UNKNOWN

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15989, 25 August 1917, Page 7

UNKNOWN

.• • -i-v • -. • TBISS.'') ; ; • i: season of - filing mill . ".v in sawing ...... > 1 for cut- . - >ain pad- : . ■ at their hr -.nc were h©- •. ;mv. nch, and chunks, •v. -- ..ro wood : . > the ac-■>r-'.blc dis- .... •. • • rt was ... " owner. ■ ';C from ■ ■ : during uent, I ; : • : musical, •- t A.-;-: this • . r. \ a bad .- . " i'V.oro 1 ■ ■ , j- ■ *y of ' ' . ~'i : ;1© of ..... ; Ijad . ; > - • . ear- ■■ i i• goc '. ~ .... ' ,■> ... •• . . ,'uro ■'• ■. <• de- ..... .i ./M tO '.. 1 ■ . • ■ ." r u ;■, • ' .'•• Ist ..." .' re .... ... . v. - ■•^"l'Tlg . ■ '■ ' : .ow •~T i!,e . :.!*■ i v> ' , his .• r „r.'' cruly •. V': ,>n of ~ • Tin >Aie sad lack- of -_o«uiii ear, which onco led him into a situation h© would have avoided quite willingly. ' . xl ... , •Wo wore nearing tho iinish of a concert, a pre-war gladness now long past, when, after delighting us for a seeming eternity, the pianist suddenly cliangod direction into a different air, melody, or

action to that effect. "What is this tune?" asked Augustus anxiously. "Why, it's 'God Save tho King,' of course, man," replied a treacherous friend, and, with a reproachful glance at all around him. up stood Augustus, fop all to seo, and copy. So he remained while everybody wondered, until a whisper reached him: '"Uear, they are playing 'The Policeman's Holiday.' " Then Augustus resumed his chair, finite hastily, and, all things considered, it appears that tho owner of a "musical ear" need not bo pitied. August 13th. —To unenlightenod people. the fascination of stamp-collecting is hard to understand; but judging from the great number of collectors it must be more than a passing fancy, and tho man who has it, "a stamp is worth just three-ha'pence, if it will pay to post a lotter," is surely taking a gloomy view. Rather, tho opinion of a cheerful person yes, ho also is a collector —"Stamps are constantly increasing in value, so is the number of people who collect, and if for twoponeo or threepence I can now buy a stamp which probably will bo worth shillings iu a few years' time, surely it js a good investment, if not for me, then for those boys of mine." Here at least is encouragement for collectors, and 1 suppose that the pleasure of collecting may be considered as a bonus in advance; only sometimes vicissitudes attach to the" pleasure. News camo to-day, of desirable stamps to bo had by way of exchanges, at a place not many miles away, and.- a spare hour occurring," the horse.was harnessed to the gig, and we set a course by the "large star" water--Mil arks on those reported treasures. If oy holding a- stamp against some dark object, you can discover it ' is watermarked "with a "large star," or a "crown'?. with "GC" below' it, then, as a rule, -that stamp is rare or scarce, and worth more than the one, apparently ; a duplicate', which"'is watermarked with a "crown above C.A." Other watermarks were upon the gig before we started, but those I put down as merely a springtime shower, arid presently" when wo met a hailstorm — "driving," also—l still intended going, so we went on out and through. . The stamps were all that had been < said of them and soon I was trying to help the other fellow to find the more valuable mark in a Jamaica "swop." Lest' other collectors should account '1110 as quite a fool, I may admit that I had advantaged in half-a-dozen previous deals, and even a stamp collector has a conscience, so they say. Anyway, I did not want the stamp, or mean to arrange a swop for it at any price. Our dealing had been finished to our mutual gain, and warned by a, distant thunder-sound of further weather, I was preparing to depart, when suddenly the room seemed filled with, a blinding flash I could have sworn —did I over so indulge—that the lightning ran along the fender; and crash came something down the chimney, scattering the embers, which promptly burned a handkerchief I had spread before them, m hope of getting at least one necessary garment\lry. "The devil!" exclaimed the other follow, but in point of fact it wa s not his Blackness personally, only some looso bricks made looser by tho thunder. But now the storm broke. I>azzling lightning, hail like 6hot upon the iron roof, rain in a deluge. "You can't go yet," said the other man kindly ; so instead; "wo sat down to a comfortable tea. At eight that night the rain still deluged, the road in front of tho liouso was about awash, and one could almost feel the darkness; but there seemed no chance of the weather clearing, the creeks most probably would soon be flooded, so I decided for home andi my —no doubt —sorrowing Belinda May. 1 had forgotten the gig-lamps, and a borrowed lantern failed .signally to make the darkness at all visible, but, presumably the liorse could seo the road;, for he splashed on briskly, as I trusted, in tho direction of his overdue oats.

By the time a clot of sleet had put my pipe out, I had been drenchcd fairly to the t-kin, but the stamps were safe in a cigarette case, and the chiefly troubling cireumstanco a likelihood of the river hcing in flood. At the crossins: the lantern showed me a mass of muddy, foam-flecked water, but the horse was willing to go, and went on through, and home, safely. The stamps were safe, too, and in telling Belinda May of our vicissitudes. I showed her the sad remains of my scorched handkerchief.. in proof of the nearness of that lightning flash, but Belinda May said, "My dear, I can scarcely believe it; and I am so glad, you havo got back safely." Now that -was very nice of Belinda May.

August loth.—Again dusk found us homing, through the length of the Long Wood, where for a moment we rested idly, -watching the birds at their evening Sight; while a pair.of magpies lnade threatening demonstrations, pretending they were defending their half-built nest in a lofty tree. First came tho smallest —silver-eyes, goldfinches, and chaffinches, flying to their roosting places in the low, thick fir trees, to ehattor and exchange news before settling for the night. Next the flocks of starlings, l'resh from a full meal of the grass-grubs which are now spoiling whole acres of the lowland paddocks ; and, as if well-drilled, the birds go . circling and wheeling by companies over one corner of the wood. You see a flock of starlings, and in a moment it» seems tr> vanish, for. as if by order, each, "bird has turned sideways in its flight; and again you see them, sweeping downwards towards their chosen place. Then, clearly outlined against : the afterglow of sunset, the gulls pass over

from some new-ploughed field, pack after, pack, in V-formation; slowly ancl steadily in tho' fading light, with a, rustling of wings through tho frosty, silent air.- Seen for an instant, some grey clucks go dashing- past; in \vcar\ fashion a hawk is flying to his lodging in somo distant swamp j a more-pork begins calling from a gaunt, bar© pmo treo, but oxeept himself and tho grey ducks tho bird world i s now resting for the night.