Mr Russell's Devonshire Anecdotes.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 52, 31 May 1884, Page 5

Mr Russell's Devonshire Anecdotes.

John Boyce, the rector of Sherwell, wishing to have a day's hunting with thestaghounds on the Porlock side of the moor, told his clerk to give notice that there would be no service in the afternoon in their church, as he was going off to hunt with Sir Thomas Acland over the moor on the following day. The mandate was obeyed co the letter, the clerk making the announcement in the following terms : — "This is vor to give notiss — there be no sarvice to the church this afternoon, 'cause maester is a going over the moor a stag hunting wi Sir Thomas." Again, at Stockleigh-Pomeroy parish, the rector, Roope Ilbert, a well-known name in Devonshire, desired his clerk to give notice that there would be one service a day only at that church for a month, as he was going to take duty at Stockleigh -English alternately with his own. The clerk did so in the following words : — "This is vor to give notice there'll be no service to thes church but wance a wick, 'cause maester's a going to serve t'other Stockleigh and thes church to all-etarnity." It seems to have been a very common fashion in Devonshire in Russell's early days for gentlemen of standing in the country to adopt the native dialect, especially when conversing with the country folk — a habit arising either from carelessness, or perhaps because their speech in that provincial form was best understood and most natural to the generality of their neighbours. Russell relates, for instance, that he was present when a colonel of the North Devon Militia was reviewing his regiment, and seeing a hare jump up in the midst of the men, he shouted out wildly, "There he go'th. boys, a lashing great shaver." Then, forgetting the exact point at which he had ceased to give the word of command, he turned round and said, " Where wore I, drummerboy ?" " Present arms, sir," responded the youtb ; and the inspection went on. Again, a yeomanry regiment were enacting a sham fight amongst themselves, when a Captain Prettyjohn was ordered to retreat before the charge of the enemy. " Retrait ' what doth that mane?" inquired the captain. "Retrait mean'th running away, I zim."! "Then it shall never be told up to Docfbrock Market that Cap'n Prid'gen and his brave troop runned away." Accordingly, as the enemy came on, bearing down upon him at a rapid trot, he shouted to his troop, " Charge ! my brave boys, charge ! us hain't voxes, and they bain't hounds ; us '11 face 'em like men." The collision was awful— men, horses, and accoutrements strewing the ground on every side, several troopers being more or less injured, while one positively refused to mount again, saying, "I've brok'd my breeches already, Cap'n, and I won't mount no more."—" The Out-of-Door Life of the Rev. Jokn Russell. By the Author of ' Dartmoor Days.'"