Mr, Grumbleton's Dream.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XX, Issue 1428, 11 February 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

Mr, Grumbleton's Dream.

BY; EDITII A. I\, AGED 13.

There was once an old gentleman named Grnmbleton who was always praising " the good old times," as he called them, and complaining against those iv which he himself lived. One night, after he had been more than usually indulging in his pet grievance, he had a dream. He thought that an angel* appeared to him and said, " To convince you that your own times are the best, you shall for one night be permitted to visit former ones." Then suddenly the scene changed — he was no longer in his snug bedroom, but was walking in a narrow street. It \va3 early morning, but the shopkeepers were already beginning their customary cry of "What d'ye lack?" and the numerous street vendors were offering their goods for sale. The old gentleman had been to London, and he felt certain that this town must be it, for he recognised the Tower and several other ancient buildings, but, for anything else, he might never have seen it, for he was continually losing himself in the narrow streets. He still adheicd to his former views, in spite of the narrowness of the streets, for he thought that this inconvenience was fully counteracted by the absence of smoke. After wandering about for some time he entered an inn for the purpose of refreshing himself. lie had previously thought that these were incomparably superior to our modern hotels, but though he enjoyed a very good meal, he found that his host charged him uncommonly high. In the afternoon he thought he would take a walk in one of the parhs, or else have a look round the Zoological Gardens, but be was disappointed to recollect that these were all things of recent date ; so, giving up that idra, he decided to go by stage-coach to one of the villages close by London. When he reached the inn from which the coach started he found that all the inside places had been appropriated, so that he was obliged to sit outside with the coachman. As it was autumn, and the old gentleman had not got his muffler with him, this was rather annoying, as he was subject to rheumatism. However, this was quite made up for, in the old gentleman's mind, when they reached the village, where he was quite in bis element. Everything was just as he had often thought he would like modern villages to be — the forests surrounding the village, the thatched cottages, the village church overgrown with ivy, and the Squire's hall. But when he began to talk to the villagers he was rather disappointed, for he found that they were both extremely ignorant and superstitious. None of them could either read or write, though they remarked with awe that the Squire's eldest daughter could read. Only a few weeks before they had been superstitious enough to drown a poor old woman who3e only crime was that she lived almost alone in a cottage some distance from the village, her only companion being supposed to be an evil spirit in disguise. The old gentleman was somewhat stai tied at hearing this, for, all his foibles, he was very humane. By this time it was almost dark, and as tbe coach would soon start, our friend decided to return by it. This time he had the good fortune to secure an inside seat. The roads were very uneven and dark, and he found the "jolting of the coach very trying to his nerves ; there were no houses between the village and London. When tbey were half way there the old gentleman was awakened from a pleasant nap into which he had fallen by the appearance of three masked highwaymen at the window, who were presenting loaded pistois at him and shouting, ' % Your money or your life !" Upon this the old gentleman was in a great fright, and preferring ratbei to loose his money than bis life, drew from his pocket all it contained, which amounted to something like £5. The robbers, satisfied with this sum and his watch, plunged into the darkness, where they were soon lost to sight. The coach then resumed its journey, and was not again attacked, but the old gentleman's nerves had received a shock from which they did not soon recover. He was very thankful when they reached London in safety, and went to the nearest inn, where, after partaking of n. hearty morvl. he was glacl to retire to rt.-t- On awakening he was surprised to find that all he imagined as really taking place was merely a dream, and that in realiiy be had never left his room. Although it was only a dream, it still had a good effect, for from that day to this the old gentleman has never again extolled " the good old times."

The moral law is written on the tablets of eternity. For every false word or unrighleous deed, for cruelty ov oppression, for lust or vanity, the price has to be paid at last,