Lost, A Meerschaum Pipe.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 1 November 1890, Page 2

Lost, A Meerschaum Pipe.

I A yer.r ago a Canterbury grazier — a wollfcnown figure in the sata. yards— who was looking ovor his paridocks one dewy morning counting his stock, as well as mentally estimating tho prospective value of the animals in the stock sales, whilst cantering across the grass lost hifl siivennonuted two-guinea meerschaum pipe in tlie case out of the side pocket of his coat. For an hour lator, on requiring it, he could not account for its sudden disappearance in any other way. During many days of sorrow he lamented "her" loss. He always called his pipe her because it seemed nearer and dearer to him than all his belongings. Repentant of his carelessness h« smoked from a clay till the days of mournins; camfrto end. and one day having effected a good "deal" for his cattle he invested in another meerschaum an nearly on the lines of the old one a3 it was p>Bi>ib c to get it. the demands of business an 1 active habii3 had cngi d him »v a'moat forget all about his d» ar old pi|»e. He bad Bold all the atock off the paddock bar onp, which Was an oldish beast, th«t never 8--enied to fatten up to his s.iti.-faetio V an I ■put others in tlieir plrice. At last a local fleaher, looking over the hero,

made o "sporting offes" for tin crumpled horn strawberry seer, am: much to his ainaze r neot received^ i without the least haggling as to price Only this once in his life, and he bat had'niaay tran'a^tiors, had ha evei known the s f/ ck- wner s 11 a be-«si •without " splitting the difference.' A fortnight had passed with, the steei in the bu'.chei'.s paddock, whey something decided it — the bests* would not fat! en, as he first ex pected. It was slaughtered, and h: all intents sou'id and heaUhy. The pigs had OiUea the oila!, and next day the pigboy found the remains oi a pipa case, and a silver-mounted meerschaum pipe, ready for smoking, the tobacc > frash an-i sweet. Having acquired the art. the youth simply drew a match a'ong Inn trousers, ar.d was puffing awuy the d-Hciously fragrant tobaco > in oarnest when the master came up to accuse him of spending his hard earnings of 7s 6d a week in meerschaum pipes and cut-up tobacco Of course the boy's excuse of finding such a trophy in a pig-stye was denied just cs the before mentioned grazier rode up, and he had ferreted bus the remains of the case as evidence. In these ruin* was fu.nd by these two worthies a counter re^ipt or a hat purchased by the grazier from C. P. Hulbert, . of this city ; the rast may be imagined. The lad was presented with 53, and the owner may bo seen almost daily Bmoking v her" with an increasing fondness. — Frets.