Welsh Journals

"Have you got any kidney beans?" "No, mum only broad beans." But she does not care for these, after taking two pods of them in her hand for examination. In the general gossip over the cart she somehow forgets to return the two samples and brings them to the house. "There," she says to the still crying children, "a green banana each for you, with a lot of little ones inside." A compromise truly, but a pacification! III. Father, in order to conform with the regulations governing unemployment benefit, is out seeking work at the colliery of a neighbouring village. He naturally does not know that Mr. John Jones, the manager, is on his holidays, and that Evan Evans, the under manager, has been appointed to take his place for the time, and that Evan Hop- kins, the day overman, has been made provisional under manager in the place of Evan Evans. Father surely did not know of these changes when, mistaking Evan Evans for Mr. John Jones, he thus spoke, with cap in hand, "How is it look- ing for a start Mr Jones, please?" for otherwise he would not have been mystified by the answer "You are wrong, man! Me Mr. Jones, Evan Hopkins me." IV. Willie, who had been sent with a basin to purchase a pennyworth of green peas, served hot, IV. THE coming of the age of petrol caused a great change in our parish, but it was mainly superficial; "increased transport facilities" have not yet made much difference to the deeper life of the community. To one person, however, the new conditions represented a real change: to Robert the Van the advent of the motor-car meant not only the loss of his liveli- hood, but also the collapse of 'his life. We did not realise at the time how deeply he was affected we attributed his stubborn struggle against the new method of locomotion to selfish and mer- cenary motives, which, we admitted, were quite natural. But now in retrospect the struggle par- takes of the nature of a tragedy; it seems akin to the bitter collisions that mark the transition between eras, or the forlorn hopes of great retreats. Robert figures among my earliest recollections. returned with the peas surely enough, but minus the change. This set his mother questioning, and Willie, in answer, could only whimper, The lady didn't give me change." Of course, Willie was hardly tall enough to see over a shop's counter whether there was any change or any- thing else. But the inquisition was relentless. "Did you lose the money, then?" "No, no!" and then more tears. "I will go and see the lady," said the mother, and so out in a fine rage she went. The lady of the "pea emporium" was also something of an Amazon, and the contest proved to be well matched. "I tell you," said the lady, "he did not bring any money here even to pay for what peas he had. I had served him before I knew this." "I say," retorted the angry mother, "that he gave you a threepenny bit, and there's tuppence change." "I say no," said the ladv. banging the counter with a formid- able fist. "Well, I say yes, and you're a cheat." "Withdraw that or I'll summon you," threatened the lady. "To blazes with you and your peas," said the frothing mother, at the same time bang- ing the basin on the counter with such violence that it broke in two-to reveal the much discussed threepenny bit shining out like a central sun upon the two combatants from a firmament of green peas! LITTLE TALES by T. Hughes Jones, M.A. He was then the general carrier for the parish, and Tynbwlch, his home, was the great distribut- ing centre. To fairs and markets and distant sales the van conveyed its load of human beings and merchandise. A few prosperous farmers had their own traps, but most of the parishioners, whether bent on pleasure or on business, were glad to avail themselves of the van. They were long journeys-those expeditions to the market town,-for we had to walk the hills up and down, and although we were huddled together uncom- fortably inside the van, we forgot all our dis- comforts in the enjoyment of the free and easy gossip of our fellows and the facile comments of our driver. In later years the one horse van gave way to a two horse brake, and what a delight it is to recapture in memory the romance of going for our Sunday School trip in Robert's brake, and to remember how dexterously he held the reins, how well he coaxed the horses, how nicely