OLD MOOCH.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 274, 11 May 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

OLD MOOCH.

By E. NESBIT.

There are two Custom-houses in Loudon.

One, tlio great four-square building that stands so solid by Billingsgate and has a garden of its own, but not a green garden, tho House that sees for over the tangle of moving ships and tugs and lighters, and is aware of every vessel that puts out from or comes in to any British port. This House keeps count of the ships that go to Bordeaux, and to New York, and to little sunny-walled towns on the Mediterranean, to cities where their cargoes are desired by yellow men wearing embroidered gowns bright as nosegays, and to islands where their merchandise is welcomed by brown men with hardly any clothes at all; it keeps count of those' ships which set off in sun and blue weather to meet with desperate- adventure*? on the high seas —fire and storm and tempest and the act of Uod, and to make, at the last, no port but the port of Death. Nor does this House miss one of tho ships that come safe homo again, having escaped the perils of the deep and seen the wonders of the Lord in the groat waters. Tho other Custom-house is otherwise. There are no gardens to its houses just the doorstep and then tho pavement. No back gardens, but only little yards, each just big enough to hold a rabbit hutch or a fowl-house, and these, to do them justice, they generally do hold. At least they do in Amity-grove. Only the corner house, because it is the corner house, lias no back yard, and it is rumoured that its tenant, who certainly had a rabbit for diimer at Christmas, reared it in an old hat-box under her bed. Old Mooch lives in Amity-grow. He does not rent a whole house, but lives, a.j becomes a single man, in a single room. Everybody knew him by sight, and knew that curious half-sideways walk of his, keeping close to tho houses. But ho was never one to talk. That was before the war. Now there is. not a house in Amity-grove that has not had to do with Old Mooch. No one can remember how it first happened that ho ceased to bo just a figure that passed up and down the street, gently intent on his own affairs and as gentlyaloof from the affairs of his neighbours. Now he is the heart and pulse of the Urovo, more respected than the police, more beloved than the district nurse. For all the young men left the Grovo month!) ago; the elder men aire working all hours loading and unloading ships, mending boilers, roll'ng casks along quays. When these men come home they ajc tired out and have no time to do more than eat and sleep. But Old Moo:h has a great-deal of time. Also knowledge. In those domestic emergencies which are, in tho Grove, so common and so varied, ho not only knows what ought to be done but how to do it. It was ho who put the potato poultice on to young Bort when ho upset the kettle, adn saved the l>oy p, bad arm. It was he who mended Katie's bath. He knows what to do for a smoky chimney. Ho can set you up a lino post that will stay up—not like some* —and a line to it so tight it's a pleasure to peg on to it. He knows all about locks and hinges, and why the oven door won't shut, and what is wrong with tho gas to make it jump so. When the sink is stopped up he is your man. It is he who nails down that bit of oilcloth you are always tripping over, finds a key that will fit the cupboard, and engineers a substitute for the worm-eaten leg that came off the chost of drawers.

* * * Also ho can give advice, and in theic days when war has so changed the fiico of familiar things one is always wanting advice. Do you seek to discover when you; boy's regiment was last spoken of in the papers and where to send him a letter. Do you want to get a parcel to Salonica or a postcard to Paris ? Are you anxious about separation orders cr pens'ons, your insurance pay when von fall into a fever, or your employers' liability when you fall off a ladder? Ask Old Mooch. He knows. He can find his way anywhere insid'i a newspaper, and it is not everyone who can do that. He readfl the casualty lists, and remembers what ho reads. He ha-i all the names of ships at his lingers' ends and can tell you when your man's ship w'll bo home—with luck. Ho is wise in the matter of hospitals —ho can inform you where they aro and explain how you are to get to thorn. Ho knows how to write to the 'War Office, where tho different omnibuses ami tramway-ears run to, and what is the right station to get to Market Harborough. He. knows when it is high tido at London Bridge. He can do sums.

In that little back room of his ho keeps a correspondence bureau. Ho will advidC you how to write difficult letters; ho will even writo thorn for you with ;\ll the elfiicon>-v and d'scretion of a competent solititor. If Amity-grove ever felt any douht or delicacy ahoitt availing itself of hi* services that was long ago. Now the Orovo takes gladly from his full store of knowledge and h j :« inexhaustible fountn'n of helpfulness. 'Hie Grove. would like to give somcthng in return. for it is not a grudging Grove, hut Old Mooch is aJwys too busy to «!i •' r ■ to the cup of ten or the b't of dinner which the hosnitalitv of the Grove constant!.'.' presses on him. And even the offer of a irl-vw of ale or a. "little drop <if something short to keep the cold out", is alwnvs onunteired hy Old Motvh's assurance thai he had "half a I int" just hefore he came round.

* * * Rut when the Grove goo< to his room t i ixet its letters written or its panels addressed it gets its o.hnne.\ Of course sometimes you have the hahy with you and then you lay it on his hod while ho hi it s lie let to'-. And «onietime.« von just sit on the ed"e of the bed :;nd cry I. •a.u-e"tl:ere ha n't keen a letter from France for nearly six weeks now: and lie in -t goes on ivritiiu: th-' letter to ,1... w-.r on;-,.. Pot if viii're lodine able to think aliout anvthing hut the liusine ■• voil'vo ecu:' idicut you iusfc 1 otter about the room win'! • he is writing Hi" letter, and you can do wonders Wiihoot '' ; s nriiieinc. And little things find their way there that lie do-;»-n't have in sav "Thank

von" for. A now noffoi'-pnt and a cup and saucer with roses painted mi it hy limhl, and n pair of cut tain., (hut he had to put these up himself.) nnd a new (in. shovel. Ar,Ml-pat.hedhagofßtrnw ; berries in th<> mi nuni r, a lnrmv packet of tobacco, » secret i-tglcft .in l' : « JaMe. a hlue ghe-H va-e for hi« ni-n'elj; c—with such simple offering •' e «.:- •"' makes of that room, on<v> !f«ely and dusty an altar to friendship and lov iim-kindn. -. and life hem become n ccntiniwus surprise packet to Old Mooch. , . One voiing pod i■ntliu-ir.-t'<- denizen of tlie Grove hptted <, puce-coloured necktie and sent >t to him anonymousI;,, hut this wa.s felt to he a mi-t?ko. and puhl-c opinion said "I told you so" when the weeks went pa't nnd Old Mooch never wore the tie. It must

havn boon iin embarrassment to Old Mooch nncl vol perhaps it was an onihat raiment tlirt was more than hail pleasure. Perhaps lio keeps thi-.t tie in it•■ silver \r.\\KV and takes it out s; metimes and looks at it, mid like, lo hivf ••■owtliiiiE l>y li'ni that i* briyht ni'i.-l -iv and perfectly r«clcss. roit.o,t,Mv.- ili«t irons, too. that Konv.'-.n* ivanied to |»!. .1 *> him and knitted a'l those twenty thousand stitches or so to tho other I'iid. , lorn*; ill.' Channel, on the shattered Continent ( f Europe, nation has ri~en int'on. people against people. Thr-nc- are totl " ; ard tho orowi,--of Ivius :mv 'n the n-.e'timi-j t. 1! !• tho tl.rone of did Mooch ttr.vU *ure, rvoted in eternal foundation*. He ■/• a Kins, and lie has come to liis own. He is tho Monarch of the Grovn.