MRS. POYSER AND BARTLE MASSEY.

Kumara Times, Issue 1443, 13 May 1881, Page 2

MRS. POYSER AND BARTLE MASSEY.

The following dialogue from one of “ George Eliot’s” publications was read by the Rev. Mr Flavell, in the course of bis lecture on Wednesday evening “ Ay, ay !” said Mrs, Poyser ; “ one hid think, an’ hear some folks talk, as the men war’ cute enough to count the ■corns in a bag o’ wheat wi’ only smelling at it. They can see through a barn-door-, they can see so little o’ this side ou’t.” Martin Poyser shook with delighted laughter, and winked at Adam as much as to say the schoolmaster was in for it now. “Ah T said Ba'rtle, siieeringly, “the women are‘quick enough—they’re quick enough. They know the rights of a story before they hear it, and Can tell a man what his thoughts are before he can tell ’em himself." “ Like enough/’ said Mrs Poyser; “for the men are mostly so slow, their thoughts overrun ’em, an’ they only catch ’em by the tail. I can count a stocking-top while a man’s getting ’s tongue ready ; an’ when he outs wi’ his speech at last, there’s little broth to be made ou’t. It’s your dead chicks take the longest hatchin.’ Howiver, I’m not denyin’ the women are foolish : God Almighty made ’em to match the men.” “Match!” said Bartle; “ay, as Vinegar matches one’s teeth. If a man says a word, his wife ’ll match it with contradiction; if he’s a mind for hot meat, his wife ’ll match it with cold bacon ; if he laughs, she’ll match it with whimpering. She’s such a match as the horse-fly is to th’ horse; she’s got the right venom to sting him with—the right venom to sting him with.” “Yes-,” said Mrs. Poyser, “I know what the menlike—apoorsoft, as’udsimperat ’em like the picture o’ the sun, whether they did right or wrong, an’ say thank you for a kick) an’ pretend she didna know which end she stood Uppermost, till her husband told her. That’s what a man wants in a wife, mostly; he wants to make sure o’ one fool as ’nil tell him he’s wise> But there’s some men can do wi’out that—they think so much o’ themselves a’ready; and that’s how it is there’s old bachelors.”