Quaint Characters I Have Known

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 37, 28 March 1930, Page 24

Quaint Characters I Have Known

QNE of the quaintest characters I have ever met was Mrs. Twigg, a neighbouring sharemilker’s wife, who had a large and ever-increasing family. I don’t think I have ever seen her without a child in her arms, or, more often, dangling on her hip, but she did not seen to let her numerous progeny worry her, and always each new arrival was heralded with the greatest delight. When the twelfth little Twigglet was, with utter lack of ceremony, ushered into this world, she seemed to assume a new dignity, and treated all us other women as the unsuccessful competitors in a marathon. Quite openly, she pitied us.

She was an artist in many ways, but particularly in the way in which she accepted gifts of cast-off clothing. "Tl take it if you bring it over after dark," she told me, in the most offhanded,manner, when, in answer to her very obvious hints, I offered her my last season’s costume. Considering the fact that the chances of my being seen entering her gate with a parcel were a thousand to one, and since she blandly wore the costume unaltered to the school picnic the following day, I could not see the force of it. But there it was!

And when, on her own terms, I did present it to her, she accepted it like a queen conferring a favour on a not-too-popular subject. In fact, I left her, feeling quite relieved that she did not haughtily refuse it altogether. I sup-

pose it satisfied her sense of pride, and, despite myself. I was impressed by her strange procedure.-Oh, Mack,