Page:ChroniclesofEarlyMelbournevol.2.pdf/393

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THE CHRONICLES OF EARLY MELBOURNE.
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Finn would be into him hot and strong, when Fawkner would retort and the other rejoin, generally having the last word, a conquest no other person could gain over Fawkner. H e would stigmatize Finn as the "Papist pigmy," the "Milesian mite," and the "little brat," though in height "Johnny" could boast of only about an inch or so over the other. Like Achilles, though not in the heel, there was one point in which Fawkner was vulnerable—one blot in the Fawknerian system—a grinning skeleton in the Fawknerian family closet, which though only to be approached by dexterous innuendo, never failed to hit the mark. Nevertheless, they would be " i n " and " o u t " with each other, for Fawkner was a forgiving soul, and the other was forgetful of injury, and good-natured. Fawkner was always the first to m a k e a peace-offering. T h e treaty, however, would be of short duration, for perhaps in a week after Fawkner would write or say something disgustingly offensive about the Pope, Convents, the Irish, or the Herald; and when in his tantrums, would usually, when he passed, snarlingly greet the other with, "Well, m y little Papist Neddy, h o w do you shape to-day?" T o which the other would sneeringly reply, "Quite well Johnny Capricorn, I hope I see you frisky." A n d thus getting a gentle touch of the harpoon, the other would whisk away with a passionate exclamation of " H o ! h o ! " not venturing a rejoinder. W h e n "out" they always addressed each other as " N e d d y " and "Capricorn," and when "in" as " E d m o n d u s " and "John Pascoe." Fawkner's mother's n a m e was A n n e Pascoe, and there was a charm in the sound which no doubt stirred up the oldfilialtenderness, for he was a fond and dutiful son; and though his mother and sister returned to England a few years after the expatriation of the father, "Johnny" clung affectionately to the old man, and all praise be to his memory for having done so. T o Pascoe Vale, a suburban land section, purchased by him, some seven miles from Melbourne, on what was then k n o w n as the M o o n e e Ponds Road, he gave a maternal designation. Here he was comfortably nested for a considerable time, and grew some of the first and best grapes in the province, baskets of which, and bunches of flowers he often left at Finn's house during the frequent intervals w h e n amicable relations subsisted between them. In most of the early party squabbles engendered by the Corporation and Legislative elections, Fawkner and Finn took different sides. Fawkner and O'Shanassy used to have stiff onslaughts, but "Johnny" was no match for " Jack," and generally ran away like a whipped hound, for some of such scenes would occur in the open streets. O'Shanassy was the acknowledged General of the Irish Battalions, and Finn was a sort of aide-de-camp in his suite. They were very intimate .friends, and very often together, so that wherever the one was visible the other was not far off. "Johnny" Fawkner would sometimes call Finn " Big Jack's Jackal." O'Shanassy was, when he liked, a long-stepped walker, and, compared with the other, was as if indued in the seven-league boots of the giant of nursery fable; and when in such pedestrian humour, the little fellow trotted hand passibus cequis by his side, often to cause m u c h amusement, for the one was tall as the other was short. Finn, through his familiarity with O'Shanassy, and position on the Herald, a quasi-Irish organ, acquired a popularity with his countrymen second only to that of the Generalissimo, and to engage with him during a heated election was sometimes a rather risky undertaking, as he was well backed by devoted myrmidons. Fawkner and he met one day in Elizabeth Street. They were both in company with canvassing staffs of rival candidates, and rather excited with the work. Fawkner let off a wholesale volley of abuse of everything. Popish, from R o m e to Father Geoghegan, and everything Irish from " B i g Jack" to "Papist Neddy." T h e Irish detachment was more numerous than the other; Finn was in c o m m a n d , and his Sergeant-major was a wild Celtic cordwainer named Pat Kennedy, w h o at once called upon his adherents to "give the miserable crawler Fawkner a rousing volley of groans." W h e n the bi-cameral system of government was instituted in 1856, Fawkner was elected by the Central Province as one of its representatives in the Legislative Council, where he continued until his death. Finn, he fanatically believed to have been brought into official relation with the upper branch of the Parliament for ulterior designs—to serve as a sort of spy, or plain-clothes policeman— a mouchard w h o would be ever working in the dark, taking notes and making observations, all for the special information and enlightenment of the prime Popish emissary, O'Shanassy. H e talked of it EEE