English essays -- 20th century; Short stories, English
"Dear Sir," I answered defiantly, "Now that we are writing to each other
I wish to call your attention to the fact that for many months past there
has been a constant flow of one-fingered music from your little boy,
which penetrates through the floor of my library and makes all work
impossible. May I beg you, therefore, to see that your child is taught a
new tune immediately, seeing that the National Anthem has lost its first
freshness for the tenants above him?"
His reply to this came to-day.
"Dear Sir,--I have no child.
"Yours faithfully, Jno. McAndrew."
I was so staggered that I could only think of one adequate retort.
"DEAR SIR," I wrote,--"I never have a bath."
* * * * *
So that's the end of Johnny, my boy prodigy, for whom I have suffered so
long. It is not Johnny but Jno. who struggles with the National Anthem.
He will give up music now, for he knows I have the bulge on him; I can
flood his bathroom whenever I like. Probably he will learn something
quieter--like painting. Anyway, Dr. John Bull's masterpiece will rise no
more through the ceiling of the flat below.
On referring to my encyclopedia, I see that, according to some
authorities, "God Save the King" is "wrongly attributed" to Dr. Bull.
Well, I wrongly attributed it to Johnny. It is easy to make these
mistakes.
A HANGING GARDEN IN BABYLON
"Are you taking me to the Flower Show this afternoon?" asked Celia at
breakfast.
"No," I said thoughtfully; "no."
"Well, that's that. What other breakfast conversation have I? Have you
been to any theatres lately?"
"Do you really want to go to the Flower Show?" I asked. "Because I don't
believe I could bear it."
"I've saved up two shillings."
"It isn't that--not only that. But there'll be thousands of people there,
all with gardens of their own, all pointing to things and saying,
'We've got one of those in the east bed,' or 'Wouldn't that look nice in
the south orchid house?' and you and I will be quite, quite out
of it." I sighed, and helped myself from the west toast-rack.
It is very delightful to have a flat in London, but there are times in
the summer when I long for a garden of my own. I show people round our
little place, and I point out hopefully the Hot Tap Doultonii in the
scullery, and the Dorothy Perkins doormat, but it isn't the same thing as
taking your guest round your garden and telling him that what you really
want is rain. Until I can do that, the Chelsea Flower Show is no place
for us.
"Then I haven't told you the good news," said Celia. "We _are_
gardeners." She paused a moment for effect. "I have ordered a
window-box."
I dropped the marmalade and jumped up eagerly.
"But this is glorious news! I haven't been so excited since I recognized
a calceolaria last year, and told my host it was a calceolaria just
before he told me. A window-box! What's in it?"
"Pink geraniums and--and pink geraniums, and--er--"
"Pink geraniums?" I suggested.
"Yes. They're very pretty, you know."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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