An Idyll Of Ihe Road.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 4 September 1915, Page 3

An Idyll Of Ihe Road.

(.\\ritten 'lor Tlie Chronicle). "Every man lias a liob'by," remarked Woolly. "iSoine's hobby is saving money, ami others' is drinking beer— 'but some men combine- the two." Woolly's audience was squatted on ibatiored ibudaHs and other unburnablo rubbish iu the reception room oi' "i'enritli Homo"—tho smagmen's name lor a dilapidated buildmg (once a produce store) perched on the edge oi' a, timoracked town that lost adequate excuse for existence when coach traflio across the Blue Mountains was ous led. by the railways. in the- "roaring" days, sales ol horse fodder to the passing diggers made fortunes lor proprietors oi tho store, but ;by popular consent the ibuilding in tliese times is set apart for roadmen only—and their casual contiibutions to the philosophy of tho iaksez lake is pencilled deep in the yielding timbers oi the iwalls, indelible save lor Time's decay and tho accelerating; work of his satellite, "the woodgrub. The dead-lansiuayo quotationis ol Univeivsity men turned vagrant; charcoal skctdies signed "Darby Steele, outhouse artist"; limericks, iwitty uiKl otlicrwifce (.some now, ijjut mos-t of tli em iloUsam I'rom ihe sea of iigeis) j biblical texts and latter-day ruminations written by men of sober mind; ali these are recorded, malting wallreliel's of modern interest never niatdied by decorative artist.

Un Australia's surface there is no more argumentative class than that oi the suagman; but discussion on Woolly's dictum elicited geno.vd agreement li-ai the reasoning was bound, and tbat the man with a hobby was less likely to talk to lik billies tliau the man without a hobby was. "It's dead oas,y to tell what Wouhy s hobby is! , ' interpolated linker Tu: . "lets; it be now,' and Wjo1! ,; soltly handled his nose. "JJut 1 did pick up a bit of the knack oi combining 'em. Xot satisfied with that, though, when 1 was holding the money and the beer too, 1 tried to bake three hobbies meet—and tlnit- settled me! "I'ou see, i got a missus; and alter that things was only middlin , to b.a. I'd ge.t a bit narsty on days that blokes wouldn't put- the beer up .to me; not having any 'ready' to fall back on, like 1 dill when 1 was single, it was only nateral 1 "would' get namty. Then the missus would ohuok tilings about, and so I'd ustcr roll me bluey and do a bent around the orange groves by .Uyde. and Windsor, and ivurrajong for a month or two until she cooled oil and it was time to conic alon<£ like ihe prodigal son. "One day I'm getting back from an outing as had been a bit loiiger'n usual when 1 picks up a 'Star , and reads in the 'personals' a notice that said: 'If William Woolly fails to return home within seven dayo from this date 1 will take legal steps.—-Helen Woolly.' " 'WlicMv,' sea 1, 'what's this?' 1 was over the tinie-linnt then, so 1 aiakes u forced march ol nine miles \u u day! "Going down by liot'ny 1 gets scent of the tanneries and a whiff' off the glue-works; 1 sees the bottle-ho's getting to business and hoars one of our ielkw-cilizens from Asia calling out new potatoes at> near as he could sound if:—till what with all the old smells and sounds 1 was lair homesick and 1 goes up to the house fun of love and affection, and when the door opens and the misoiicj bhows out 1 sez 'Nell!' with me heart in me mouth, and fair yearning lor love and peace."

■■JJlimey; he like a picturebook !" interjected one of tlho circle. '"Next tiling I knows there was .six loot ol red-headed navvy behind her, representing her 'legal steps,' 1 suppose! She sez to it, 'ies; that's him!' —an' quicker'n you could eink a beer 1 was being hauled all over the pumpkin patch; and when ho let me go not one of me features seenuxi to lit me. ''The hospital blokes fixed me up in a week, and when 1 come out I took permanent beat on the orange track. Two hobbies are workable- enough lor some men. but it takes a genius to ran three." "And you didn't 'even-up' on the dog!" grunted Tinker Tim. "TVliy, I'd have let his lighting grit out through a bullet-holel" "And where woe i to get money to buy a revolver?" demanded Woolly .scornfully. "Anyhow, me revenge came deadly enough; I mot 'him' doing the orange-track less'n two years later 1" U. P. Buown.