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11/1/1952 - Scruffy Takes a Walk by Edwin S. Munger

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT VORLD AFFAIRS Prlvs Beg H ScruffyTkes Sllsbury Southern Rhodesia November Mr Walte S Rogers institt Current World Affairs Fifth Avenas New York Nw York Dear Mr Rogers Scruffy stone porch stood looking resdlng morning paper delivered afternoon country His cocked wagging saying snyone could plainly understand Let With pitched bounded curving driveway paved fallen purple petals jacaranda These trees lovely women beautiful ornaments highly imprsctlcble shade stmer The wirehaired terrier turned washboard between plowed fields waiting planting Across valley Warren Hills colored landscape siered shimnered fternoon yellow grass dusty brown fields wrs_pped The dormant seven months expect twenty inches three On Lochinvar Farm Scruffy ylpped cession white shirted Africans riding their Eglish bicycles toward Salisbury Ea would signed master permitting until certain As doffed their Good afternoon occasionally nkosi custom The local country squire putting grass could picture catalog swinging offer biscuit Harry Kirkup Southern Rhodesi twenty eight years cpitsl rming Lochinvar dwindled while Kirkup account climbed figures The Salisbury before doubled trebled Its commercial metabolism industrial panies tobacco processors bought tracts Lochinvar railroad large section His friends Harry KirWup natured handed Scot always His brother Eric recently Northumberland vegetables borehole irrigation Aside cotton being tried usual maize longer operates profit The phone ringing during Kirkup talked Umtsll Gwelo later Johannesburg Mrs Kirkup joined ladies called She drives thefsrm occasionally feeds ducWs otherwise changed frmer landed desirous emulating those women colonial society vogue outside inside Scruffy bored signaled leave The paddock empty stopped stable hello The Fox ageing white horse loaned friend while vcstioning Cape Kirkup kindly stall The Fox company three retired champions Kirkup given racing still prominent steward local association We wandered Ioad quiet warmth listening Black Collared Barbet coming shadow mssss Convection reaching cottony clouds forming intensely Although Salisbury tropics rarely Amerlcsn standards never scorching The thousand elevation gives region genial thermal cllmste Mrs Godmsn cheery greeting entered butchery general store She sells mostly Africans nearby farms We sugar Scruffy She husband works Ssllsbury phone exchange midnight generous warmhearted cockneys within sound Bow Bells They prosperous business going London survived blitz There streak adventure their store their savings emigrated Southern Rhodesi fifty They started business their arrival invested heavily equipment Suddenly trade slumped never recovered anticipated Bit their savings until finally almost broke little country store supplemented small income John Godman telephone circular corrugated metal grain joined short passageway roofed ubiquitous material painted white Both philo sophical about their misfortune saving crefully another proper store The washboard followed kopje until stream Scruffy toward followed admonitory shouts He stopped thlrstyand obviously annoyed The water badly infected bilhsrzi which reners Rhodesisn streams dangerous nimal Half dozen African children splashing abandon Two bright looking about eight water Scruffy One could never debilitating deadening effects diseases nearly every African Rhodesis Africans brawn brains They health physical drive utilize their brslns enough learn experlence What would Americ leders shackled disease thirty Flick Fletcher whose house called after walking along kopje South African After service joined South African Airways three He slight brown haired Fern Idaho ericn Embassy Pretoria They decided settle America Like Godmans their savings promised Flick hours licenses brought offers SYWA Capital first papers satisfy F C C citizenship rules radio telephony certificate After discouraging months returned South Africa Flick unhappy politics airline joined Central African Airways flies between Jo Bulwyo Salisbury Nirobl Although Fletchers Rhodesia settle permanently because foresee trouble their children generation A white Coloured nsnnie living collect three Ann dinner nsnnie smallest This I prefer Africa Idaho comfort poured He looked That reminds Dear I killed cobra porch morning Roy Haworth stopped Vanguard blizzard offer Scruffy voted Jumping through opened reluctantly offer declined Roy thirty Rhodesian bachelor school Salisbury He joined Rhodesian Air Corps Hs brother Germany Roy stayed Mum Dad still Roy sister Yvonne trained meteorologlst mutual friend later married toured Great Britain Europe together Roy enjoyed seeing something world outside Africa engineer Sslisbury radio station He world especially U S great Tan There better place world Rhodesia He talks going Brltsln British descended settlers never Brltsin Ogden Nash could reverse lines about English distinguished their tradition ceremonials And their affection their colonies their contempt their colonials Roy Rhodesisns great sffectlon British Isles contempt people considers damned soclsllst The behind kopje darken rapidly wsiked stretch The evening breeze beginning valley hinted fireplace would after dinner Rhodesia lovely friendly country If immigration sincerest forms ttery Southern Rhodesia flattered other country recent years increase Europesn population Scruffy enough walking talking measly biscuit driveway flower kitchen where dinner waiting Sincere yours Edwin S Received New York