The Moods of Ginger Mick

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Title: The Moods of Ginger Mick (1916)?Author: C.J. Dennis?eBook No.: 0500921.txt?Edition: 1?Language: English?Character set encoding: Latin-1(ISO-8859-1)--8 bit?Date first posted: October 2005?Date most recently updated: October 2005
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Title: The Moods of Ginger Mick (1916)?Author: C.J. Dennis
DEDICATED TO?THE BOYS WHO TOOK THE COUNT
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION?I. DUCK AN' FOWL?II. WAR?III. THE CALL OF STOUSH?IV. THE PUSH?V. THE BATTLE OF THE WAZZIR?VI. SARI BAIR?VII. GINGER'S COBBER?VIII. THE SINGING SOLDIERS?IX. IN SPADGER'S LANE?X. THE STRAIGHT GRIFFIN?XI. A LETTER TO THE FRONT?XII. RABBITS?XIII. TO THE BOYS WHO TOOK THE COUNT?XIV. THE GAME?XV. "A GALLANT GENTLEMAN"
THE GLOSSARY
INTRODUCTION
Jist to intraj'uice me cobber, an 'is name is Ginger Mick - A rorty boy, a naughty boy, wiv rude impressions thick?In 'is casu'l conversation, an' the wicked sort o' face?That gives the sudden shudders to the lor-abidin' race.
'Is name is on the records at the Melbourne City Court,?Fer doin' things an' sayin' things no reel nice feller ort; An 'is name is on the records uv the Army, over there,?Fer doin' things - same sort o' things that rose the Bench's 'air.
They never rung no joy-bells when 'e made 'is first de- boo; But 'e got free edjication, w'ich they fondly shoved 'im thro'; Then turned 'im loose in Spadger's Lane to 'ang around the street An' 'elp the cop to re-erlize the 'ardness uv 'is beat.
Then 'e quickly dropped 'is aitches, so as not to be mistook Fer an edjicated person, 'oo 'is cobbers reckoned crook;?But 'e 'ad a trick wiv figgers that ud make a clerk look sick; So 'e pencilled fer a bookie; an' 'e 'awked a bit, did Mick.
A bloke can't be partic'lar 'oo must battle fer a crust;?An' some, they pinch fer preference, an' some, becos they must. When times is 'ard, an' some swell coves is richer than they ort; Well, it's jist a little gamble fer a rise, agin the Court.
Now, Mick wus never in it as a reel perfeshnal crook,?But sometimes cops 'as slabs uv luck, so sometimes 'e wus took, An' 'e got a repitation, thro' 'im bein' twice interned;?But 'e didn't skite about it, 'cos 'e felt it wasn't earned.
I reckerlect one time a Beak slings Mick a slab uv guff,?Wiv "Thirty days or forty bob" (Mick couldn't raise the stuff) - An' arsts 'im where 'is conshuns is, an' w'y 'e can't be good, An' Mick jist grins, an' takes it out, an' never understood.
An' that is orl there wus to Mick, wiv orl 'is leery ways.?If I wus up among the 'eads, wiv right to blame or praise,?Whenever some sich bloke as 'im wus tucked away fer good?I'd chalk them words above 'is 'ead: "'E never understood."
If I wus up among the 'eads, wiv right to judge the game,?I'd look around fer chance to praise, an' sling the flamin' blame; Fer findin' things in blokes to praise pays divvies either way; An' wot they're blamed fer yesterd'y brings 'earty cheers to-day.
Yes, 'earty cheers frum thortless coots 'oo feel dead sure their God Would never 'ave no time fer crooks 'oo does a stretch in quod; 'Oo reckon 'eaven is a place where orl folk tork correck,?An' judgment, where the "vulgar" gits it solid in the neck.
An' Ginger Mick wus vulgar. 'Struth! When things wus gettin' slow 'E took to 'awkin' rabbits, wich is very, very low-?'E wus the sort o' bloke to watch when 'e come in yer gate: 'E 'ad a narsty fightin' face that orl nice people 'ate.
'E 'ad that narsty fightin' face that peacefulfolk call grim; But I 'ave seen it grow reel soft when kiddies spoke to 'im. 'E 'ad them narsty sullen eyes that nice folk can't enjure; But I 'ave seen a smile in 'em that made our frien'ship sure.
There's men 'oo never knoo ole Mick, an' passed 'im in the street, An' looks away an' sez, "See 'im? A narsty chap to meet!?'E'd be an ugly customer alone an' after dark!"?An' Mick, 'e'd twitch 's jor at 'em, 'arf earnest, 'arf a lark.
That wus the sort o' character that Mick earned be 'is looks. The talk uv 'im, the