"The Point of View."

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13874, 10 April 1909, Page 1 (Supplement)

"The Point of View."

The classes at the Girls' Club are

from eight to half-past nine, but the girls begin dropping in any time after seven, two of the older members keeping such order as is kept with the help of the caretaker, a woman of warm heart, silent tongue, and heavy hand. If any of the "Club lydies" care to turn up before eight they are welcome, and it is a great time for " 'aving a good talk."

To have a good talk chairs must be drawn very close to the fire, so that feet in damp, leaky boots may steam pleasantly on the iron fender; some one must have a sticky paper of peppermints to pass round; and every girl must have her arm round her particular chum's waist or shoulders. Then one or another begins in a cheerful voice to tell the last gruesome story which the papers or experience have supplied. " 'Ave you 'eard, miss, of that little byby in Grearly street what 'ad a black bat (beetle) crawl into its ear and strite inter its brine and it doid?"

"No, what rubbish! A bat couldn't do that." " S'elp mo, it ain't rubbish. Ah sor it in the 'Earld, strite Ah did. It's the troof, miss." "Yes, miss," adds another for confirmation ; "and Grearly street's the very next street to ours." , .And yet another —

" Yes, miss, and I've 'eard tell of a man what was sittin' drunk, miss, in his chair of a Sattiday night, and a black bat crawled in at 'is niouf and strite inter 'is 'eart." To doubt any longer would simply be another instance of that lack of worldly wisdom and experience which the girls have felt in my sister and myself ever since they tried to gain our confidence on the subject of our love affairs. 'We have all been exchanging information as to our age.s and the dates of our- birthdays, and when I said that I was twenty-three, .and my sister owned to twenty-one, Florrie Hicks remarked : ■ ■ , - " Whov, me sister's twenty-three, and she's look quoit.a gurl beside Miss Eleanor, or Miss Mary either. She curls 'er 'air beautiful, miss, she 'er waiste is 'ardly twenty hinches; but I dessay (kindly) you could get yer wiste dahn to that if you was to troy. "IVpose you'll 've got a young feller?" said Betty Flowers, encouragingly. "You 'aven't? Well,- Ah'iu 'ardly sixteen, and Ah've had two "And could 'ave another hanny time yer thought good," said Florrie shyly, "and there was a general giggle toi Betty's benefit. .; •. ~ •■ ■ It was on the following .-Saturday that my sister took a party of the girls to visit the Public Art Gallery. ±hey were a rather noisy crew, and a young man who was looking' at the pictures kept glancing in their direction. ieUv, who was a kindly -.soul,' nudged her and whispered: ■'"Miss Mary, there s a voung man a-lookin' at you. ••He's looking at. all of us because you make such a noise." ■ . "No, it's you 'e's looking at. : " Well, anyhow it's no concern of mine nor yours." ~ „ .. ' " Yes, it is, Miss Mary," said Betty; with some impatience "Yer should look back at 'mi. . . • '& wants to

go aht courtin' wiv yerf ■ . " But I don't him. _ " Welly and 'ow would yer get- to know 'im if yer didn't go out courtm with 'im first?" : -' '. . . Betty after .that remained kind m manner, but pitiful amazement at such stupidity was in her soul. And. doubtless, our position and views of life were much discussed ■among the girls. At anv rate, one evening before we were well inside the door of tho club-room seceral girls flung themselves, eager with questions, upon us. "Is it true what Betty says as yore lydies?" "Reel lydies?" r] j " Lydies what keeps servants.-' " Don't neither of yer go to work £ ■ "Does ver fawther keep yer both? "Course" they're lydies. Else wouldn't thev go aht courtin'?." drawled Betty from her chair by tho fire. " Ere, Miss, this is yore chair, next ter moine." • , . . " Let 'em take their 'ats and jackets, afw, and then tell us then-selves.' When we were all settled, and each had a peppermint tucked into the corner of our mouths, the questions began again. , ~, '"Ave ver really got servants? seemed to be the most pressing. 'Two servants? Three? Not four? . W hoy., whathever do yer 'ave?" "I know." cut in Maggie, daughter of a publican, who boasted a mincing manner of speech and some elegance of ideas. "They'll hev a cook and a chief .cook, and a butler, and a bottlewasher, and" a door-boy." ■ The list was accepted, but led to further problems. " Whathever do yer do all day. We tried to explain, but the account was difficult and'lame. "I know," said Maggie,. " for one thing. Gentry has their food put on the table one thing at a time, not altogether; scrutinies they'll hev as many as six courses." ■ ' ... "That'll help 'em to pass the toi me loike," mused Florrie. " What-do yer know," said Maggie again. "They hev' soup, and then preps a mussle or two, and poultry, and then——"Ow shut it, Maggie. Lot them tell theirselves. Begin at the beginuiii', miss. What d'yer do when 501 gets up?" ~ v ,i "Have breakfast," we replied. '■ What? Has yer _ breakfasts afore ver "blacks yer grites"' • "Didn't they tell yer they ve got servants, to do then, sort o things Betty, who had not spoken to some r tel! C ter U^^f^-ot^ &7£ •sliouldn't-loike to be themM "i a £,k itUd be jest lowly" said Maggie, with two nods of her head at th through cU.sed lips with her chin stuck out.—L.,U.a., in the Westminster Gazette.