"SUGAR FOR NAETHING."

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1798, 24 March 1888, Page 3

" SUGAR FOR NAETHING."

(B'rom " Jeeooß Kayo'o Adventures " m

the Glasgow Baiilfa ) Last Saturday, Bailie, Betty and me I were oot getting oor provisions, and, m ga'ing alang a street m the Sooth-slde, Betty grippit me by the arm, and, pointing tae a shop window says : — " Quid keep us, Jeems ! d'ye see that I Sugar for naethlng ! " Eh ! what's that ? " I says, getting oot my speci. " That's extraornar ; trado muat be dull atweel when they've tae gle awa' the goods for naething. My certy, it's a new gemm this. Pulr bodies ! hoo can they sfford a' that gnu and a big rent ? Betty," I cries, "ye ken I've never grudged tae pay a fair price for onythi ig I buy ; but when folk offer yo 0 thiDg for naething, I wld be etaunin' mmy am Hcht if I didna tak' it. Gie me the basket, and I'll go m and get eight pua\ and, aftor I oome oot, ye can slip m and get anither eight pun' ; it'll no look sac ejreedy like. Jiat wait a wee." Ani In I goes "I'll tak' eight pun' o 1 that sugar !:| I says. "Certainly, Bir." itnd m a j ffoy I got the nugar m a paper poke, and, putting it m the basket, J. shut doon the lid, and says, " I'm sure I'm vera much obleeged tue yo tae be Bae kind tae me — me a parfact stranger. I really oinna fia' words tao express my thanks. Sugar's no vera dear, but it's aye eomething; it maun be n sair losa tae you. Hooever, I muat jiat thank ye," and, wl that, I made tae oome oot.

" Hey," cries the lad at the bank o 1 the coonter, " ye've forgot the tea ! there's two pun o 1 tea goes alang wi that !" " Ljcl auve us, tea ! — tea, d:d ye Bay 1 Betty " I crle?, " it's no only sugar thoyVe gielng avfa', but tea, Great orlftens, this bates all ! Tea ! Certainly I'll tak' the tea," and I hold up the lid o 1 the basket, and he popped m a package o' tea, a ready made up, I thopht it wls vera fortunate I had seen the shop before the unemployed got word 0' it, or they wid hae haen it a' rooklt oot afore I got near't. "Is there naethin' else— coffee, or onything," I says, " ISo ! " he says, •' it's jlst the tea and BUgar go theglther." " Weel, I'm share we ooht tae be thankfa' for that same ; altho', if there wis a bit pun 0' coffee I widna objeot. Weel, guld day tae ye 1 gold day !" and I cam' oot, Lod, he jumplt ower the coonter, and grlppit me at the door, and shook me, and says, •'Tho money, sir I" •'Money I" says' l, perfectly dnmfoundered, "ye ne'er said there wia ony money ; but it's no ower late yet ! Hoo much dae ye gle ? Yore a perfect angel m tbae bad times. I hope the moneys no spurious." " Ye've tae gfe mo the money," he says. ''Mcl' 1 I sftjg; '« money for whati" "For the tea," he aayß, " Did ye no say it went alang wit he sugar 1" " Certainly." " A.nd didna ye say ye gled the sugar for naethin 1 ?" "Yes," "And what's the money for, then )" " For the tea," he cays, getting angry. " Noo, look here," I says, palling him Intae a close oot o' the crood, " lot us understaun' eaoh other. Noo, jlst listen } Betty, hand tftp basket q \yee | Tae begin at the beginning, did ye no say ye , Uied mgac for naethlnT "We do," " Weel, so faur, bo good } ye gled me my augap fo? hagthiiJ 1 , mit w6b» * ~ coming qgfj »a *-•--' ' * ™ &a 1 s ' w .ea alang wi the BUgar. I ''Bat yore tae pay for the tea." " Tat, tat ! will 1 hae tae begin again ? Noo, look here, and pay attention ! We'll tak' It baokwards this time ! Are ye listening ? Didna ye ca 1 mo back when I wis gaun oot weel enotuh pleased wit he eugar, and no askin' for tea— didna ye cry me back and Bay yo gled tea alang wi' the sugar ? " "I did." " Weel, and hadua yo glen mo the sugar for naotliint;? " "I had." " Weel, and what hue ye tao say for yoursel', eh ? It's no the worth o't, mm' ye ; but I'm no a man tae be made a fule 0' ; hooever, there's my card — ye can summon me, but I'm thinking yell get the waret o't. No, no ! I wisna born yesterday. X thocht there win some jaokrypookry aboot it. Come awa, Betty, here's oor caur ; " and the orood "hoorahed," and the policeman threatened tae tak him up for obstructing the paveraont, and we oam' awa'. He thocht ho wia 'cute bnt he found oot there wis some gey langhelded folk m the coal trade as well as In the tea trade.

It is believed the Oamaru Garrison Band has definitely decided to prooeed to Melbourne to compete for the prises offered m oon« ncction with the exhibition. flow steadily wo are losing our population (says the "Napier Tolegraph") "may bo scan from the following :— During the month of February the number of arrivals m the colony was 1923, and the number of departures 1-186. Of the arrivals, 460 .were from the United Kingdom, 356 from New South Wales, and 9bl from Yiotoria. Of tho detartures, 108 were for the United Kingdom, 563 for. New South Wales, and 600 for Victoria." This, however, only partially discloses what is going on, as while acourate figures can be and are obtained m respect to arrivals, hundreds wh.o ltij»YQ the colony are novel' accounted for.'