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Bruce, Mary Grant, 1878-1958

"Mates at Billabong"

Bush people are used to this peculiarity in city
visitors, and, while regarding the sufferers with sympathy, generally
prescribe a "hair of the dog that bit them"--more riding--as the quickest
cure; which Cecil would certainly have thought hard-hearted in the
extreme. However, nothing would have induced him to say that he had
felt the riding, since Cecil belonged to that class of boy that hates
to admit inferiority to others. So he suffered in silence, creaked
miserably at his uprising and down-sitting, and was happily unaware
that everyone in Billabong knew perfectly well what was the matter with
him.
Cecil and his mother were very good friends in the cool, polite way
that was distinctive of them. They "fitted" together admirably, and as
a general rule held the same views, the one on which they were most in
accord being the belief in Cecil's own superior talents and
characteristics. He wrote to her just as he would have talked, certain
of her absolute agreement. When his letter was finished he felt much
relieved at having, as Jim said, "got it off his chest." Not that Cecil
would ever have said anything so inelegant.
Sarah crossed the hall at the moment, carrying a tray of silver to be
cleaned, and he called to her--
"Where is Norah?"
"Miss Norah's in the kitchen," said the girl shortly.


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