Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

6 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

Evan John:

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

Evan John: A CHARACTER SKETCH. We met our subject coming along through the main street rigged up in a clean corduroy trips, and a short-cut grey jacket with a pair of strong clean boots -dressed every inch as good as a country squire when he goes a-hunting. Evan John is the happiest man in all Lampeter. Dame Nature is wondrous kind to her subjects. When anything goes amiss in the least in her workings she never fails to contrive a remedy to counterbalance her errors. When she fails in her finest and most priceless of all blessings, namely to open wide the gateway to that only high-road to the highest of pleasures—a sound mind, she never fails to make ample amends by rich endownments of her choicest of gifts, to wit, good health, good humour, and few wants and simple that never bring care and anxiety in their train. Evan John is always in good humor, and his whole face is carved in the best possible manner to give it expression. A rougish twinkling little eye hiding in a brownish stubble ;a strong dry voice, breaking oft into a merry staccato laugh, and two restless legs, not quite on a par with one another, make up that humble personality known as Evan John. If not over-stocked in that upper storey which ever gives mankind the greatest trouble, Evan John, however, is not without his native wits. One Sunday morning, before he had entered the workhouse, Evan John was found by a kind master busy at work in the fields pushing a wheelbarrow. Evan John Evan John!" said the master, you'll never go to Heaven if you drive a wheelbarrow on Sunday." "Well to be shuer" retorted the innocent, "I'll go to Heaven before master. I drive only one wheel but you drive two," pointing triumphantly to the master's trap. Evan John once upon a time prided himself upon being a bit of a doctor. Sheer goodness of heart and not pride nor avarice made him adopt that noble profession. His recital of his prescriptions created roars of laughter in many a household. His recommendations were never followed but his comic advices no doubt told for good on many a sufferer. For all ills that flesh is heir to, Evan John had but one sovereign remedy—"sebon du;" and it is said that once upon a time, when Evan John heard people talking that Mr So-and-So suffered badly from Clefyd y Sul," he hastened off im- mediately to the patient, and told the wife to apply sebon du" in abundance, and that her husband would soon come round from his malady. Evan John gets along very well by doing as other people do, he troubles not to ask the reason why. He is a fixed quantity; is subject to no laws of develop- ment, and never seems to grow old. He greatly flatters himself nowadays with being the senior member of the House; and no M.P. was ever prouder of such an honoured position. He has seen masters and matrons coming and going. He has witnessed many a touching transition scene twixt the cradle and the grave. He is not arrogant of power, and does not lust for dominion but he has some misgivings as to the wisdom of the Guardians in appointing masters from outside time after time. He thought his turn had now fairly come. But he calmly submitted to the new alliance, seeing that in the House of the Poor as in the House of the Great, the destinies of the people, be they paupers or princes, are often determined by marriages. He is the supreme lord of the casual ward, and is the veritable terror of all tramps. He never makes any compromise with dirt. Summer and winter alike the vagrant must undergo the ordeal, for Evan John is inexorable. He is a strict Sabbatarian by training, and a staunch Liberal by contagion. A bit of a ritualist, he is not happy unless be gets the best of everything. He may not know B from a bull's foot, but he dearly loves a well bound Bible, and is not satisfied with his hymn book unless it be richly gilt. He is a most loyal inmate; and although he may not truly say that my mind to me a kit. zdom is," still he is happier in the House than the Czar in his Palace; for he has what neither Czar nor Sultan have not-a quiet, contented mind. The mind, like the ocean, is as still and smooth at low water mark as it is at a higher level. Evan John's mind is never perturbed; but he possesses, to a remarkable degree, the knack t)f conforming his visage to suit the occasion-be it grave or gay. Last week, in common with many others, Evan John drew a'long and melancholy faCe while eyeing the bold figures of the Budget on a newspaper bill. Evan John thought the huge figures of the new taxes told a tale of woe from the war—and who will may he thought wrongly. As he stared in blank astonishment at the figures, he was only an instance of thousands who know by experience that they musti somehow suffer although they understand not why. A bystander's remark that a penny stamp and a sensible letter could have saved all this-the war and the tax-was a philosophy too deep for Evan John but when he was told that he would have to fare on less sugar, he immediately realized the gravity of the situation, and at once fell foul of the wicked set—y tacle'na-who have the heait to sour a life already none too sweet. Let us hope that Evan John may yet survive Governments as he has survived Boards; and that be may see new Ministers as he has seen new Mast era; so that be may yet see the common 16t brightened by better days than these that are over- shadowed by the war-cloud.

TREGARON

LLANILAR.

LLWYNGWRIL.

----------------ABERAYRON.

LAMPETER.