Miscellaneous.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2041, 11 March 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

Miscellaneous.

What the Old Wan Said.

" Well, yes. sir. yes, sir. thankee ! So so. for my time o’ life : I’m pretty pray, ami bent with pains That cut my nerves like a knife ; Tiro winters bear hard upon me ; The summers scorch me sore : I'm sort 'u weary of all the worhl : And I'm only turned three-score. ’■ My old father is ninety, And as hearty its a buck : I ou won t find many men of his age So full of victor and pluck. He felkd the lirst tree cut in the place. And laid the first log down : And living an honest, temperate life, He's the head man of the town. “ Hut you see. when 1 was twenty, or so. I wanted to go to tlie city : And 1 pot with a wild set over there, That were neither wi-cnor witty. And so I laid the foundation, sir, Of what you see to-dav. Old little a-past the prime of life, And a general wasting away.

-'Taint natural fever, this, sir; It s one no doctor can cure. I was made to hear strong burdens.

Ox-like and slow, but sure ; And 1 only lived for my pleasures. Though I had been Christian bred 1 lived lor self. sir. here's the end, Crawling about half-dead.

‘•Viell. well! ’(won't do to think on't. I try to forget mv pain. My poisoned idool. and shattered nerves. My wreck of body and brain. Only 1 saw you drinking-j»-l now. Drinking that devii s drain ; 1 here's whei- I lik-.l t . have stepped into hell. And gone by the f.i-ltst train. ‘■You dolt 1 Inn- my blunt speech, meb’oy ; Well, 'lisn'e the nicest cut : Only, wle-n a man's looked ~V ( r the brink. He knows what he's talking about. Anil with his eyes wide open. He’s walked straight into tic llame. And nothing b -s Ilian the m i-y of 1....1 Has turned hi- glory to shame. -Then, when he savs there's a drunkard's hell, You'd belter believe it'- true. I've fought with the devil hand to hand. And tested him through and through. We know, who’ve battered body ami soul, What body and soul are worth ; And there's nothing like to a drunkard's woo In all Hod's beautiful earth. ••Wife, children .' Haven't I bad them .’ . Vc » ■ No man has had sweeter than 1 ; JBut children and wife arc dead and dust— Why, what could they do but die.’ Don t ask me to tell of them, because It, blobs out (bid’s mercy even ; And it don’t seem sure, though I've left my cups, Thai my sin can be forgiven.

“ I tell you it's hard for a shattered hulk To drift into harbor safe ; And I feel sometimes, with my threescore years lake a hopeless, homeless waif, lint there’s one thing certain : I've overcome ; And I'll light while I draw a breath. When 1 sec a fine young fellow like you Do down to the gates of death, '■ You'll laugh, perhaps, at an old man’s zeal; I laughed in a young man's glee : Hut (lod forbid, if you reach three-core, You should be a wreck like me 1” Only an Incident. A few even ing; ago. wrilcsaQeeensl.mdla ly, the conversation turned upon suitable times and places for courtships. I said I had once been an accidental eye-witness—shall I call it?—to a proposal on the railway.

" Dh, tell us I I’iease do lei us hearexclaimed ten young voices and two mature ones.

1 was sitting on a train about (o leave Toowoomba, for Brisbane, ulun a bridal party came on. and one of the brides, maids occupied tlie varan! scat by my side. Toe coach was crowded, and her special escort could not find a scat, bul conn nted himself by stand-lily in the aide by her side, conversing about the events oi the dav. It beeame dark, and I do.- d tie- bonk 1 had been rcadiny.aml leaned my in-ad on the window, and clos--d my eyes, sinndv t■» r- -t them. Molhiny was farther from my th-.uyhis than to bean cavcs-dropper. bi-t si in me event I provcil to be; bu in the darkemny twilhyht Ibe absorbed coiiple.snpposiny me to be asleep, settled into "love's low tone.” tacit word of which slru-k upon my ear eh ar as a bell, for in bis carm-stm o lie leam-d on tin* back of lie- scat in from of ns, Ids face, as you can picture for yourse'f, forminy wiib the lady’s ear and mine an equilateral tnanyle. in a free country, and on a piibih- conveyance, 1 diil not thin!, it mve-ary to remind them of my presence, IM. -einly he bent a little closer, and whispered.— *• Vou must know by this time whaimyattentions to you mean. Hay 1 hope that I imiy claim you as mine After a little pause she said.— ■■ I am very sorry, but I am afraid that our paths throiiyh life will have to divi-rye.” lie c.vpostMale-! --1 c-iurs-.-; them lira viny a deep si;yh. walk. d away. The twiliyln deepened, and i still rested my eyes. ,\ft ■i' a while the disconsolate lover ret a rued, mid ivn-ived his n. -a vine. I have ■ pent lift-en wrelehed minutes, fan you yivo me no hope. 1 ” Her voice in the .ylonniiny sounded like music to him, I have no doubt. she answered. — ”1 have been thiukiuy over what 1 tad you. No one knows what will he in the future, and pernaps our paths may ivnverye,”

Just then the whistle blew for my station and eatheriny up my p-i'sessi.-ns, 1 was preparin'.; to depart, when lie e.vl,dined i--v fully,—

*• Ho you yet olTherc .’ Allow me to help you out with these.” With shiniuy eyes he took my satchel and parcels, and helped me oil', even (-"ntrolliny himself so far as to bow respect fully as I left. On laikiipy back.l could sec the lady in my seat at the window, and the happy l-ovr sittiny by her side. The whistle blow, and the train started, and—the curtain fell.

Mistakes in Nomenclature .--The followin'/ is not without satirical reference to our Aastralian fashion of snhstilutinp vul/ar and commonplace nanus for localities formerly known by euphonious ahon .ina! appelhitions. David Dudley IheM takrs exceplioil to the nomenclature of Am riran ceopraphy. He says •• there may hr a ureal deal of fitness or unlit ties- in name-. I' h-em with, our eontinent was misnamed. In snrelinp the name •• Ameriea" a ureal wrote/ was done Columbus. The e->nlinent should have been called ” t'olumbia.” Now Amenoatis are Irvin" to make amends by sinpinp " Hail. Columbia.” dust think of some of the wretched names selected for places in the Cnited States. Wo have Tombstone. Volt Het. Pop Corn, Cut Shin. Paw Hid". Skunk l.akr, Dirt Tub. Tup Tavern. Sawdu.d, Cow ■'-Kin. ami Cut Off. Almost a> had taste was diplayed in eopyinp sueh old names as *Cihylon, Memphis, Cairo, Troy. I hra. and SvraOUs". 11 would have hern much better to have preserved more of ihe noinencuiluie of the red men. Nothin/ could he more appropriate and pleasant to the ear than Mississippi, Oneida, Michipan. Moiionpahela. Susquchaua, Jloduwk, Idaho, and Wyoming*