FIFTY YEARS OF A SHOWMAN'S LIFE 



annual general meetings held in the yard, for the 

 main subjects of discussion were due to the war. 



An instance of the way in which a desire to 

 serve King and Country appeals to the sympa- 

 thizers of all sorts and conditions of men was 

 given me by a steward, who, by his kindly con- 

 sideration for the stockmen over a long period, 

 has become very much their friend and confidant. 

 Walking round the cattle-lines, dropping, as was 

 his wont, a cheery word here and there, he came 

 across an old shepherd, who was another regular 

 attendant at the show, in charge of his master's 

 exhibits. After passing " the time o' day," the 

 shepherd asked the steward if he had heard about 

 Bill Burton, who was another regular show 

 attendant. On the steward professing ignorance, 

 his interrogator continued in this wise : " Bill 

 thought he ought to do some fightin' like the rest, 

 and he managed to kid the chaps at the War 

 Office that he was only thirty-five, but, lor' bless 

 yer, he was nearer fifty than that. Howsomever, 

 they took him on, no doubt bein' glad of anybody 

 without bein' too purtickler. So Bill's gone, and 

 now he's in the trenches. He was rather a rough 

 'un, was Bill, 'tickerly when he'd had a drop, but 

 not bad at 'eart. So me and a few o' my mates 

 thought as we should like to send him somethink 

 that would come in handy to him, just to show 

 as we hadn't forgotten him. So we clubbed 

 together sixpence a-piece and bought him a 

 second-hand concertina and a bit o' baccy. When 

 the Germans ain't worryin' him, he can cheer up 

 hisself and his pals with a tune, and baccy's allus 

 comfortin'." As it did not appear that anyone 



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