The Press., 1895-12-05
KATIE.

There are few moro cheerful places on a cold winter night than 8 smithy, with it's roaring fire. The ruddy glow and sparkle of light, the interested faces of the village loungers, the roar of the bel lows and the cheerful ring of the smith 8 hammer on the anvil all combine to make up comfortable rural picture of light and warmth.
 The slnithy at Godscroft on cold De- cember evening was no exception to this rule It was warm and bright and filled to overfowing with village gossips, met to talk over the events of the day. The group of men collected round the fire was just such group as may be found round any slnithy fire in the country- hard headed, hard featured, hard listed, shrewd, sensible men, keen politicians learned in polemical controversy, fond of argument on most subjects and able to take an intelligent although often preiudiced interest in almost all the leading topics of the day.
 Such were the loungers collected round the smithy fire at Godscroft listening eagerly to man who was in many re-. spects dissimf1ar to them. There were about him an easy breadth, freedom, an responsiveness of gesture and manner which suggested colonial life. He had an air as if the village street was scarce ly wide enough for his swinging stride, as if he felt the little world of the smithy, the arena of the intellectual he- roes of Godscroft, narrow and circum- scribed. He was good looking, with sun Drowned complexion and dark eyes with 8 merry twinkle in them, while a strong, squarely cut chin and jaw gave character to face that would otherwise have been only weakly good natured. A large, wiry haired dog of mongrel and nondescript type lay at his feet and formed the theme of conversation.
 "It's bonny dog O it's kind, and a guid dog, I'se warrant, but will never allow that it's collie, said one speak or.
 "Did I ever say that it was? It has nothing of the collie about it, although it has more than collie's intelligence "
 "It's dour looking beast, " said an- other. "It reminds me of a wolf once 5dW LII u-UU1uUWS44 MSAdSOAAO UAde SSSAAC round this countryside four years ago come Lammas Yell mind it, Geordie?''
 You're none so handsome yourself, Jock," said the stranger, "that you should object. to the want of beauty in others. Did you never hear tell of the old proverb, Handsome is as handsome does7' Bill, here, is better than he is bonny, and that he has proved. ;
 "Tell us all about it. It's just grand to hear ye telling these outlandish sto- ries," said one of the bystanders.
 'It would be away out there in Aus tralia, I'se warrant" said another.
 "Yes, boys, it was," said the tall, bronzed, bearded man who owned Bill, and he tossed back his hair and gave his forehead rub, as if to quicken the bump of memory, and straightaway be- gan.
 "You want Bills story, mates. We'll, here it is. Some of you here, I don't doubt, will remember that when fhe old man died in the hard winter of 20, left the old country, that was pretty we'll used up for me, to try my luck in the Australian goldfelds. where they used to tell us down here that the gold might be got for the mere trouble o1 lifting it up. What got, and that was never very much, took a precious deal of hard work, can tell you, and what with one thing and another. I tired o1