THE ESSAYIST.

Dunstan Times, Issue 812, 9 November 1877, Page 3

THE ESSAYIST.

PItoOHosTICATIOMS. j It may lia worth while considering for a moment the basis or premises upon which | the generality of mankind form their prog, nostications, vouching unhesitatingly, and with all sincerity of conviction, the manner of events to come. It is natural, certainly, to the human mind that we should endeavor to forecast, and from passing events budd up reasonable calculations that may enable us to pierce into the womb of futurity j this has been so in all ages, and will bo so in all ages to come ; but these are assumptions drawn from actual existing facts which, when dearly strung together permit ns, with the aid of knowledge and science, to arrive at certain conclusions that may, humanly speaking, be reasonably expected. But what I have especially in view is altogether a different sort of prophesying : it is where the most ordinary and seasonable incidents of the hour afford a groundwork for piophetic utterances as intemperate in liklihord and as positive as baseless. For instance, whin the sky darkens and rain clouds gather, after, mayhap a prolonged snell of dty weather, my frieni “ Fuddle ” will wag his old head, and with the sapient look of an owl of unusual ability, deliver himself sententionsly with ; “Ah ! we are going to have a flood, sir, you may depend upon it the river will be up in no time, and then ook out for the bridge.” Row many times have I heard this prediction repeated by a host of “Fuddles,” amd long before the bridge was dreamt of and yet that flood has never had the decency to fulfil the augury An early fall of snow in autumn is a capital opportunity for revelling in this sort of thing “ Fuddle ” will assure you in a ready off-hand manner, as if he was in constant confidential intercourse with the Great Divine Power, that the coming winter will be an nnprecedently severe one, andthat an infinitude of suffering and hardship will recur to the country in consequence. Or, on the other hand, he will be equally prompt to point out to you, on the a vent of Spring, eith -r that we are to have such an abundant fruit harvest that the pigs will be sustained thereon, ami that peach-fed pork will be an ordinary article of consumption ; or that, “ By Jove, sir, the frost and the wind have played the very deuce with the fruit trees this season, so that we must look to importations for supply.” Meeting my irrepressible and p-opbetic friend soma time ago ho said : “ By the bye. have you lately seen poor ‘ Simidlog’ ?” “No.” “Ah well, poor fellow, he ia’nt long for this wor'd/” “ Why, what’s the matter?” “He’s in a galloping consutnp tion. Give him just three weeks, and then, sir, he’ll be in his grave.” * Smudlng ’ was suffering from a cold in bis head, is one of the healthiest men in the district, and had his life insured the other day for a large sum at an exceptionally low premium. When the great gold robbery took place, that has made the month of August, 1870, for ever memorable in the annals of New Zea’and, “Fuddle” was in bis element. His eagle-eye spotted out the culprit from the moment of its occurrence, drawing me on one side by the Inn ton hole he whispered in my unwilling ear a name that cerfain'y startled ne. Selecting as the object of his suspicions one of the leading men of the district, and the one moat unlikely of a'l to perpetrate so skilful and daring a robbery, I was fairly dazed at tbe supposition, and stood silently glaring at “Fuddle,” who, with many mysterious nods and winks, repeated. “ He’s the man, sir. and no other," and all I could say do the contrary in no way upset my fiiend’s theory, which was solely based upon the supposed impecuniosityof ihe “suspect.” How many times was the Escort going to be stuck up? Why, “Fuddle” ooull tell yon the very place the attempt would be made, the mode of the attack, the disposition of the booty, and the escape of the bushrangers. 1 remember in the early days he came to me on one Decision in a state of intense excitement, and confilelto ma an intended attack. From the mam-r of his narrative-b‘ke re’ation I at once concluded that ho had, by some means or other, accidently overheard the plot, and advised him to go atonce to the C.tmp and give information. He was about setting out, when it occurred to me that it would be as well to learn upon what data so grave a story was erected, when with alacrity he complied by saying : “Look here; you know old ‘Smifkins” hut. near Yankee Flat.” I nodded affirmatively. “Well, yesterday, div ing his absence the hut was forcibly entered by tbe window, and his fowling-picce was carried off, and nothing else mark yon ; and the same day four snspxloiis-looking ‘awagners ’ were seen crossing the pil'd, one carrying a gun. They made towards ‘ Fraser’s,’ but after going a short distance they separated, each going in a different direction ” “Fuddle” lookel at me and smiled complacently triumphant; here at least was a verification of his prediction, that none but the stupidly obtuse wou'd be unwilling to accept as proof of the most positive description ! And so on ad infinitum instance upon instance conld be given of the manner in which serial whisperings are to the imaginative “Fuddles” aloi o sufficient to build up a superstructure rs gigantic as the Pyramids, until the analytical research of truth dissipates the baseless fabric, and leaves not a wreck behind.