The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7986, 24 November 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

CI SIIiOXS AND FUVINCI-I'ANS. My brother Join's slaving with ir.o 'or u iVw da\s. ami upon | my wonl I'm bediming *■» think I iu U'tter off than him. .John's cjuitv a big hug nowada\>. lie tirade a little pile in a mining boom ami has tlone well e\vr since. lie always had the knack oi making money, and he married n woman who's a good hand at making it fly. Well, John socu wltled iloun, i:i my HttVo shanty, ami the wa\ he fitted into the old 'cushioned cano chair was a I not to see. At firs' he took up the under cushion, in an uksciit sort of wax. and sa< down on the i|im cane "What are \c doing - r said I. "What hme I done?*: said he. in aprlogvtic *ort o' wax, puning the cushion on the table. where il didn't look ornamental. though the tnUlo was* none the worse for being hid- • den- •' That cushion's to s\4 on.' said I. "The Lord be ihank.il." saal .John promptly putting,- it iu its pmi>rr •phice. •"VoU see. I'\e forgotNn the use o' cushions. M\ house k Ml i f em—silk cushions. satin, cushions, ciishb ns with Inee on Vm— >ilk mshi*his haml-painli >l. clnwiens with e\•t.v flower that n«»wr grew si.tmi.ir; out o't etu for all ihe world like i al artificial lb.wis: but »u'*ev a cushion that isn't too lii.e tot ».om-

nan use. \Y<• ns.tl to have n -v." ♦ <'in:\rrtable cushions »r* Hi.- dininjr- ! inuti ; htit ihf jri:-N have pu* l.can new covers on *''iu. and if s a< much as m\ life's worth to si? on '.in. "H'lii !" sail I. **Wh"iv tin \ im» ' lllllke 1 staled at John'* U\«* >«ats ojfo, awl he'd eurh»s«-iJ par' o' the liali to in : but he's l» iili a mi I ', holism since t'uw. 'Oh," he. ' I've a siii-'kian room that j;iand that it t.e!.. like «hureh. I b el like walking on t;|>u.o in it, ami il u l In* i ligu to usu the spitMl our visi»oi-s nrc Ifi. ought mi t.► ailmir.- it. Hi. r« an? Islan.i j»p<ar>. aii<l Uovvs ami tirrows, ami ail M>r*- «>' nirin« on th«r walls—»li o' pip*-racks, i«»o: hut I kivp ia> Jhi..- I."s: jn|ns up thij chuinn'X. Martha sa>s ;hi»\ stink." Poor <l«-vil V saul T. •'l'll It'll you wJiat it im. •!' sni.f .l«,hii. "Thi* ni'ii'<' \«ai u-' 'i.-.-!i:or»' \«>ti wairt. in<mu\. iii.- li>s crrMiort." f sp«*ht a huiulr. I .mi ir<\ pfnihds ft v<-ar I had mo!.- >'i.i fomt'orl' than wh«*ti 1 s|H-».d a thousand. 'Hum 1 liad ii li'th* h«un«io .suit ii»ys4'll, lieu I ha\.- tt vran.i liou.v> furi»i*h«.d to suit ih.i f a lot o* silly, 1 *U n't menu Mnrtha at»d ti»If it was f«ir their comfort I d i.»; siii i>li»-J : -fml if 1 ran mv ;iny c»»nifort for anylMily. I' >r.:us io UK* thai women nowaday n l«/t o' >hou\ louiiil % tit for tin- sake of outdone oihtr wmihis. I don't grumhl.- at \»hdt my wuimiifolks s|h iul—Marl ha k«vps wilhin her allt.uain —hut I don't like thv way tbry s|nrd it. "T gt>t home »arl\ one ai'J.ninon h\h-ly. oral v\hat do \oii 'h.ek I PHit.d ? Why, though it> was firoad. hrK-ht th;» l.limfs a-re pulltil "down mid the rooirs all liyh'o*. with can'Jh's in silver ra;idl««-t iek> nil lamj>s uml«*r coloured >iiades The house was rhrfk full >• u<.m. n —dinitt£-rei«m. ilin»w iny-t «•» «a;,i.k-in>:-roi»m. hall, even the tiuM*was hardly ro«»m to Mir. I stipp. thr\*d all had a mid-d«\ meal ; ph" if you'd wvn the table \oiml ne\.r :ia' thought it. Cakes, fruit, rhirk- • n. jellies, ire-crnam. sandu a hj« >— Lord knows what ' A lot o' rcsp.rtabh*. niMhihM*h\.ss women apini: the binart London society women ' "And the rot the\ talked ' I --ai ua the vt-randah out>ifle my siru»kin«r room wind«»\v amJ to n-irnd-

I was «l»-ai\ Martha s,-, ms to lik«> it. so I pin tip with if. : ■hut J am hoping she'll «r«'i sick <ri it. She ha> s«mie common sense. ami I think *he's In-ginning to see there's nothing in it. The women who go in lor iliat sun o' thing are all on Ihe >aiiK' tack—all trving to gel a bit highil mi the social ladder. to sirm t h»ng b,Her than 'lhey mv. If Mu*> d o»|\) tr> '«» In* something letter Mu-re'd be some >is«- in it; bin now it's all a In ilim sham. "IhlU's sick n: it. She said the other dav : 'l'm goiu;r to I"' a nurse flail. I waul lo 'I" something witr, mv lb'-, ami m\ name is on the list for a hospital appointment Marih-i's mad, aljoul it; but. J'm glad myself.'-

"iJoorl fti IMty !'- *aid T. I'm sorry for .lolm. J saw how J .jt 'th.'v s''.'in worse now. Then his J .trl. ur lnh e r:,e Mi- pip. Ml. SI il' th. r.- wasn't a fr> ing-pan hanging »»i» Mi- v.al'. wii'h a landscape paint- . d 4'ti i». an J a ronpie n" !.i_i v.o«<Jrid a u'eiiroi, ttimiii'd up wi' hits „• r»lu»» m|U ray.

, it v n,tt nral t hat w omea i.a' 11 r;tl <"ll'i:i■ M ill.- KHcli.u -mouM t.-.-i iii'irt" <*(it:ii<'i*i ji(,!<• v. i' pots ai.i pars about '••in . !>ut w ifM ill.';. PMillie Il: it shows a . 4 !v ;l 1 iii-k ;i! i \ I v. n-r o" \ h<- !lt To tn> mind .i fr> U much ••!.! place in a die.wn,,:room ;l . the who u'Miil v.h-:- l.u\ in llv kitchen. and V,» il- » MIK dies- 'MI 'tie U'Mi.ai: «! sUch i'. 1 Shrv. !•!.• a Uo-aa's !,■>! t0,,!!.. a-..1 II! Tel! v ,.j u iiai s|-, \ If r. \ i.itl o' • hi!, !. aiit dN. ill d liif-l.iN. which ,tnnn'iliiM- <tu-• and ale ta> earthl\ u-«- sh--'s hi!-.- .it;-.* [M-.-i. Ml .mi- and -hallow a-- a i;.i.(iil> put:.!. Ti il\:.m» :>•. M \ ,iTt<l not o\\ di-d. ai; (m-a' I. w ..:J Looks an I pie tun--. I', ii. and iv arrann»d for n*-' -1: v i,.l large-minded, ma! Uu-a-best I..'.in: ItUl i(M ll l"\e linWOtliail to l"l>k al-'l' lux iloll-.e. ;iTlf{ il pu!npk:n'-. .iv t !"t.««n.» nt al a.-- a Jr\ - tlu-pai: an\ da\ .

Tl:.- iar-iijit,..i !'i.-ra"!i Id ie--rom-ih t!:e tnuire >.\ la.' roh.ni— -Th.-s.. ur. irhefl colonies.' he ev-laim, .1 i<> 1.-. ? d Malnit■> !,nr'will all I.- inde;> dent in a 1.>ear>. . ; »nl an- .. n 'V:, r o !Jh . j our li< .-ks ' " 111 ,i »:i \ . in ,■ l.vei fioin '1 he pisMU.islu "f hiI Hiehim hul> \oiilh. ;iv-;ir, i lof C'on.ti'ims ihar ,1 fairh I.i | 'jll»«st lolled wll'-th'-r tte had he» % n Wei j»id\is'ii **► r.»lniu>. ;h»- Cape an j N.u alan.l l'r..nr-- ua, a*«nr. ' l.\ \ ella.re llflt h-T |ov> Ol (ill; «da »:o h.ss at id: ; and Iti> li.aivk. >i. -Miiil.'.r mood, .•xclaimed. "I «!. ii ■ wan: an> eo|„ni.-s ai all ear.- " \Mi,.r v.unid I'arnviaple sa\ in her number n iuiv. !,.• stix.d ii[ in th«i Commons and said, iis 1:once dhl. tfial it would pa\ us better if. instesid of j:i\inu L.'V''"c to Canada vxiih a \i« v. ■; iiU her fr«an tl.e I nit. t Sin'ev v..gave her t 1 M.IM H >.l :ill» j„ „tdei* to iintt" fl.,ni'.' '1 hat was the spiri' in which the s« verei-j.n'\ of »he I'iii Island was r.-tus,.|. the iuai-e\t«r-sion policy in Africa decidi d upon i»\ the I'riv* (\mnriS. and the lonian C»"<|ed to (»I'l-i'C'i l .