THE OLD SCHOOL TIE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 55, 20 March 1937, Page 15

THE OLD SCHOOL TIE

Cattle Market Experience

Mr S. P. B. Mais has written a delighfM book about his joumeyingg all over the Homeland, and in " England 's Oharaeter" tells the story of his experiences. In one country town he visited he deseribes a cattle market auction;— • " 'Sixty shillings,' said the auctipneer, epeaking as fast as the cat in 'Alice in Wonderland, 'sixty-four, ojght, seventy, seventy-two, four-six-eight. Worthy fi-pound, are you done? Eighty-two-four-six-eight-ninety. Are you done? Donel Ninety, « O'Reilly. Next, please. Give me an offer, eighty-four-six-eight, are you done? Ninety? Done! Hawkins. Next, please. What's your bid?' "He was an admirable salesman. He was getting through his job with tre-

mendou's speed. 1 was wondering who had taugbt him to speak at that terrifie speed. Then I noticed his tie. It was the cucumber green of the Old Shirburnian. Then, for the first time, I really noticed his faee, saw hiTn as he was twenty-two years ago, a small boy in my form, when I was a master at Sherborne, gabbling off his legson at a rate which ought to have been unintelligible but wasn't. " 'You ought to be an auctioneer,' I had said in exasperation then. "And here he was, not only an auctioneer, bnt a rattling good oue. " Mr Mais tells his readers of scores of interesting customs and modeO of life both ancient and modern, and has his views too, on things which need reform and 'others which should be encouraged and preserved.