THE RENTED HOME.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16570, 1 November 1921, Page 6

THE RENTED HOME.

(By WALT MASON.) The money you have paid for rent ia gone beyond recall, though you have paid it ior a tent, or for a stately hall, some landlord took it, cent by cent, and left your bundle small. Some landlord took your iron men and left you feeling sore; for you were needing every yen to buy things at the store ; and every month he came again, and took away some more. You’ve bought that residence, alack, you poor misguided gent! You’ve bought the blamed place front and back, and by tho Btrain. you’re bent; and still the landlord owns tho shack, and bones you for the rent. Not your 8 the rooftreo overhead, not yours the cistern pump; the landlord owns the fence and shed, the whole works in a lump: when you can’t pay him j’ou must trend the pathway to the dump. When you are sick or out of luck the landlord stern appears, and clamours loudly for each buck for which you’re in arrears, and hauls your dunnage in a truck to soulless auctioneers. A sane and prudent wight is he who in hi 8 own shack dwells, though it may plain and humble be, not built for blooming swells; we eee him 'neath his vine and tree, and note he’s wearing bells.