Works in the Herald 1935
OLD TOWN TYPES No. 19 - NICE MR NIMBLEBERRY
Nice Mr Nimbleberry lived upon the land,
He had an easy conscience and a soft, white hand;
For Nice Mr Nimbleberry never would offend
By talking when he shouldn't; he was everybody's friend.
He never grew aggressive, and his debts were always paid;
And the butcher and the baker, they were glad to get his trade;
For nice Mr Nimbleberry and his little wife
Just -- sort of -- you know -- fitted in the old town life.

Nice Mr Nimbleberry always went to church
Twice every Sunday.  It was said that you might search
Thro' all the land for years and years and never find a pair
So comforting and candid as the Nimbleberrys were;
For they told you all their secrets -- save what everybody knew;
That Nimbleberry dummied for a station man or two.

He dummied for old Connors on the Ooppayarra run;
He dummied for the Duncans and the politician, Dunn.
He owned the eyes of all the runs -- at any rate in name --
Till the time came for possession, and his ultimatum came.
For nice Mr Nimbleberry, safe behind the law,
Answered Connors and the others with a soft "Haw, haw!"
When they asked for a surrender; for Nimbleberry knew,
When it came to legal matters, quite a little thing or two.

Nice Mr Nimbleberry, when I saw him last,
Had sold his landed properties.  But he was forging fast
Ahead in local politics; he came and greeted me
As mayor of the old town, as nice as nice could be,
With his nice little white hand, his nice little wife,
So diffidently suited to the municipal life ....
But the tale old Connors told me in the pub -- and yet, why rake
Old scandals up?  Let's hush them for the Nimbleberrys' sake.

"Den"
Herald, 28 May 1935, p6

Copyright © Perry Middlemiss 2003