A WHITE MAN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6936, 27 October 1900, Page 4

A WHITE MAN.

Tiievo'-.wae a. man on the- 'W-estern Side With a^ heart as big as his hands were wide ; For his' squatter-friends he, had open door, And a helping 'hand for the weak and poor ; tHe was th» heir of ah ancSont Tace, With a firm hand-grip aolcl a laughing fact, And «■ courtly style and a record fair, And they called liim the White Man everywhere. And. the swagrhen. nassing at any hour Had their pound, of meat and their pint of flour; And ''the drivers hbgged on the biaek-soil plain Never asked for'the White Man's helr> in vain, For the famous team with the Spade-Bar 'brand TYWLd siew them out, to the neiraet, tend ; And ihe teameters swore, as they <took the traick : "He is- the Whitest Man.ouf-back! ' But the droughts made havoc of prass and sheep. And lined his forehead and wrecked his sleep; Atfd troubles came to him one by one, Till the Bank took over lus river-run, Aivd leii him one paddock that men might sa^v They hud not takeu his all awuy ; And he toiled a>t the plough behind the hill Q3u'i ilie bushmen knew h«m a White Man still. And 't-hare came a day when the .white IJun died. And the nfcighbbnrE feathered from -far and wide, Fipifc far and wide and the fprvceless west To follow their friend to his last long rest ; Awd the bushrneh. crowded from far and iica,r, •Brcv?:? checks v/e-t with a sil*nl tear, !Por ®\it< in Ac laud of t-he siitiee+s rod They iheNy how to honour ii "VYhite rann dead. And Wiey^buried him down where the wattles By the roaV where the wool-team« come end go, '■■ .' Where tho nigjjit is a splendid silence, save Por the curfc^-.s ea-lKng across his pravo; And, \ntum'b!mg-V u der their world-old lo".id, Tho swagmen tu^ 'from the dus'iy road To tho truth of the* head-stone's carven scroll : "He -was a White ft\ T an : rest his Soul I" WJ.UI.. GGITAnE, in'ythe Sydney '•Bulletin." Duff: "Do you know <&& real cause, vrh? bfearl ip rising'?" Muff : d<' No ; -w-hat is it ?"