Widnes Examiner. — 1893-06-24 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

BLUNT. Per 3-0 train to Altrincham.  "Wrung ! Naw, there isna moach wrung! Oh, flaw !" I "Lost your youngest child, perhaps?" "Strange pup been killing the chickens?" "N -a-w "What, then r' "Why, oney this. I sat up for fourteen neights watching the finest gosling as ever was, grow. I watched it graw from the WiZ3 on a a,and spread and spread till it wur bigger'n a plumb. I watched by it as if it wur a sick choild—all the neight through, till I wur tired awt. Last Height I said to Polly oi thought we meight trust it till this morning, and I went ter -bed and dreamed o' it awe night." "Yes."  "And when I woken up this morning it wur gone, and (bending closer) I con swear, by gosh I eon, that that lust prize un id the %le." Ile again lapsed into a meditative silence—a touching, pitiful, child-like grief, and he brushed ftom his manly cheek a tear ot disappointment. But later on he got a hit fresher, and vowed that next year he'd have his gooseberry photographed—then he'd detect them.  We stayed there for some time and made the inhabitants gloriously happy by giving them tunes on the piano, and singing sougs,and my friend with the artificial legs even paid for refreshtnants for them. As they got fresher they treated us more reverently ; they grew up from "Master" to then one of them in a kind of stibtnissive manner got to calling me "Squire," then they all did it. We left in time to catch the lust train home from Knutsford, and were escorted by four of the men who insisted upon" lighting" us along with lanterns. WO could have been "me lards," if' he'd stayed longer, but even gratuitous presents of titular embellithments must be lust ; rather than the lot train  _ Then there was another similar label discovered which alluded to "a per 345 p.m. train to Kingsford." It was a stupid oversight on my part to leave these things on, and it caused the most amicable of my friends to regard me with a chilly suspicion. I tried to dispel this feeling by narrating the racing incidents which I had on the road with other better equipped cyclists. No matter how I exerted myself in this direction I couldn't raise a cheering look ; on the contrary, I hey seemed to shrink from me and look hurt—almost as though they suspected I was lying. We recommenced our journey and I was not left entirely behind this time. 1 kept up with a young fellow who had artiticisl legs and worked a tricycle with hand pedals. We had travelled perhaps eight miles by the time the shades of night had fallen—but Siddington didn't appear to be in the locality. Soon we were gladdened by he sight of an illuminated hostelry, which we entered with an idea of getting our reckonings. But there was a surprise awaiting us. The huge room of the place was filled with ideal John Hodges —stout, burly farmer's men. They were seated along two long tables, and before each man there was spot of ceer and u dish of gooseberries. It had been the annual gooseberry show. Now ['wile who knows anything of Cheshire will be aware that in all millages almost, there la held a gooseberry show, which is regarded by the men as the greatest evenZ, of the year—except there he a funeral or a suicide or something more startling. A certain number of gooseberries grown by hims,a, are submitted by each competitor, and the three finest berries take the first three prizes. The prizes had been awarded before we arrived and the men were well on in the midst of one of those conversations which prove that the country labourers have hearts  and intellects, though the latter often is shaded by) ship is restricted to men over eighteen years of iguorance. It was good to see the hearty jolley age." The protest concludes by urging the Bishop way that thOse great men devoted .themselves all to attend some typical P.S.A.. meetings,and expresnight long, to criticisms of geoseberries and other sing the belief that it would convert him from a matters ot a like character. But amongst them all deriding critic into a warm advocate and defender was conspicuous one man whc.se face bore a gloomy ot the P.S.A. Amongst the signatures attached to look, so deep and so intense that I twice wanted to the protest is that of the Rev. J. Yonge, leader of console him upon losing his wife and children. He the Warrington P.S.A. looked more down-hearted and despondent than a sick monkey. By-and-by I asked him what was wrong.  "Music in the Park" seems to be meeting with considerably more appreciation this year than in years gone by. The average amount collected as a rule used to fluctuate about the magnificent total of half-a-crown—with an occasional foreign coin.. Last Sunday but one however,no less than .£2 4s. sd. was collected, whilst last Sunday .£1 78. 2d. was received.  By the way this (Saturday) afternoon,Mr. Down's excellent band have arranged to discourse a wellselected programme in the park, and the Mayor and Mayoress, and members of the Town Ceuncil will be in attendance, and, another thing which is quite acceptable, it is the intended to place as many chairs as possible in the ring to supply the serious lack of sitting accommodation which has been somuch complained of lately. All I hope is that this extra accommodation will always be procurable and not end with this special visit of civic dignitaries. In case the weather is inclement,the band will give their performance in the Drill Hall,the use of which has bedn kindly granted by Colonel Greenall and the officers of the Volunteer Corps.  A question which has cropped up spasmodically at the Town Council meetings for a few years past, is the advisability of providing of mqre recreation ground. None of the council—except one or may be two—seem to have seen the necessity for such a provision. Now I can suggest a very simple method by which they will learn conclusively that a recreation ground is required. Let those undecided members go down into Museum-street any evening during the week. They will there see playing on the open ground, and even on the road no leas than a dozen cricket teams—and if they can walk down the street without getting struck with the impression I hare named and several cricket balls, then I very much mistake their powers of perception, and want of physical alacrity.