Great Expectations

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 13, 30 July 1891, Page 5

Great Expectations

x The Dunedin Star's London cor~Tesj"»i>n imi wiites: — The easß of little ' Torltiunter, erstwhile of Tauraoga, liotorua, and Gishorne should be a vflM-ning to New Z"n!?iti«lers <<f modeTtitH means with relatives at Home uot to, spend money over vague " expectations " until they are t^uite certain what the said «xpectatious - amount to. . Some fifteen months ugo Mr Todhunter, w.'io was then earning from £3 r«> £4 a week in New Zea land, leceived a letter from Home, •urging him to return, as his mother •was dyiug, and stating that unless he promptly came hack, and looked after his right-?, a younger t-ruthet. would probably get all the property. Had Mr Todhunter consulted a lawyer in New Zealand, and sent Home for -particulars before acting, he would - svou have found' out that his mother had really only a little furniture and a few odds- and -ends to will away. The^propeity- proper--— i c.. three or =: small houses;/ worth .£6OO parhaps—' was here for life merely, devolving at . her death on Todhunter, his brother, and (I 4hink) a' sister, Todhunter might therefore just as well have stayed in New^ Zealand and simply instructed a local lawyer to get a London solicup?, to rwatch his interests. Instead, horrowed money on .his " expectations" J and came Home. Meanwhile,, the old' lady recovered, and when Todhunter arrived in London seemed., hearty a?, ever. This was -dec-id nlly. grab ;tra:-js Bg I advised the * little man : to leave his interests in the "hands of .a, lawyer and return to New Zealand, but ,he was suspicious of his •brother making. free with bis share of the furniture,; etc. j and would- not '^budge 'Ultimately, I heard he ob= ' " stained employment, on an Orient boat. A few weeks ago the old mother did die, and now. atjast Tod hunter's great I -expectations are Tealised. After lawyers' (expenses, etc., have been paid, the amount coming to him will, I fear, Vii inconsiderable. He does not, at any rate, talk of returning to JUew Zealand. It would be too paini:ui to hav.e to .confess that the cost of looking a.fter the \ l expectations " had . «w.iilowed up the expectations them---•iielves.