Smyrna times., 1872-11-20
Grif and the Preacher.

The following powerful and uncouth nara !
tion is from FarjeOn's story Of Australian life |
1t has moral certainly
= was brought up very queer, [ was-not
like other cOves Father he never give US no
educatinn; perhaps he didn't have noue to
give. But he might have give US grub when
We wanted it.
Your is hard life, Grif," the girl said,
pityingly..
Yes, it is ard" the boy assented "pre-
cious ard specially when cove can't get
enough to eat But l s'pose it's all right
Wh.t'S the use OF hotherin'? l WONDER" he
continued, mu>ingly, where the rich coves
gets all their money from? If | was swell,
AMI had lots OF tin, Id give pore chap like
me bob now and then. But they re Orhe
stingy. Ally, i, the swells; they don't give
no'hn away for nOhin. When | was in
quOd, preacher ch u comes and breaches to
NE. lie sets himself down upon the bench,
and read somethin' out of book-a Bible,
you know-and, after he d preached for 'arf an
hour, he ses What do you think of that
niphted boy?' It's very good, ses; but
can't eat it.. Put your trust above, he ses.
But pose all the grub is down here? ses L;
| Il cant go up there and fetch it, Then he
grOans, and tells me story about an infant
who was found in the bulru~hes after It had
been deserted; and | ups and tells him that
Few been deserted, and why d)n't somebody
come AMI take Me out Of the bulrushes?
Wasn't he puzzled. neither?' Grif chuckled,
and then, encouraged by his companion
silence, resumed:
=" tie come agiu, did the preacher cove, afore
| was let out, aud he breaches a preach about
charity. Don't yous teal no more, he ses
or your sole IL 20 to morchal perditioh. Mer
Is charitable and good; jlst you try EN-, anC
give up your evil courses How can | hell
my evil courses2 ses. L only wants ny
grub and blanket, and | can't get them nt
other way You can, young sinner, yor
, can, he Ses. 'Jist you try and see if yol
cant. H, spoke so earnest like, and the tear
was runnin' down his face so hard, that
promised him I'd try. SO when gets out o
y quOd, | thOrt, II see now ii the preacher GOV
/ is right. | waited till | was hungry, an(
couldn't get nothin' peat without stealth ii
t | could have took a trOtter--for the trotteI
man was drinkin' at public house bar, an
I his barsket was on bench; but | wouldn't
E No; | goes straight to the swell streets, an
e there [ sees the swets wa!kin up and dowr
e ami iitin' their ats, and snilin' Mt the gal,
. They was rare nice lot of gals, and looked a
/ | IL butter wouldn't melt in their mouths; bu
e there wa>n one in all the lot a. uice as 30
|. are, Ally. | dldn't have courage at first t
0 speak to the swels but when did, send
b may live they started back, as il | was ma
e dawg. 'Iou be awf' they ses, or you II
J guv in charge. What could pore beggO
;, fiike me do, after that? | lodged about, yer
d sorry didn't take the trOtter, when VIII
d should | see comin' along but the preacht
!, chap Here slant, ses [ to mysel
e Has charitable and good he is, and II Civ
me sonIethin' in minute He had lady o
eI But when l went up to him he starts back too
;. When Il heerd that, sed - sOharity b
r bowed / and l goes and finds out the trOtte
d man, aud takes two trotters, and no one know
Is nOthin' about it. ...- ~ -. ..s +.