Works in the Herald 1935
REWARDS OF FAITH

Frost, hail, snow blizzards and almost Antarctic conditions have prevailed in Victoria during the past few days, making things very miserable for unemployed men travelling country roads.

Today a bright-eyes traveller
   Came begging at my door.
"As I was headin' north, said he,
   "The frost lay deep and hoor;
So a man gave me this overcoat:
   He said that it looked cold.
It may seem sort o' frayed a bit,
   But 'tain't so very old.

"As I was headin' east, said he,
   "The rain came down a treat.
So a man gave me this pair of boots
   So I could have dry feet.
An' then the rain turned into snow
   As I was headin' west,
So a cove gave me this pair o' pants
   An' this here woolly vest.

"An' when I'm headin' south again --
   Gosh!  How them blizzards blowed.
Such weather I ain't never seen,
   Not since I took the road.
An', as me own was bashed a bit,
   A toff gave me his hat.
You'd hardly think it had been wore,
   An' stylish, too, at that.

"Now all I need's a bit o' grub --
   Hunger do nip a bloke --
An' a pinch o' tea an' sugar
   An' some baccy for a smoke.
Then I'll be fit to be a king,
   Come snow or hail or storm;
For I found, in ten years' travellin',
   Men's hearts can still be warm."

"Den"
Herald, 7 August 1935, p6

Copyright © Perry Middlemiss 2004-05