SNYDER'S LANDLORD BUILDS HIM A CHIMNEY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 295, 6 November 1875, Page 4

SNYDER'S LANDLORD BUILDS HIM A CHIMNEY.

When I took my house, which according to law is my castle, bnt wbich is aa much like a castle as it is like a seventy-four line of battle ship, I found it had no kitchen chimney. I went to my landlord and Sold bim that the builder, wh>n, erecting the tenement, had forgotten all about a chimney, he (the : landlord) cause, one to b^tyajU? J^e' said, what, did I want with a chimney? People didn't live in a kitchen when there was a handsome frohty drawing room attached to an establishment! I said , no, people did not live in a kitchen under such favor-able.-conditions of Hie, but my' little housekeeper; had come to be impressed with >n ide^ that the kitchen waa tbe pjacetocook in, and I eonld not divest her oif the feeling; My. landlord seemed to be struck with, the thing in a new light. He said when be was a boy people didn't want chimneys in their kitchens, but bj| supposed railways, and telegraphs a v nd steam engines and postage stamps had put crochets, and new fangled notions into people's heads. He would order a man to come and build me a chimney. He supposed that's what it would have to be at last, and it might as well be at first. And the man did come. He lit his pipe and sitting down on a chair he asked me where I would have it built. I said outside against the back wall of the kitchen. He suggested I should heve7it in the parlor when he could run it through the upstairs floor and out at the roof, when by means of a double front, I could have two fires below aod two for my bedrooms above, which would make it comfortable in cold, weather. _ " I : •never saw a man so considerate - and, calculating io building a chimney . as that man was. He would lay a row of bricks and then he would stand ever so long and look at it. Then he would sit down and smoke and . ask questions. id natural history, with Bible questions and answers, and give his opinion about the age of the world. He bad a thirst for .knowledge which nothing would Then he would go- in for another row of bricks and settle down again, as with the first row. On the third day be askei me for the loan of a large table. He had no scaffold he said, but ,a tabje on the roof of the lean-to would do quite as well. I lent him a table which he placed on the roof, and. went on building. Tha next ttforning, early, he came for a small table to plaOe on the large one; He said he bad g ot ; to go a good; deal h)gher.yel; and he, wanted to know if I remembered the date William the IV $as ~ beheaded; I said William the IV was never beheaded, when he offeree} to*. bet. me the price of a bushel of lime tbat he was. ' Having got the small table he placed it on ito large, one,. and went on building.. In the afternoon he came to the door, to borrow a chair to put on the He had got to rise on the chimney a good bit more yet.* The next day be came for the Joan of an iron bucket. He said he wanted it, to place bottom up that he might go up higher. Did .1 think the present Ministry would : stand;, and waso't.Sir George Grey a brick made of the best quality clay? After a time he came down to borrow a knife board and an empty case. He saidi he hadn't done going up yet. §p he placed the knifeboard across tbe bucket and the empty case bottom upwards across the kuife board, upon which he balanced himself while he r ( ose upon the. chimney. : J This man did hot think he was doing anything out of the way, but if Bloodin -had announced to perform the same, few he would have commanded ten thousand spectators at five shillings *a head. The chimney was finished, the bricklayer, balancing himself on an inverted flower pot while he laid the ISsf course. '' Then he came down. He said there was a .magnificent view of the surrounding country from my chimney top. He expressed his astonishment at people going up hills to seethe snn rise when if they would only get oo top of a well built chimney they would see the wonders of nature in all their glory; Did I think the Maoris of the North Island were one of the lost tribes of Israel. My landlord when tbe chimney was done called to see it; he was very sarcastic. He said, "Now that the chimney's done what else would you I'^ke. Will you have a dovecot put up, and a conservatory built, aud the back yard laid out in garden walks and planted* with rose trees? Would I

have the chimney covered with a mre light green and gold wail paper, or a wine cellar made for me? I told him I would like all the improvements he , had suggested, when he said — ' ' Yes, • he wished I might get 'em." After that he went away.— Coromandel Mail. \