SMILES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VII, Issue 313, 23 July 1896, Page 9

SMILES.

A run of luck.—Winning a race. Writing of Colonel North, the Sporting Times relates the following story of the late sportsman ; —The first time I was brought into contact with him was at a ploughing match at an agricultural meeting, and he presided at the dinner at night, and presented the prizes. He was elected president. “ Eello ” said the Colonel, in his breezy way, This society is in debt. I cannot afford to be president of a society that is not solvent; here’s a hundred to wipe off the debt and to be going on with.” Then the different winners .came up for their prizes, and the exuberance of the Colonel, which could never be suppressed, hroke forth. An old man’s reward for having been a faithful servant in the same employment for forty years was a pair of corduroy trousers. How’s the missus ?” asked the Colonel as he handed over the trousers. The old man answered. Any kids ?” he further interrogated. “ Ten living, sir, and three dead.” “ And you’ve brought that, lot up on 13s a week ?” “ Yes, sir,” was -the reply. “ Give me the trousers back,” said 4he Colonel, and presently, handing them to the faithful servant again, he said, “You will find a fiver in the right-hand pocket for the missus and a tenner in the left-hand pocket to give a .-sovereign each to the kids.” With the others he dealt in a similar manner. r Boy {on the stump, who has been patiently watching the strange angler for about an hour) : You ain’tcaught anything, ’ave yer?” Stranger : “No, not yet, my boy.” Boy: “ There wasn’t no water in that pond till it rained last night.”