MR. DARBYDALE AND THE CENSUS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14482, 1 July 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

MR. DARBYDALE AND THE CENSUS.

(By "Kismet.") "I dou'fc hold with it uuhoiv," announced Mr. JJarbydab; "au' wild horses am't-4 ,£oin' to nndie me put my name to it, nor yet that of or luissius—nor jet my ago, tiwaia ain't iiotains particular about niv ago i bu just tbosama sort o' age iu;"otW mollis nor yet I won't put in their hlaok an' white the a 2 e o' my K eis, nor yet my man-servants, nor my lnaid-seivants—-if .1 had 'cm—nor yet anything that & mine.' » " But H-iiy'not?" said tha curate. " See two Samivel, twenty-four i f you don t know your Bible well enough net to look him up," replied the farmer. lis poor work, surely, when a parr-;-,ii an a Bible oan't coiiie to au understanding together.'' - "I don't know wjhat in the world you mean. Darbydalu." "'Tia overpossible you do not ot, wnen a room a eentfaman is plin«ed to cad li.a study is choked up uicst-lv wi' I»pe8, _ flower-pota, orokey-noora' an' mkii, then 'tis idceiy testimonies to the written word bo overlaid. No offence to you, sir, I like you well, for all you ba so carnally-minded—an.' I've made so bold aa to send, you some six or eight pounds, of our sausage meat, as you won t und no better in any ot our JNayy stores—but don't count \. m s j r . read Sam, Wo, twenty-four, just for a" little change, sir, from your Carter, or button or ■sonic of '(mi, an' meditatupon the written testimony, as to how the great mercy of G'cd e;ui-ed hur seventy thousand to be slain for doin'! or harm' done for 'em, what vou ard an uneodly. pariyment do vet hanker after. An now, good ovenin'. sir' My nnssus feels same as me, sir, in ali tilings n s all good wires should—thank evins.—an do take ,care of that blamed step, sir I" "Weir, Mrs. Bai'byda.le'. how'about that census paper ? I'm afraid it can't nave been sent in ? * "Of course it were sir! I'm not a woman to cause no unpleasantness aoout-nn extry tie or two. One nwro ?r one less, always will be missed a.4 the old song says. 'Twasn't likely as 1 was a gom' to give mv three d/upi'itera away as twenty-five, twentv-three an twenty-one, an' ne'er a <m."' ol" 'em «? T"„ ? , nlaß yet - I'm"afearcd they 11 all -be hero to thank me for it ten years hence: air my blessed little rial who s been sm e m* Wsself in <dory nil theso lone seven vears—l had to name him—l couldn't boar to leave him out-an' our little Ben, who came when all hope seemed nast—no no not to fill mv Hal's nlaco as ry'rur-'s toll mothers— .k,iu> Tould'd;, < hat—but to sort of comfort mo a bit: I put lii« age on one year. The King will be none the wiser—an'-it may get him loose from schcol one vear sooner to be a help to his father; mv own ace remains, m course, thirty-nine— as usual." '■But—but—you couldn't slim vour husbands name to all this!" cried the curate aghast.

I 'Couldn't I, sir? an' no foi-irerr, neither; why else dM the Lord K ;ve l'nink an' me the same-name o Seems ; hke a providence—a iourneving mercv 1 so to speak Francis—Frances— 't's .only the differ of an .1 an' an e. ami you vo ivi call to p-vn on" the dot an' , t other the loop. >T,Y v oi- v simple, nn : comes in handy tor cheques " "fiut what did y OU say - whcn Darhydale asked you what vou had done with the census paper 5 "" '■Say?—T trfld him I flur.q; it at the pian s head, an' sent him. off wi' a flea in his car." " And "Darhydale?" "Oh, Darhydafe knew it was as much »a his plnoe was worth to sav ought but 'What the wife does is always ngjifc.' " Tore I've'got yon that hat roil wanted, and the cen<ais man was resl pleasant and thanked me for cetnnßto the right side of „a-an' hVs, coram' to ten next Suiid-iy ns Darhv dale will 1» njereiluily ~f nis !I ' luit .. s miMial—an , Cherry, he want-- to know if lie may walk witfi you regular, Sim-daTs-and don r you nals eo for'to sav : I ha u t been a rood mother to v-ni ;an done my dntv l, v ~|| ■> ■■'The i " Mc.vtniinsrer Gazette." ' "