Old Grumble HAS OCCASION TO EXCLAIM WITH CÆSAR-"VENI", VIDI, (BUT NOT) VICL"

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 43, 23 September 1884, Page 3

Old Grumble HAS OCCASION TO EXCLAIM WITH CÆSAR-"VENI", VIDI, (BUT NOT) VICL"

No siren every sang_ more sweetly or more deceptively than . did the Government of New Zealand when it chanted so lustily to the listening world, " People for the land, and land for the people." Not even Mrs Grumble, when in the enchanting days of- her. teens . she inveigled poor Old Grumble with. her v.oice, and he became so .infatuated with the music of it that he. compared the. dental construction: oi her .mouth to the key board of a .piano—: how different is the comparison, now, an. unlnbricated barrow wheel .cpmes nearer the mark, although she .maintains her voice is still as good as.. ever, jSxLA, for all inflammatory purposes Mr Grumble is willing to . accredit her with the truth of her statement. But Grumble is digressing, so, returns,-to say that by a lavish and .indiscriminate expenditure of the. country's money f and the promise of "land, fpj the people" some thousands. were induoed to accept the generous; invitation, and came to New Zealand; W.find,.. to their disappointment__iUijat i th^."la,njd for the people was a myth, a terra incognita; came only ,tp fifld; the land .reserved for: speculators, and no provision made for the s-tttjing.of those who brought nothings, with; them but strength and energy, with growing sons and daughters tP assist them in building up a home. : The Government . got, the people, only to see numbers of the best of themleaye as they arrived, and New Zealand had the poor satis-,: faction of -knowing that fihe^ had ex-, pended thousands of pounds, in populating: other colonies. ; But if this . «* Promised Land" has been but -a terra incognita, , to Old Grumble it has created &_terrgr t defactOj a dread.reality, as Mrs Grumble continually.; upbraids him for,, his deception, about the farm and home be was going to make for her. in the beautiful Britain of the South, and points her accusing fing«r to • the • aheieht ' rooster she bought ten years ago to commence heir farm with." "The old fellow, impatient of his sombre winter covering, has discarded, it before nature has furnished him with a brighter spring dress, and; as he stands now/ bareheaded, he lophs-sa old .that Grumble thinks he might have been the same cock whose shrill clarion, rang upon the ear of Peter.. fYet Gr^nmble, with insinuating Voice, tries" to persuade his mfc that bird is only moulting, out she gives an incredulous shake of the head and" persists that it is old age^that has robbed biifc of his feathers. This expre&>6d' conviction causes Grumble instinctively to bring his hand , tp< bis own . crown, tp find that itime jhaa.heen equally unsparing, -with him^Andi then he feels that'&noe ten years ago his vigour has lessened,and'hefis' not tio able how" tb'batoe'tfttt* a home from the. standing bush as her was when 'first x he landed in New' Zealand-, even iL the i^w, ( Pa4ia?n^t. should mate good the promises of their predecessors and "-.open up theland to the people upon such! easy terms that all who choose: may acquire; a piepQ sufficient . to gain, a livelihood npon. But if .Gi*Mbl£^ -fep has sons coining after him, audit jg. in the interests iofiiherisinggeneration he appeals Ao ,; the present Parliament to redeem i&e promises a past Gotern* ment has so faithless^' broken,, and whojie^hrase'**-. pirid bh ddferreg p&y-' meAt* , istMthfui; buf in; two Vpi# 8 » which ? ; axe, hvid deferred. ' Grumble does hot forget how he has been cajoled: fsince .the time when, like Caesar, with exultant voice he cried* Verdf iVieti ! but nnlike Caesar he Has been unable, to say Vici ! •''' " ' ' Old G^uhble.