Jacob's Stratagem.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 160, 28 August 1886, Page 1

Jacob's Stratagem.

Jacob loved Rachel, but Rachel woulcln' have him. Jacob laboured on, pressing his suit at intervals, and after each rebuff telling her he was bound to win her yet, and convince everyone she cared for him as much as he believed in his heart she did. •♦Very well," cried the indignant Rachel, with a toss of her head, " keep right on till you make folks believe that, and when you do, I'll marry you." Jacob did persevere, but with small success, and at la3t began to lo a e courage. About this time another suitor of Rachel's arrived home from sea, bringing with him, among other exotics, a parrot of gorgeous hue, which he preeented to Rachel, who forthwith had the bird suspended from the eHting room window, whence she looked out afternoons when her work was done. For a day or two after his elevation to this dignity the parrot remained marvellously quiet, only casting an eye about as if taking in the situation. On the thirl morning, however, no sooner did tho neighboura begin to stir than he electrified each passerby with the announcement — " Rachel s gone'on Jacob ; no chance for John ■" Of course, the more laughter this raised the more vociferously the bird proclaimed the news. It spread like wildfire, and the parrot's audience steadily increased. Rachel wentinto hysterics, buchow ever much it incommodedthe family, it made no impression on the parrot, who, although threatened and beaten and relegated to darkness, waxed more and more furious with desire to spread his knowledge. Jacob kept out of the way for a while, but there was no lack of couriers to bring him information of the other fellow's discomfi ture and the parrot's heroic defence of his cause. At last Rachel's father appealed, wearing on his weather-beaten face an odd mixture of frown and grin. • " Look a'here," he said, " between that derned bJ'd's screechin, an' folks a cacklin' that gifi fl 8 a'most out o' her head. There's nothin' for you but go there and try to fix up things as well's ye can. I guess most likely she'll ccc ye— l do'no, folks can't always tell." The upshot was Rachel married Jacob, whosticks to it thatitwasthe penetrative wisdom of his rival's parrot that did the business, and denies to this day all knowledge of the way the parrot came by his speech.