwards, who was lately round hero inspecting the Permanent and Volunteer Forces for the Imperial Government, is now circulating the clubs. Tt appears that while in _ Christchurch the MajorGeneral had an orderly told oft' to attend upon him in his goings out and coinings-in. The said orderly was a yeomanry cavalry man of fine physique, and altogether a good sample of New Zealand young manhood. It was the last day of the Major-General's stay there, and at the close of it, says the orderly — " I suppose you will not want me any more, sir ! " " No, orderly," replied the General, " I shall not require you any further ! Stay, though ! What are you — that is, what do you do for a living here ?" "Nothing, sir," replied the orderly. " Nothing !" exclaimed the General, " a great, strong, able-bodied man like you, do nothing but volunteering !" " That's so, sir," affirmed the trooper. "Then," said the General, " you ought a be heartily ashamed of yourself, an able bodied, hearty man as you are to do nothing but loaf about and spend a little time in volunteering. Go and get some work to do, it's positively disgraceful,"' and turning on his heel, disgusted, he entered the club doors to find himself confronted by a wellknown Christchurch citizen, also a member of the club, who was about to go out of that institution. To him the General thus :—": — " I say, , you see that orderly of mine, just going along there. What do you think ! A great hulking fellow like that calmly told me he did nothing for a living, but just loafed around and played at volunteering ! Isn't it disgraceful ?" " H'm," said Ms friend, "do you know who that is?" "No," said the General, " but he's a lazy beggar anyway." " Well," said the other, "he has a right to bo if he likes, that's young , and he has £7000 a year !" " D — n the colonies," said the Major-General, and the i two went and swore mutual and eternal secrecy over a bottle of champagne. — Wellington Pre-8. j