"SOMETHING IN THE CUPBOARD."

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 682, 27 October 1852, Page 4

"SOMETHING IN THE CUPBOARD."

[From " Punch."] | Mr. and Mrs. John Bull sat by the fireside, "My dear," said Mrs. Bull, " you must make me a greater allowance for housekeeping." " Really, my dear," said Bull, in his kind, stupid way, " really I did think of proposing to take a little off." « A little off!" exclaimed Mm. Bull. " A little off. For, consider ; bread cheap — meat going down — candles falling — soap lowering," and so Bull was going on, when Mrs. Bull ground herself up in her chair, as she was Avont when much put upon, and declared she would speak. " Cheap or not cheap," cried Mrs. Bull, " all I know is this ; it takes more to keep the house than it did ; things don't go half the way they used to go." Mr. Bull looked into the fire — looked doAvn upon the hearthrug — rubbed his knees, and said, " There must be something in the cupboard." " Nonsense," cried Mrs. Bull ; and then she added, " yet it is strange, and I can't make it out that "things don't go as they did. I can't think what it is." " Is it mice 2" asked Mr. Bull. "Isit a fiddlestick \ Look at your Grey Cat ; and what that cat's cost us, nobody can tell. Still, for all I keep the key, the things do go strangely." " It must be mice," said Bull. " It can't be mice," said Bull's wife. " Rats then !" said the good man. " John, my dear/ you're enough to aggravate a saint. It's neither rats, nor mice, nor cockroaches, nor nothing of the sort ; still, for all that, if it was the last word I had to speak, I know there's something in the cupboard " Bull was a little touched by the earnestness of his wife, for the tears were coming into her eyes, Therefore John rose from his seat, opened the cupboard door, and though Mrs. Bull saw nothing, Bull himself beheld, in his mind's eye, neither rat — nor mouse — nor cockchafer ; but But what I A long, black, sinewey Kafir! The savage grinned maliciously at Bull ; who, with a groan, shut the cupboard door. " And that rascle savage" — said Bull to himself — " will be in my cupboard for many a day." The Grey Cat, curled in a round, slept unconcernedly upon the hearthrug. " Get out of that," cried Bull, flinging out his foot. " Why do you kick the Grey Cat V said Mrs. Bull. "If something's in the cupboard, it is'nt his fault." " Is'nt it V y cried Bull, and with an unbelieving groan, he shook his head.