A BALIFE OUTWITTED.

South Canterbury Times, Volume XV, Issue 2068, 8 November 1879, Page 3

A BALIFE OUTWITTED.

A short time ago says the Dunedin “Morning Herald,’ * one the City leetotal Lodges fell into arrears of rent, and a distress was levied on -the furniture. The officers of the Lodge were not long in determining upon a course of action to recover tlic furniture by stratagem. One of the members, it is alleged, volunteered to engage the : ’'.''itiou of the hallkecper while the on.-ers fought the battle of the Ledge. The hallkecper had expressed himself as a good judge of the quality of English beer,but he was somewhat surprised when one of his Temperance friends invited him to test a sample at a well known hostelry hard by. However the Teetotaller managed the business with such excellent tact that the halikeopm uud ho were discussing the f ‘social glass” —(neither glass being “ filled with water”) —-while the officers of the Lodge entered the Lodgcroom and ex pedi tiously removed the furniture. Having concluded the debate on the merits of English beer, the hallkecper and Ins quondam friend returned to the hall, when the former discovered that ho had vlovcrly " had.” He laughingly

related the joke to a gentleman of the medical fraternity,who with difficulty was induced to believe that under exceptional circumstances even a Temperance man can practically discuss and test the qualities of English beer. The hallkeeper has been wide-awake ever since, on the principle of locking the stabledoor after the steed has been stolen.