THE QUEEN AND THE OLD COACAMAN.

Southland Times, Issue 949, 11 May 1868, Page 2

THE QUEEN AND THE OLD COACAMAN.

One Saturday afternoon a smart spring shower came on, arid as I was going by the window, I see a young lady and gentleman run pretty fast for shelter into my outhouse ; so I goes to the front door and hoEers put, "I say ! you'd tetter come in here." , So upon that, jjn they* came, and I was a going to snoif iheni into the parlor,! when the young lady says, " Oh, I'd rather go into the - kitchen; for T see you've a fire, and my shoes are rather wet ?" "Well, I let bJr do as she liked ; and as the fir© was not . - an over goodjone, the young gentleman he begins to make it up, by putting on some turf that lay handy, and by way of - saying something good-natured like, you know, he says. " This is nice turf you're got." "Well sir," says I, "I don't think it very good^ they're cut it too deep, quite down; into the earthY ; So, then he -looks about him for. something elsei.to notice ; and seeing those cups and saucers -on the ... mantle-shelf, .. " You're „ got some old china," says he. \ " !Nb, sir," saytf I, " that's not china— it's delft; and before you were borne, sir, people thought a good deal of eating off delft, which being the best ware they could get, they ralued as we valuechina now." So then the young lady says. " You're a curious clock." "Yes;" says I, "*hat really is a curiosity, .for it was Pope's,^; and I bought it at a sale of" his effects at ( Twickenham ? !V, . So they bpth of 'em looked at it with a kind of interest, you know ; and the young lady says^ > "Ib it r just as, it was when Pope had it ? rt "Oh, no ! " says I, " I've had it cleaned and done up." "Ah ! that's a pity," says she, "for otherwise^ l would Bare , bought it of you" "We 11,: .1 thought lhjg ', funny ; but just then the young geniiei-^ man, who had gone tov^the front door, calls out, "It has left off raining now." \ hag ■-O?~ not, sir," says I, "at the door, because the wind sets against the back of the house. If you'll go to ; the back?dqor, you'll be able to see." ; So he goes to the back-door, and directly he bperied it, put. darted his two dogs — a big and «^ little one — and' began rolling themselres on my peppermerit bed. "Hallo, sir/ says I ; "do you know : l sell my peppermint ?" So he laughd and whistled theirr off, and says tothe ypurig lady, "It really has left of raining." Then they thanked me for giving them shelter and went iaway; and I was standing at the doo*' looking after them, when my old woman comes to me all. of a fuss, and says— " Those strangers have left their dogs behind, to dirty my floors." "Hallo, sir," I" shouts after him; "you've left ; your dogs!" He looked about and whistled, and they followed him. I saw them cut across the common to a little gate in the park paling, and-stpod -thinking to ,myself, " Whoever can they be, that have got the master key of that gate? Why, ten to one, it's the Queen and Prince, Albert ! To think of that never having struck me ! Yes, yes, I dare say it was, for he's tall and she's short, and they; do go about with a greyhound and a terrier; but I didn't know they were expected down here just now. However, Til just go up to the house with a basket of eggs, tnd-then I shall know." So I went up with my basket of eggs, and, sure enough, the servants told me Her Majesty and the Prince had come down unexpectedly, and"' had gone out to walk directly after luncheon, and had been caught in the"; rain'— The "Qjiiyer." ' J _