MY RESPONSIBLE BILLET.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2213, 11 June 1891, Page 2

MY RESPONSIBLE BILLET.

(By A. Sloper, Junr.) Please take notice that I am no longer as other men. I have, acted as deputy returning officer at a. bye election of the Dalgerine County Consioil. It happened thin way : [ met Mr Bills, who runs a lot of election showe, and, in hie customary bland manner, he said, “If you hate no particular engagement for Thursday 1 can give you a billet ns deputy retnrniag officer At South Tataningi.” Now I never have particular engagements except some times with a,.man about a dog, but it dots not do to say iso ; consequently I pretended to con* eider,the matter while MrJßills. want, on, “ It is rather a, lonely place, but there are a lot of decant, settlers in the neighbor* hood and I like to send out a respectable mao."-Now this rather fetched me.' I said briskly, “ Wall, I think l ean manege this for youV 1 presume there is a small coDbideratloo attached to this rsspsnsibls billet!” Mr Bills intimated that the only fee would be a gnines, and an allowance for horse biro. All this wssivery satis* factory, I always accept guineas, even when there is a good-deal of work to bs done for them,, and w hen * respectable, responsible, and, as I understood it, easy job was to be rewarded with a gninea naturally I jumped at it." I aade’la declaration that 1 wouldn’t reveal any oC the secrets about the election (and 1 don’t mean to), acid was preyidedi whh a copy of the roll, containing some' COO names, a number of voting papers, say 100, a very neat ballot-box, and soma necessary instructions.

I was told to be at the'sehoolboose, South Tatarangi, by nine o’clock, and it was generally understood that everything would be ready, and so forth. 1 area to stay until six in the eTenlag, and then make my way heme as quickly as possible. This' waS an Important election, yen know, and mine a responsible billet. I will not enlarge upon the cold drive in the early morning. Suffice it to ' Bay I duly arrived at the aohoolhouse, which I found to be unoccupied. The master was there, however, and came to greet me. He thought I had coma outahooting. When I told him my buaiheaa he wae surprised. Ha had no idea there wee to be an election of any kind. I felt deeply pained. He Actually didn't know about the election in which I was to taka ao active a share. 1 concealed my feelings, however, and asked for the use of the sohoolhouse. This was readily granted, and I was quickly furnished with a table, chair, and some firewood. In exchange I banded him a copy ef the Dalgeriite Guardian—a high-elass journal to which I occasionally (by the pressing invitation of the editor) contribute articles. 'Ha did not seem very, much impressed; but, having glanced at it, opined that there wasn’t much in it, and then said he must open school. Before leaving he remarked, “ I am afraid you will find it a little dull. You see they are too busy to bather about voting at these little elections.” I dit not thiok he meant it, for he bad a nice, kind face, but really he hurt my feelings. Not care about voting when that famous local politiclal John Bottal was being opposed by that aspirant to governing honors F. R. Newland 1 It was too much. I threw myself upon the chair and gaye ; way for the moment to gloomy, reflections Upon the obstiiseness of the.buoolie mind. Did I regret that I had undertaken the job Bather 1 I mean No I cally No 1 It was a responsible billet to be only filled by a respectable man, and I was prepared to do my duty. I arranged the ballot-box neatly upon a sideboard, displayed the roll in a convenient position, also the voting papers and pencils. Then 1 waited— waited a little over two hours, and not a soul appeared ! I agreed with the schoolmaster that it was a little dull, and concluded to explore. I searched in the cupboards and found a literary treasure in the shape of a book of instructions as to the working of the new Qigh-am Davis Vertical Feed Sewing Machine, tegether with a full and complete statement of the amount of frilling and tricking, etc., that machine could pub through. 1 read that;book just to settle my mind, and, unless the compiler is a lineal descendant of Ananias, that machine is a simple wonder. Having revelled in this intellectual enjoyment for some time, I continued my explorations. The house I found was a substantial .building, containing six rooms,, all large •nd well furnished, and suitable for the accommodation of a single teacher who boards somewhere else. The grounds comprised about two acres of poor, vary poor, land. Any teachor who desires to make that desert bloom like a rose will have a remarkab’y rough time. I don’t know how long that place his beau established, nor bow many teachers have been there, but all apparently have been; sensible men except one, and have hoc done anything in the rose and blooming line. There must have been one exception, for 1 discovered three cabh ge slumps in an advanced stage of d c<y, and on either side of the porch a rosebud and a honeysuckle. The rose bush was a nice, sturdy, prickly s rt of a plant that seemed to say, “ Sticking to it, you see. Ain’t I getting on T Just look 1 Half a shoot last year and nearly a bud this summer.” The honeysuckle was quite a different sort of creature. It said as plaiuly as could be, “ I’ll give it up. Vegetation is a failure.”

My explorations wera out short by ft shower of rain. It didn’t mush raattar, for them Was nothing more to see. I went inside pg'un, and received a flying visit from the schoolmaster, who looked quite cheerful. Well ha might, with some thirty youngsters to relieve bis feelings upon if be felt vexed. His was a happy lot, while mine 0 weary day I 0 wretched voters 1 With firm resolve to stick to my post, but conscious of the apathy of despair stealing over me, I crouched over the fire. At last a gentle slumber overcame me, and for a time I lost all sense of my dismal surroundings, and, must I any it. of my insignificant position. I was aroused at length by a step in the passage, end, O joy j there stood a voter at last. He proved to be a member of the school committee, who had heard of my arrival by accident and had come to do the honors. He bad brought with him a bottle of—tea, very refreshing it was, too, and as I quietly absorbed it he talked. How I blessed him I If ever 1 make a will that good and decent man shall be remembered in it. At latt the time came when be declared he must leave. He had other things to attend to and really could not stay. I said “ Good bye” with the tears starting to,my eyes, but remembered, at the lut momeat my

responsible position and suggested the propriety 6f bln voting. He didn’t mind if ho did. It’a a fact 1 He said it in quite an Indifferent sort of way as though it really didn’t matter, and again 1 felt crushed. After he had left I felt a little better. My day had not been utterly lost: one man had voted 1 I felt a returning confidence in myself, which was increased when in About half an hour he returrnad, bringing along another full blown voter. He did it too and I then prepared myself for a rush. It was raining in torrents and the nearest voter lived half-a-mile off but of course neither weather nor distance would stop them. Every moment I expected to bear the tramp of feet and the rattle of Vehicles but it did’nt come over and at last 1 had to close the booth pack up my papers and make for the head polling place in accordance with instructions. 1 arrived there at last aamewhat crushed but buoyed up by the though. .L*t I bad nobly filled my responsible position. (Memo, for the Editor’s private ear—-If they get at me again on the same lay, may I be jiggered.)