Master of the Revels.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 11997, 4 September 1909, Page 1 (Supplement)

Master of the Revels.

(Bv Itichird Whitnng ) I. '

Somehow all went wrong w hen the infant Master ot the Wevels (Mob Hugman tor his real name) was not at play with the other childien in the gutter outside the Moaid School. „ Thej pictured the gutter, because,of the richei variety pt scenery It was em ha good Imitation of the nvei, esptbiall> at sluicing time, and the kerb..nintie a' splendid quay. * ' He was'.absflnt now. and what were vnu to do about if Nobody knewi how to begin. ' It. was he that'ttiUAtf out how to bridge the nvtr with of a broUn ckit wheel, and fcho but he knew what Could be d«m\witH a tew handful* ot rcrnd sand from the -erMce bin. al the roadside.- H« could make ,u eardeit of it in a irwo£ with twigs for the trees, nnd when tW« thildren were tired of that he showed them how B to, play at " e |;i; v^« r J. with the larger stones. ™}\ w »° could *tait"father Being Rocked «». at a mome-nfft. notice, with only, two suncrmimerarieA-one at the head, ono at the U'6%, tof pollceinwfc-aJid hnnself in the- widUle in a hopeless collnp*, lor'the heavy lend. Tho children-looked «»/°" nt ful or sorts, and they, were just begin -'fighte" in. xfal earnest when Mob's welcome facCantl form appeared round the corner; pieceded by it slab of bread and jam well nigh as big lis,hinwo.lt, tor he was but a nuto of ttuic-" ', . It was nil explained in a moment He had beeiroh an errand for nuivvir, which, in 4ts sequel, had involved another errand in the uatnie of o>ortim». The jam whs<©»ertimo pay, at the rate oi tune and n half ! 11. ne at ohco look command, and ihe sports wcrK organised in, a twiljkfing. It was go off> witlh, "Keeping Shop" iccond /pliite. r - r i- T^ B -dwldwhright and collect t-tones, brofaii crockerv, and an> thing else in the w: > of portable'tubbish, tor scholais t l while the arch contriver rigged up a lun>P •>! coal from 'h passing cart for Teacher s desk ~ , „ ._~„ „ "Where 11 * Teacher *" said Sally Ca--kell, who'klwajrs wanted everything at

onee. - , i , ' , '.• Give ft hefe," said Bob, snatching the doll ffom,hur ,artas. , 'lt'looked unpromising material," lot it was nofhinft but a battered skit 11 >- pin, wholly d#Void of clothing, 'and without tho slightest trace of /«?<*, nose, or tnoutn in .the bulbous _nr#b :<t the top. \Bnit Fob "knew what lie was about. Imagination, that poteliti factor intrigantes of the slump, supplied the features,* k providential wisp of flock froin the Yuim of a mattress made the. ehigiion, k scrap ot' sngnr- paper the cane. - Teacher was actually rapping the #cKk~for attention with, n hit of tobacco* pipe for pointer before the class was "quite l in shape." ' i This game,'.lasted a flill hour, willi all its incidents of a bad boy put m the corner for laughing, and a Knoesie from Teacher,, rendered with absolute ridelity to nature from behind tho

scenes. - „V- ' . When ii-wris, over, the audience had hardly toi"<wslt another moment fur '• Keeping, Shop," All tho materials wct* at nana. A matchbox with the rover placed end fji end, r<ade a OptlntPr. The assiduous tradesman behind' Ji was modelled fhr the head antl out of n lump .of cla\ rrom a passing bnilder?s <art. The strav mate-lies • and a scrap pf„, paper "erved fof.* lih'a*»mnert legs, .1 couple for the arms f ■ extend d on tho counter 1 to emphasise the inquiry, '" What can I do for you, 1.1.1 dear 9 " > ■

Atter tliSt, growing tired of town, they a walk in the countiv, by the simple .process of crossing to the gutter .rut the other aide.rif tho road. Mere,-, coming to a running stream, supplied by the evorflWi oi a water-cartifrnfrr the sul.ut > 1 the fireplug, they began to fUli. -.111 indoors fox a few sticks rf, fircwoxl for the rotl«. Others contribute d tl ~" half-spent reel ot utton and t!/e pn>s, for hook ,rfnd line. Bob generously gave fraginents of his'huad ana jam lot the liait. The catch, ill strip l - (f cardboard, somewhat rudelv forked at the tail, Was *imply magnificent. 111. The Mohter of the Bevels was happy in tho serise ol mastery until the dav when Tearher took him for it treat to the tashionnble toyshops, and l to the British Museum to level in the plajthings of -all nijtions, and of all. times. He saw a wonderful German where all, the cooking ,ute*nsils,;...though almost needing, the aid of the'- microscope, were modelled to perfection. And there were so many of them, what with tea-pots,, Icotfecj-po'ts, stewpans, kettles and all the rest of it that Boh wondered how t-lie markets of tho world could possibly supply to cook in them. '; But e-veu this was nothing to the first-class,, mansion, complete Hi every rooni from kitchen to garret, therein a lady and gentleman equally complete from the gloves tin' t heir"' hands to the eyeglasses on their iiosp?, and with real partings to their hair, .e----ceived Company, in a gorgeously J'Ui'nishr«l drnwing-rortm. No, it \yns too much: -it almost took one's ; breath uway. As for. the' children of .the distinguished pair, tucked up in the nursery, each with a whole bed to-itself—-weil! There was no make believe here ; eypry article, except in the nihtter of size, was fit for real uses. The chairs and tables must have been done by a;

cabinet maker, with a magnifying glass to his eye all the time. The stuffs were silk and satin, and velvet, without an atom of false pretence. Then, for other things in these shows of \voivderlaiid, there were dolls that were dolls and nothing else (apart from the others who were but items'of a pageant) and nothing could e\ceed the glory ot their state. Some of them figured in laces and ruffles and hooped sknts — little ladies and gentlemen of' the past, as Teacher explained.-. Others again were furnners, with the. funny'' faces and sti.mge garb associated with the chaiarter in the child's mind. Then earno Queen Victoria's dolls at. Kensington Palace, tor the wind-up Oh'

Ho oa--ie awav onite downcast "What would his poor little shows in th« gutter Im> worth after that J It spoiled him for the mere make-believe. He was in the position ot an idealist suddenly whisked into the world of realism and forlorn, in the new and alien life: Flis punutive plant of sport was no 1 better now than so much fetich of a savage cult, and still without being able to diagnose the nature ot his .malady, he felt that it was all up. So ho kept away from his friends; their games languished for the w ant of him; and there was mourning in the slum. Sally Garkell was, not long in getting to the' bottom of it. He did not condescend to particulars, but lie told her that he hoped soon to be in business as an errand boy. and above "fooling with the kids'." The<-o were his very words, and they w ere plain enough, but Sally merely took them as the whispers' of the idle wind, and, with the htlp of Teacher,, got on the track ot what was passing in his mind. He was pining -to do something worthv of himself, but he wanted capital. "Teacher, perhaps,- b> way of repentance for her mistake, promised aid, and it was at lepgtV agreed that he should be moderately financed, for ft real work of art. Ho was soon m a position to announce n Lord Mayor s show the, only thing of the kind he had ever seen with his own eyes, for tho opening of tho new season. SalW was Ladv Mayoress with her best frock W a robe, of state; and i borrowed perambulator with brand new tissue patter, and drawnhy £ urchin* on all fours, was■ the «tato coach. The, Lord Mayor had to be kft out for want of room. Ihe procesMonal avenue was a flag-stoned com barred to wheeled tratne, which they had all to themselves. - It came ot splendidly, and the on.v hitch was a hit of a light between the SS leaders in the traces. This, however, hardly rose to the proportions of a scandal, as it took place beneath tho housings of fine red petticoat flannel, brand new, which hid the steeds from the vulgar eye. Moreover, tho w-ail of tho vanquished was-easily *>nstaken for a neigh. - Yet, sad to relate, a far more ambitious attempt that'folhwod in the shape of an Opening oi Parliament, wodcvl up from the documentary evidence c» .• ponn\ illustrated paper »as nipped in the bud bv a general strike of all the ■performers' at ( the first jehearsal.

Tlicv wanted the old games " And tho old games they had, then and for over afterwards,* till they hoi t-' off to take their several parts in »ho game of ' life.. Little Hob ic :* real drummer hoy, and in due c> ir>,e lieat the tnttoo'for a whole ivgiinrnt ol soldiers in tho'Khyber Pass. * Sally went into 'the flower trade; and ler two bundles a penny. fin fresh vi'.'lets gradually .whole custom cf the' local rrfffi?i|h->station; tvhi.c hor little brother 1 !*-' ~.- ir<*m t'.e status of the L«rd \V>y L i :»»>te i<the ha'penny a. same quaTter. - ' """ To this, day, the> .ii' ■,•* • -K tliein age of-ntoke-hi'lii'.o , ' • «' etp/rbnee ol the poitsy t nit-, the children are,, tine ah i stage, and espeoially, tb' i' I,- * , the poor whose lot it is * '•" ; -. all their, art "out of tin •' -