Bill Stumps-His Opinion.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1961, 17 April 1875, Page 2

Bill Stumps-His Opinion.

" Nothing so true as what you once let fall."—Pope. Have you got a share in any of the Tairua claims round the prospectors' ? it appropriate question just now; but the putting of such a question is calculated to have a weakening effect upon a man's intellect. Because why? Well, because every second man you meet swfars he has.-Therefore, of course, there are a lot of lucky fellows in- the ■ world, and all I've got to remark is, don't they wish they may get it. It's become quite the fashion to have:" an interest/; as they call it; and I don't know but what I might not let out a little in that way myself, could I reconcile it with my duty as a rational being to do so —but I can't. Everybody can't have a share, unless some of 'em get uncommonly small rations ; and if everybody has got a share who fancy they have, why, my opinion is, ground round the prospectors will have to be. remarkably rich to pay* a yearly dividend of 2s 8d per man. If this sort of calculating is not flabbergasting to an uninterested observer such as your humble j servant, I'll be d • doomed to everlasting obscurity. Oh, Willie, we hare missed you, since you nave been from home; what in thunder, did possess you, from your interests * here to roam. That's rhyme, "though »ich was not mj-inten-tion." Howsomever, welcome Willie. I'm glad to see you back, and hope Auckland isn't quite abolished. I should have been better pleased to see you roll up at the official declaration, but as there was nobody there to listen to the Mayor's remarks upon that occasion, perhaps your remarks wera not missed. - The -vote of thanks to Frasej?-was,seconded by Hart, but they wasn't fiarty,"Billy, which is an event in political affairs, old man. According to the newspapers, votes of thanks are in general uncommon harty. Auckland goodie people have taken up 1 the cry of revivalism. They have held a ! meeting, and after evei*y one had blown ! himself out with a go«d supply of religious enthusiasm, they came to the conclusion that they weren't half so good as they ought to be, and that every one else was an uncommon sight. worse. They are going in for more prayer (bless their knee-bones), in order I suppose^to make them better* They are going to , make the different flocks pray more likewise, and they arc going to issue tracts. Praying is very good, and, by-the-way, these people who are going in for more are—not to be irreverent—already pretty hot on prayer, but it has struck me, under the influence of a friendly pipe, that! an earnest, heartfelt prayer, is better than a continual and hungry pleading. It may likewise b» very foolish, "but it seems that a little distribution of bread and meat amongst the poor would be more acceptable to a just, and benevolent Supreme, than these tracts whichyfell of little boys andbld/'men who died/happy and whose end wasi blissful peace on account of having been better than any little: boy or old man since,the days when Cain put an end tprthe .existence of his brother Abel. What a foolish idea the following is, when you come to think o£ ; ,the power of tracts ■:—♦■'/ In all labor there is profit; but the talk 1 of the lips tendereth only to penury." His Bill x Stumps mark '